EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Reapplicant Guide
    • Pitching Entrepreneurship as Your Post-MBA Career
    • Applying to European Business Schools
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • Testimonials & Reviews
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts

The best thing you can do if you haven’t done it yet.

February 23, 2018 by EssaySnark 6 Comments

(Well, besides picking up The Reapplicant Guide…)

If you are looking down the barrel of the reapplicant shotgun and wondering what you can do to increase your chances, we’ll lay out a biggie right now:

VISIT THE SCHOOL.

If you did this already, you’re off the hook.

If you didn’t – if you made it all the way through the application process last year without setting foot on that school’s campus, and if you’re planning on giving them a shot again now, then please figure out how you’re going to get your booty out to wherever they happen to be located on the planet.

Visit the school.

No it’s not mandatory – and no we’re not trying to insinuate that the reason you were rejected is that you didn’t visit. But visiting imparts advantages. You will learn stuff about them. You will demonstrate your enthusiasm for what they offer. It could even help you stand out from the crowd.

Plus, it’ll be fun!!

You’re saying you want to spend two years of your life in this place. You may as well go check it out and see what it’s like. Wouldn’t it be weird if the first time you set foot on campus was your first day there as a student? Yeah, kinda.

Please visit the school. It will help.

And do it soon. The schools will be closing up shop for the summer in just a few short weeks – not literally, the admissions people will still be around, but the students will all be gone. Off to internships and new jobs. Not hanging around waiting to talk to you at Happy Hour like they are right now.

Oh yeah – thought we’d mention – we got this from an MIT Sloan adcom chat one year:

“We certainly make note of those who visit, as we have a check-in at the beginning of our events, including the events abroad.”

Other schools keep tabs on attendance, too. No, you won’t be rejected if you didn’t visit – but you think it doesn’t get noticed if you do?

We cover this topic regularly on the blahg so we’ll just link to the original post about it: Your window of opportunity for a school visit is NOW. You can go sometime this summer but the experience won’t be nearly as useful.

You can also check out the whole archive of posts on school visits if you need more convincing.

Filed Under: school visits

« Previous: Is this unethical?
Next: Is this unethical? Part 2 »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Here's what others have said about this:

  1. levieillard says

    February 24, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    The applicant who visits a school communicates multiple good things to the adcom: interest, curiosity, and willingness to invest for starters. All else being equal (which is only true in macro economics 101) the applicant who does this is more likely to get an admit than one who does not.

    I suspect this is especially true for the strong applicant in situations where the adcom might be concerned about yield. Somone who has visited has demonstrates commitment over someone who hasnโ€™t.

    And โ€œitโ€™s funโ€ is a terrific side effect. Although it can be tough on the liver or sleep schedule, this can help you assess fit. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
    • essaysnark says

      March 1, 2018 at 6:57 pm

      Maybe we should retitle this post something like “Opportunity for travel and drinking!!” ๐Ÿ˜‰ To, you know, really sell folks on bschool.

      We definitely agree, those who do the campus visits often see a higher rate of admits than those who do not, not as a direct causation but there’s certainly correlation. Possibly it just makes the applicant so much more convincing in everything they say about the school in the app and particularly the interview. Your point is also well taken about the yield question, which can happen even more when application volumes go down.

      Thanks for the additional angles! Always nice to see you around these parts.

      Reply
  2. secondtime says

    October 3, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Hi essaysnark,

    Quick question for you. I like the idea of campus visits and they are definitely helpful when writing essays.
    However, I’m applying to Duke in Rd1 but couldn’t visit them. I’m really interested in Duke but started my application late. Alos, because of storm warning had to push out the visit and now left with two options.

    Either I pay hefty amount and visit now before RD1 or go two weeks after Rd1 at reasonable airfares? I’m trying to talk to lot of students and alums so as to get their perspectives and work on essay 2 but can’t decide when should I visit and still make it count?

    Reply
    • essaysnark says

      October 3, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      @secondtime: A visit right now isn’t going to make or break the decision for you — unless you’re saying you’d try to get there THIS WEEK? If that’s an option for you, especially if you’re a reapplicant (?? unclear but your username implies?) — then taking advantage of the Open Interview opportunity really could be wise!!

      The thing is, sometimes we deliver that answer to a BSer in a similar situation, and they pull out all the stops and they go for it…. and then they don’t make it in. And then they’re pretty dejected and sometimes even PO’ed, since not only did they not make it but they did all this stuff and paid all this money, and didn’t. So as long as you’re being realistic and understand that it’s not going to guarantee anything — and imagine how you’ll feel if you do it, and it does not pan out — then the advice holds. If this would truly put you in a financial bind, then skip it.

      If you don’t visit now and get in on the interview (need to contact the admissions office immediately if that’s even an option!) then don’t bother scheduling something for 2 weeks later. Just sit tight and see if you get invited to interview. If you do, then that’s your prime opportunity to get on campus.

      Also, to anticipate a follow-up: If you can’t make it happen, this isn’t something to try to explain in an optional essay. There’s some fields in the app about it so answer those and leave it at that. Don’t say anything about the storm or whatever. The adcom knows that that impacted some people but it’ll really sound like an excuse, so we say skip the explanations on why the on-campus thing didn’t happen.

      If you can make it work though, you’re in for a treat! A great time of year and obviously a great school. Let us know what you decide to do!

      EssaySnark

      Reply
  3. secondtime says

    October 3, 2018 at 6:17 pm

    Hi essaysnark,

    Thanks for your prompt response. This was super helpful. I’m not a re-applicant to Duke but this is my second attempt at MBA app. I was also not thinking of interviewing (even if it is this week). Just wanted to visit and learn more about the school so that it helps me add more flavor to essay 2 and later in the interview, if invited and I thought it will also help show my commitment to the school.

    I know there isn’t a guarantee but if it puts my case strongly, I might as well do the visit now. But as you said, if it’s not going to make or break visiting school before round 1 (given above details), then I might as well wait for the interview. I’ll end up missing the great weather if I get invited to interview.

    Let me know if your advice would be any different given additional context. Sorry, I guess I should have been little more detailed earlier.

    So, do you still think visiting now before deadline could be worth the rush? and round 1 interviews happen in late november so that’s the reason I thought of visitng 2 weeks later.

    Reply
    • essaysnark says

      October 4, 2018 at 2:25 pm

      If you’re not going to interview, don’t waste your visit on a rushed one. Focus on the essays! With T7 and counting, that’s way (way!!) more important!!!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Jan '24 Intake Rd 2
    in 3 weeks
  • INSEAD Jan '24 Intake Rd 3
    in 3 months, 0 weeks
  • INSEAD Jan '24 Intake Rd 4
    in 4 months, 1 week
   
   

CLASS OF 2025 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

From a former BSer:
"love the guide books!"




    The 2022 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2025
   
    The 2022 Harvard MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2025!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
  The 2022 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with clear guidance for the 2022 essays!
   
  The 2022-2023 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2022-2023 applications
   
    The 2022 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video, plus the new optional short-answer question on "the world you come from" -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2025!
   
    The 2022 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values'
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - revised for 2022!
   
    The 2022 UVA Darden MBA Application Guide gives insights on the essays, Early Action, the possibility of a test waiver, and everything else going on here!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Darden MBA - updated for the Class of 2025 requirements!
   
   
The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2025 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2022
   
    The 2022 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2025 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2022-2023 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the essays, the EQ Endorsement and test strategies!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2025 essays!
       
   
   
Get started now - without doing any work! The Comprehensive Profile Review will help you start your strategy for your MBA applications.


EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2023 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy