What questions to ask during a university visit

[lewelma]

We will be touring 5 universities in August, and with a lot of effort have managed to get in to talk with lots of different people.  What kinds of questions do we ask each of these different people:

 

Admissions officer

Math professor

Math undergrad

Financial officer

 

Some of our appointments are for 45 minutes, and I don't have 45 minutes of questions for sure!  Please give me some advice!

 

Ruth in NZ

[regentrude]

Admissions officer: ask any questions you have that relate to the actual application. I remember you had a lot of questions about packaging your DS with his NZ homeschooling experience for a US college - any questions not yet answered you should ask the admissions officer.

 

Math prof: anything about coursework and research:

can I take grad courses

how many undergrads are involved in research

focus areas

is it easy for students to get into courses they need or are there often wait lists

class size

online or live classes

are classes taught by TAs or professors

help sessions

 

Math student:

atmosphere in the department

society of math students

quality of instruction, availability of classes

 

Financial officer: any questions you have about aid and finances. 

 

 

[MBM]

Is it possible to combine majors? Your son would likely be in an honors math program and you'd want to know if being in that could make a double major difficult. My son's schedule is tight because of this.

When do students have to officially declare a major (in case you don't know this already). What if your son has a change of heart after that date? How difficult is it to change?

 

Does the school offer any programs that cater to specialized interests? These programs are not always well known and sometimes require applying early. They are usually small. My son applied to two of these programs, one before his freshman year and the other at the end of his sophomore year. It was worth the hassle because both groups get special opportunities with academics and advising. For example, one group is taught by MBA faculty. Additionally, they get a dedicated career counselor who works only with them and their resumes get bound into a book which is sent to prospective employers. You don't want to find out about these programs after a deadline passes.

You son might want to ask about or discuss textbooks, problems, mathematicians.

If he's interested in the Putnam, he could ask about that.

Ask about internship opportunities, including winternships. Your son might want to try working at a place like Jane Street. Just depends what he finds interesting.

 

Ask about mentorships and career/grad school counseling.

 

Ask what some of the recent grads have done after graduation.

Ask the students about courses, profs, internships and what they might want to do eventually.

Research for yourself if undergrads have received fellowships. My son is filling out the Goldwater Scholarship this summer. A student has to be invited by the university so check to see if any students have received one in the past few years.

As you go through the math department hallways, write down or snap photos of any math opportunity posters on the walls. Then when you get back home, check them out.

ETA: I'm assuming your son wants to study math and possibly combine it. :)

Edited June 15, 2017 by MBM

[regentrude]

More questions:

placement of graduates after graduation industry/grad school

percentage of students who get summer internships/REUs

 

[JanetC]

It's OK to bring copies of your transcript, school profile, and course description documents for feedback. Ask if the documents are clear or seem to be missing anything or are too long.

[MBM]

You probably know this but professors might want to speak with your son alone for some of the interview. Make sure your son is prepared for that.

[Julie of KY]

Be sure not to just ask specific questions, but some open-ended questions. Often you learn more about things you never thought to ask about.

 

It was also very interesting to talk about what students did outside of class for fun - math clubs, competitions, etc. It gives you an idea of how students might spend some of their free time.

[regentrude]

another thing to ask the student:

do the math faculty get along? Do you have the impression they like each other? Is there socializing and informal communication, or are there feuding factions?

Do you feel the profs take a genuine interest in the students?

Edited June 15, 2017 by regentrude

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I like to ask college reps

-What question do you wish students would ask?

-What facets of your college do you think are underappreciated?

-What program at your school should students be sure to investigate?

 

My son liked to ask interviewers what they didn't like at their college.  

[Arch at Home]

I like to ask college reps

-What question do you wish students would ask?

-What facets of your college do you think are underappreciated?

-What program at your school should students be sure to investigate?

 

My son liked to ask interviewers what they didn't like at their college.

Good questions. My daughter also would ask admissions rep what kind of students are you looking for.

[merylvdm]

My kids liked to ask the students who gave us tours questions. Things like what they did on the weekends, how often they went home, how they liked their majors. They found the perspective of the current students very useful.