For much of the past two years, MBA/grad school campus visits have been almost exclusively virtual. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be moving toward endemic stage in much of the world, some, but not all, programs are preparing to bring back real live campus visits. For example, as of today (18-Mar-2022), Kellogg, MIT and Stanford are still only allowing virtual campus visits. On the other hand, Chicago, Harvard and Wharton are allowing prospective students to visit campus in person. As the number of cases drop, you can expect more and more schools to revive actual campus tours. (You can assume that visitors will need to be vaccinated and boosted.)

If you’re not sure if the school(s) you’re interested in is/are allowing visitors, it’s really easy to check. Most programs clearly state their policies on their websites, and they offer frequent updates. I would recommend live campus visits if you are able to do so, physically and financially. It’s the best way to really get a feel for a program and for you to make a good impression. But don’t despair if you’re not able to visit a campus in person. You can still gain a lot of value from a virtual tour.The programs have put a lot of effort into setting these online events up and making them very useful for both candidates and the schools. That’s why even when programs open up their campuses, you can be sure that they will continue to offer virtual tours. But whether it’s in-person or online, I strongly urge all candidates to take part in as many campus tours as possible. And in the case of virtual tours, add some schools not on your wish list. The online tours are free, and you might end up liking a program you hadn’t thought you would.