Perspective Grad Student Visit Tips
Step 1: do the really annoying apps. the rec letters matter like 6 times more anyways. Step 2: Wait Step 3: Wait some more. Check email obsessively
Now that we’re pass that, grad school visits are very exciting but also rather.... a lot. Most of mine were unusually early (I have one of three left) so might as well use that everyone else’s advantage and some tips, notes, and questions to ask while you’re visiting. Note that I am a pure math student going into a PhD program.
1. It will be exhausting. it’ll also be really exciting but it’s impossible to deny that meeting a ton of new people and finding out so much info in a very small space of time is exhausting. So keep that in mind
2. You’re not actually trying to impress everyone. Be friendly and engaged and curious but the grad program is actually trying to entice and inform you now. A good department is also honest about the reality of being a student there.
3. Pay attention to the current grad students. Do they seem happy? What are their opinions? No one knows what being a grad student somewhere is like more than the grad students themselves. Also, as the grad director said last weekend, professors know what they want the program to be but the students know what the program is.
4. Skim over the grad student handbook beforehand if you can find it and have time but don’t worry about knowing a bunch of stuff before going. They will tell you all the important bits. Probably several times
5. If you’re going on a visiting day, also pay attention to other perspective students since if you go, a lot of them will be your cohort and man do you get familiar with your cohort.
6. Do your best to go to optional things. They’re usually a good opportunity to talk to people and ask questions informally and they tend to be a lot of fun (leaving early from them might also be a good option depending on the situation)
Now some useful questions (from a mix of profs and grad students at my undergrad, things that occurred to me, and a few random sources such as the AMS) I tried to arrange the questions in a way that makes sense but they’re mostly just random still
Retention and graduation statistics
What do graduates tend to go on to do?
Seminars and the sort available
How does the advising system work?
Examination requirements (prelims, quals, comprehensives, etc)
Taking courses that aren’t strictly math?
These can mostly also be asked of grad students of course
What do you do besides work?
What’s normal for hrs of TA work per week (this tends to vary a ton within a program but still worth asking)
What mental health services are available and how much/are they actually accessible?
How about physical health services? Health insurance?
Accessibility to things like campus gym or university recreation events?
Do you feel like the department is supportive? What about specifically of women/gender minorities/etc?
Do people usually work together while they’re in classes? How about once they’re doing research? How about research collaboration beyond the department?
How are prelims/quals/whatever they’re called
Are there resources about what apartment complexes are good?
How is grocery store/restaurant/etc access? If you’re used to a particular type of non-americian food ask about that in particular (I really want a decently sized asian grocery store within a reasonable drive)
Is the stipend livable? In addition, who you ask is going to be very important here since I realized that I got answers from a lot of applied students on my last visit and fewer pure students but industry/national labs/etc tend to pay significantly better than normal TAships
