|
Senior Consultant Susan Shaffer encourages MBA applicants to visit any b-school they're thinking of applying to if they possibly can.
"MBA programs can have a different feel from the rest of a university," Susan says. "Although their websites try to show their unique features, nothing compares to seeing the real thing!"
Summer is not an ideal time for campus visits because classes are not in session. However, if summer is the only time that you can get away to visit a school, a summer visit is better than none.
So even though classes may have already
started, Susan recommends that now is the time to start
planning to get to know your target schools better.
"It's probably not realistic to visit every place you
are considering applying to," she says. But a school
visit can really immerse you into the hustle and bustle
of the MBA atmosphere on campus.
One way to get a good feel of the school
is to sign up for a tour and information session. "The
schools track attendance - and you want them to know
that you visited!" Though the sessions are often from a
marketing angle, the info they provide is helpful "and
you can learn some things from the other people with you
on the tour," comments Susan.
"What if you can't get to campus? Schools understand
that not everyone can manage a visit. That's why they do
extensive outreach, holding presentations in major
cities around the world and attending MBA Fairs." Though
MBA fairs aren't the best way to get a solid picture of
the school (due to the volume of attendees), they are a
great way to learn about several different schools at
once.
Susan recommends that if you have to do the MBA route,
"try to attend their presentations – you can hear their
pitch firsthand, you'll learn some new things about he
program, and you might even meet students and alumni."
Susan offers some other advice to applicants who are planning visits
in the future:
"If you know that you will only be able to visit a school one time due to distance or time restrictions, save the trip for an interview, in case you're invited to one. It is much better to interview on campus!
"If you are applying to a school were you can self-initiate an interview, don't schedule your interview until you've worked on your essays. You want to have your story pulled together so that you don't say one thing in your interview and another in your application."
– Susan is a Stern MBA and former Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions at New York University.
Back to MBA Features
 |
