Do This When You Visit the Campus of Your Target B-Schools
You wouldn’t buy a home you hadn’t seen in person first, would you? The average cost of an MBA education at the most elite business schools is over $200,000. Therefore, it makes good sense to visit the campus to get to know a program beyond its ranking.
During a visit, you’ll observe the general routine of students and get a feel for in-class dynamics. You’ll also be able to imagine yourself as a part of the community where you will spend the next two years.
Some applicants have likened the school selection process to online dating. Sure, you have an idea of how amazing a school is, but you have to spend time together in person before you can truly decide whether it’s The One.
Some admissions departments, such as those at Harvard Business School and Stanford University Graduate School of Business, are quick to point out that a campus visit has no bearing on admissions decisions.
Schools such as the relatively remote Tuck School of Business take note of who has toured the school. This extra effort to visit the campus in person strongly signals that a candidate is serious about that particular school.
What are your chances of getting into a top business school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Spring is the ideal time to visit the campus.
It makes little sense to check out the campus during the summer. When classes aren’t in session, you can’t assess the one key characteristic you want to observe: the interaction between students and faculty. While on campus, check out the whole university because its resources may someday be available to you.
Through the MBA admissions office, you can schedule a visit that typically includes an information session, attending a class, and chatting with a current student over coffee or a meal. During the class visit, take note of the dynamic between the students and the professor before and after class. This can be an indicator of how close-knit and collaborative the community is.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast #153: Connecting with MBA Students, Faculty and Alums
Sometimes, the admissions office may connect you with a student with similar career goals. This provides an ideal way to learn more specifics about the program related to your professional needs.
Don’t miss: How a Campus Visit Can Strengthen Your MBA Application
Straight from the MBA student’s mouth
Talking to current students when you visit the campus is the best way to learn about the program. And don’t just talk to a couple of people. This is too big a decision to make without first experiencing a variety of conversations and points of view. Explain that you’re trying to get a feel for the community. Find out more about why they chose this particular school. Chances are excellent they will gladly share their insights with you.
Married business school hopefuls, especially those with young children, should also attempt to find out how family-friendly the MBA program is to better understand what life would be like in their situation.
Don’t miss: Mine the Wisdom of Current MBA Students
A considerable part of the B-school experience is the social aspect. This helps forge the strong network you’ll rely on after graduation. While visiting the school, find out where students go to relax and unwind. Check out the local watering holes, as MBAs do enjoy their potent libations!
If you can stay for a few days, try to immerse yourself in the MBA social scene. Connect with students who are interested in the same activities you hope to become involved in. You’ll often learn more about your fit with a particular school over these encounters than during an official admissions tour.
“In just five days, I experienced the heart of Team Fuqua: a place where collaboration thrives, kindness abounds, and every voice matters. From the supportive community to the inspiring opportunities for growth, I left Durham knowing this was where I belonged.” Fabiola Paredes Tarazona, Duke Fuqua MBA Class of 2026
Ultimately, deciding whether to plan your visit before applying, or once you’ve been invited to interview, or after you’ve received an offer of admission, is a personal one. Each has its merits, and barring the prohibitive expense of multiple visits, would be worthwhile.
Whatever option you choose, figuring out how a particular program suits your needs is a crucial step in the business school application process.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership and Interview Prep to hourly help with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Kate
Kate served in the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School for over five years. In her capacity as an Associate Director, Kate advised applicants daily and reviewed hundreds of applications per cycle. She was also an applicant interviewer, a liaison to other offices within the School, and a CBS representative at events around the world. Kate managed several recruiting and operational projects for the Admissions Committee. After Columbia Business School, Kate transitioned into cam ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
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