Wish You Were Here!, Grad School Article

You've narrowed down your grad school selection to a hand full of suitable candidates and are in the final stages of your decision making process. While you have been contemplating the idea of visiting some of these schools, you are still unsure as to whether or not it is worth the time or the effort. Before you dismiss the thought altogether, consider some of the benefits to checking out these schools beforehand. Is a campus visit essential to select your choice of schools? Maybe not but even a quick visit can make the decision process a little easier and less stressful. One of the main reasons students book a campus tour is to find out more than just the academic aspects including what the lab facilities are like, availability of housing for families and let's not forget climate. If you hail from a mild climate, you might consider snow for nine months as an exciting adventure but daily frostbite can quickly dampen anyone's enthusiasm. Experiencing campus life face to face will enable you to assess, more accurately, which school is best suited for your needs. Among your considerations might be the social climate on campus, if the campus looks more like Mardi Gras it might not be the school best suited for graduate studies. With the amount of concentration and reading you can look forward to, the quieter the atmosphere the better. Public transportation should also be a consideration. If you lack your own wheels you will require public transit to go grocery shopping and even trips to the movies once in a while. Limited public transportation can make the idea of heading into town an expensive prospect if you have to take a cab whereas, if your campus is smack dab in the downtown core, your travel expenses could be significantly less. Safety should always be a consideration. You'll notice that most campus pictures in the brochures are taken during the day. Since you'll be spending a lot of your evenings as a grad student studying late at the library or working with study groups you might want to place more consideration on campus security. A quick trip to a potential school will give you a chance to ask questions and maybe learn a bit more than you would online or from any reading materials. With the decision to venture on campus grounds, there are some preparations you should make prior to departure. As with undergraduate schools it is best to read up on the school, programs, activities and check out their web site to find out as much as you can. Some schools provide contact information to former graduates who are more than willing to provide you with information on why they chose that school. Who better to let you know what the school will be like than a former graduate? If you want to talk to someone who can share their experience on campus contact the alumni association. Former grads love to talk about their alma mater and can even let you know the job prospects after graduation. You might even find an alumni member right in your hometown. The best time to visit a campus is when school is in session. Going during the semester will provide you with an accurate sense of what to expect. Tours offered by the school will give you your best glimpse at campus life. Make a list of all the questions you have and address them either during the tour or after. Make an appointment with an admissions officer to go over specific questions or concerns you might have. See if you can arrange to meet with a faculty member in your program or a grad school advisor. Find out all that will be in store for your first year. Besides compiling a list of questions, include a list of what's important to you. The more items you can check off your list during your visit the happier you will be attending that school. The adage, it's better to look before you leap holds a lot of truth but in reality it may not always be possible. If you are planning on attending school across the country, the finances and time might not be