Meeting with prof while on campus tour

marite
Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:59:29 +0000

My S emailed to chairs of departments before visiting. He was extremely well received. He spent perhaps half an hour with each. In one college, the prof. escorted him to the departmental tea hour where he saw one of his idols talking to undergrads. At another, the prof showed him his lab and suggested he might be interested in listening to a lecture. The chair of another department discussed impending retirements which would affect incoming students. At another school, my S attended a lecture which really bowled him over, only to find that the prof was moving to another institution. Finally at yet another college, one prof showed him a lavishly illustrated book which S promptly ordered for himself when he got home!
I do not think that any of the profs said anything to the adcoms, and in any event, S ended up not applying to any of the colleges he visited. He got admitted to one he did not visit at all, besides the one he is now attending. But he found the information he gathered very helpful.