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sulmona
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Does visiting affect chances of interview? 15 Jan 2015, 06:33
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Hello, I was late in the game applying (didn't start picking schools and working on apps until mid-to-late November), so I am a bit worried about my inability to visit schools since I was not aware how important that was in the process, although there seems to be conflicting data around this.

If it matters, none of the schools I applied to are reaches (my GMAT and GPA are higher than the averages at all the schools, but not by a significant amount, 10-20 points more in GMAT and GPA by .1 or so) and I do plan on conducting all my interviews on-campus to learn more about the schools.

Would it help if I did a barnstorming session in the next 2 weeks or so and visited a variety of schools I applied to? I could definitely pull it off, just not sure if it would help me at this point.
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CriticalSquare
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Does visiting affect chances of interview? 16 Jan 2015, 14:22
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Well, so visiting after you apply is...not ideal, right? Because schools want to see you've done your research and that you loved what you saw and couldn't wait to apply! If you visit right after you submit, it seems like you're trying to tick the box. But that said, if you are invited to interview, GO THERE. Or if you're waitlisted, visit! So right now? Perhaps not uber useful - but it will probably play in soon!

Bhavik
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sulmona
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Does visiting affect chances of interview? 16 Jan 2015, 15:07
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Interesting you would say that when a consultant told me to do this! I don't think it can be really viewed as checking the box when I am flying across the country to these places. If I wanted to check the box, why wouldn't I have just gone earlier? Or just done a local info session, signed my name in a sheet and left it at that?

I guess the idea we are going here is to show continued engagement with the schools, along with helping with interview preparation. I believe most schools conduct on campus interviews in the morning and then do the class visit, tour, etc afterwards. So I wouldn't be able to use that information much to help prepare.

So for some of these schools, if I get invited to interview, I would be doing double duty, but I think I'd be better prepared for the interview.


CriticalSquare
Well, so visiting after you apply is...not ideal, right? Because schools want to see you've done your research and that you loved what you saw and couldn't wait to apply! If you visit right after you submit, it seems like you're trying to tick the box. But that said, if you are invited to interview, GO THERE. Or if you're waitlisted, visit! So right now? Perhaps not uber useful - but it will probably play in soon!

Bhavik
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Does visiting affect chances of interview? 16 Jan 2015, 15:38
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Hey there - so there's no right answer here - it's a pretty subjective thing. You're right that you'll be pulling double duty when you visit but you're also, to a certain extent, overestimating how much of the visit you'll be able to leverage in the interview. The reason I say that is because you'll need to bring specific things about the school that tie to you and the visit could be, and often is, general.

As for flying across the country - yes, no school will view that as a pure check the box exercise but that doesn't change the fact that its utility may be relatively limited. Visiting before you apply is less "check the box" to be honest because it's immediately useful. You can talk about it and the school would think a reasonable adult who has visited is applying because they like what they saw. Between application deadlines and interview invites, what would your reason be? If the adcom asked you as you walked in, "why are you here today, and not 3 weeks ago?" what would you say? Understand that relatively limited does not mean useless. But if you visit now - fly across the country - and then you go back 2 weeks later for an interview, what'll be the point in that? Because your question was will it help with getting an interview? And the answer is, at this stage, it's difficult to say. By the time you land there, they might have already reviewed and closed your file. Or maybe they won't have. Or maybe they'll be reading it RIGHT THEN.

These forums are great because you can get a lot of opinions on things that really matter to you right now but there is no "right" answer to most questions. So what I will say is this - if one of our clients asked us this, we would tell them to not. I hope this helps and serves as another data point to consider. Is it the holy word? Of course not! It's just my professional opinion.

Good luck and enjoy your visit - whenever that might be :)

Bhavik