B-School Diversity Weekends

Question

Hey Guys! Does anyone know much about B School Diversity weekends? If so, did you go and how did it impact your decision to apply? If possible, I am willing to chat on or offline with about this with anyone who may have some insight.

Thanks!

theDreamChaser · Answer

I went to Kellogg, Stanford, Wharton and UCLA's diversity weekends, oh, and a Berkeley women's weekend event. Each is worth the visit. Those programs are usually very well structured and you get lots of opportunity to interact with current students. If you are doing school visits anyways, I would highly suggest participating in these programs. You get more out of a visit that way.

VictoryMBA · Answer

Stanfords diversity weekend is over (yes, for 2011 matriculation), however there are still a number of other ones to look for.

I've been to Duke's, which I thought was great. They really roll out the red carpet for you. Two years later and I'm still sold on the school.

UCLA, Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth have them...I had no idea that Wharton or Kellog did, so I need to keep an eye out for those. I think they are beneficial to get a general sense of the student body, facilities, faculty, classes, campus etc. Just understand that everyone will be on their best behavior.

theoutlawfades · Answer

Well, I've been to a few. Keep in mind, that I did these over a 3-year time frame as I started my research pretty early so I do NOT recommend doing as many as I did...Just pick 1-3 at most depending on your goals: Columbia, NYU, Wharton, Kellogg, Michigan, UCLA, Duke, and Yale.

Each one was a little different in length and quality. They all provide enormous value both in terms of exposure to adcom members and students and really getting a feel for the community and your fit with the program. One potential downside, is that you might not get a "true" feel for what it's like to go to the school on a day to day basis since the schools tend to put on their best impression for those weekends.

If you do go to a few, apply, and get accepted, revisit the schools for a regular school visit so that you can make an honest decision about the school. Or you can try to interview on campus. But don't let the diversity weekend be your only data point of experience because you might be disappointed with the reality v. the impression received at the weekend.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

theDreamChaser · Answer

I'd highly recommend Kellogg Preview Weekend for Minority if you are interested in Kellogg. It's really the best organized minority weekend that I have ever been to. I am not saying this because I am going to Kellogg, you can see my blog post about the event that was written before I got admitted
https://dreamchasermbajourney.blogspot.c ... arton.html

I think Kellogg is hosting a new Minority event in the Spring, which is coming up in May
https://www.kelloggmbaclassof2011.com/20 ... t-for.html

Wharton's event is in the fall, forgot the name, but their website should show the info when it gets closer.

One more tip about this is that although these events are organized for minority applicants, they are not limited to just minority applicants. They are usually open to anyone who believes in and supports diversity. With that said, you usually only see very few non-minority applicants at those events.

skaballet · Answer

I went to several and they can be beneficial. Also, don't worry that you missed Stanford's. They don't put much effort into it and it is pretty sub-par compared to other schools (at least 2 years ago). I think you'd be better off just to do a regular visit. These weekends are nice because some schools will pay for or offer a stipend for some part of the visit (either hotel or travel). However, like previously mentioned its kind of like attending an admit weekend. Most schools put a ton of resources into it so it may not be a totally accurate picture of everyday life. If you can I'd recommend coming a day early/staying a day late if possible to get a more "normal" perspective. I thought Duke and Tuck's weekends were especially good. Feel free to PM me.

VictoryMBA · Answer

Do you guys feel like attending a diversity weekend might boost your application to that school by a point or two? Aside from being able to bring home lots of data for your essays, is just being there going to help you?

50% of my desire to attend these events is to learn about the school, the other 50% is wanting to show the school that I'm interested in their program. What do you guys think?

theoutlawfades · Answer

Even though the schools might not admit it, I would say yes.

How much may depend on the program. Going to Tuck or Duke might show a real commitment to the program v. NYU or UCLA because they're located in major hub cities where their applicant volumes are already pretty high (examples only, I don't claim to know which schools value it more).

theDreamChaser · Answer

I would say that the boost to your application is marginal from a pure "I visited the school" point of view. The real value is really what you can talk about in your essay and your understanding of the program. I do agree that certain schools, especially those located in remote areas, like to see applicants visiting. But attending diversity weekend or just a school visit, doesn't really matter.

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