Making the Most of the Campus Visit

Visiting an MBA program is a surefire way to find out if it's right for you. Here are five items that should be at the top of your to-do list

By Francesca Di Meglio

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The campus visit is important to business school applicants because it can enhance their application and give them a sense of where they might one day earn their MBA. Although most experts agree that visitors should not get hung up on garnering face time with the busy admissions committee, some programs go as far as aiding them with their application, says Sam Kang, director of admissions for the full-time MBA/MS programs at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business (Smith Full-Time MBA Profile).

"We can help them improve their application, counsel them about the timing of turning it in, and establish a relationship with them," Kang says.

Indeed, even at business schools with large enrollments, candidates can gather specifics about the campus that will improve their applications and interviews, says Graham Richmond, co-founder and chief executive of the admissions consultancy Clear Admit in Philadelphia. At smaller programs, such as the University of Virginia Darden School of Business (Darden Full-Time MBA Profile) or the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business (Tuck Full-Time MBA Profile), the campus visit is even more important, because admissions committees make note of it, says Richmond.

Giving serious thought to one's campus visit is of paramount importance, because just showing up is not going to get a candidate very far, says Linda Abraham, president and founder of admissions consultancy Accepted.com in Los Angeles.

"Planning a visit when students aren't on campus or school isn't in session is a mistake," she says.

Taking advantage of all the school has to offer visitors—from attending a class to dining with a student—is in an applicant's best interest, says Abraham. Also, an applicant must be courteous to everyone he encounters. When he worked in the admissions office at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School (Wharton Full-Time MBA Profile) from 2000 to 2002, Richmond says he would open applications to find notes about applicants who were rude or demanded meetings with the admissions committee and then had nothing to say.

Getting the school's version of the program is important, but so is doing one's own investigation, says Richmond. The following are must-do activities to get a full picture of an MBA program.

Talk to Students

Students hold the key to unlocking a business school's culture, says Sherry Wallace, director of daytime MBA admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School (Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Profile). Getting feedback and information from many sources, including faculty and staff, should be your goal, she says.

"You don't ever want to form a conclusion about a school after talking to just two people," says Wallace. "I encourage applicants to get a variety of interactions on campus."

Some business schools schedule an opportunity for candidates to eat lunch on campus with a student. It is even better, says Abraham, if a candidate can find out on his own where students hang out, such as a cafeteria or quad, and strike up informal conversations with people.

Another way to meet students, Richmond says, is to network with former colleagues who now attend the business school. Consider tracking down fellow prospective students, current students, and alumni through the Businessweek.com B-School Forum to compare notes and get suggestions on tackling the campus visit.

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