QUESTION: I heard it could be helpful to impress the adcom if you visit the school. Is this true? And will it REALLY help me get admitted? It just seems to be so expensive to go visit all the schools Iˆm applying to, especially if I might have to return for interviews. Also, if I do visit, is it possible to talk to someone in admissions about my personal situation? ANSWER: Yes, my friend, if it is at all possible you SHOULD try to coordinate a campus visit. Yes, it will cost $1,000 USD or so, but compared to the $150K that you are going to spend, that isnˆt a very large amount. Especially considering how important the campus visit is at many schools. I was recently speaking with an adcom member at a school based in Europe. She made it EXTREMELY clear to me that if the applicant hasnˆt visited, she simply will NOT believe that he wants to go to that school. Period. Interesting, eh? But she makes a good point. How can you prove to a school that you KNOW that they are the best school for you, if you have never even visited? It is possible, of course, but why not take that risky element out of the mix and just….visit? Adcoms will be impressed, and you will also experience cool things and meet cool people that you can reference in your applications (and, you know, reach out to when you get to campus next year). Now, what should you be doing during that visit? Obviously, there is a TON of stuff you can do that will be both helpful for your application and productive. First of all, reach to to the admissions committee. Granted, they will likely not take your meeting… but there is no shame in trying. Also, you should visit classes. Ideally even something that is relevant to your career goals. And finally, do your best to reach out to students as well. So, for example, if you are interested in the Venture Capital Club, try to meet with a person (or two?) who is a member of that club! Find out about the club, find out about the campus, and find out about their life in the MBA program. Donˆt do this just because you will be able to write about it in your apps, but also because you will learn what it is REALLY like on campus. And isnˆt that something youˆd like to know before you decide to spend the next 1-2 years there? Hope that helps shed some light, Jon Frank HBS 2005 Founder Precision Essay http://www.precisionessay.com --

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