This has been done a million times but here’s my spin. Back in fall 2013/spring 2014 I searched for something like this and did not find it. I remember using this guide to help me ask things for my campus visit. I’ve expanded on it with questions that current-me wishes past-me had asked. This list is a mix of before applying and then what to ask if you’re on a campus visit. It’s not a perfect list, so fell free to email me if you’d change anything or have comments/feedback. I’ll probably add/refine this eventually.
- questions about funding
- what is the funding situation? are grad students fully funded? if so how? (teaching, research, administrative assistantships? fellowships?)
- are there options for extra funding per semester? (like stacking a research position on top of a teaching position)
- do you need to bring in outside funding?
- what does the grant situation look like in the department, college, and university? (professional development grants, research grants, ‘diversity’ grants, etc)
- is the funding livable according to your circumstances? (car vs no car, child(ren) vs no children, medical expenses, etc)
- how is the student insurance/benefits? (for yourself or for you and a spouse and/or kids)
- does student insurance support transition?
- what fees are taken from your stipend each month?
- what are retirement options?
- questions about life
- what is the public transportation like? (if you get the chance check this out for yourself) is there reliable taxi/uber/lyft? or do you need a car to live?
- what neighborhoods do graduate students live in mostly? are there grocery stores near by? are they walkable? is there [thing you need, like a gym, dog park, k-12 school]? what are neighborhoods that are being gentrified?
- what is the public school situation of the city? what k-12 programs are there? day care? summer camps?
- what’s the ______ scene like? art, activist, sports, LGBT, etc whatever kind of scene you need to be happy
- what is the experience of other (LGBT) women of color in daily life? can I walk around and be safe? what does racism/sexism/homophobia look like on campus? what about the city? what’s the history of this place?
- where can I find food like at home? where can i find X groceries?
- can i find community centers to make me feel welcome?
- what’s the community look like in the city in general? what are the demographic groups?
- is there a gayborhood? lgbt center? lesbian bar? if so, what’s the politics of the land? are there QTPOC groups?
- what’s the night life like? is there only 3 bars in the entire town? what do grad students do for fun? (for me I would ask, what is there to do beyond drinking?)
- what kind of cultural centers, museums, galleries, art studios, etc are there? do they represent women of color and other groups? are they primarily focused on white men?
- what activities can my kids do?
- what kind of off-campus study spots are there?
- questions about the campus
- what’s the demographics of the campus? who are you going to be teaching?
- what resources are there for you? your students?
- are there any groups for graduate students of color? students who are LGBT? students who are both? what kind of activities do they do?
- are there any cultural centers to tap into? what are there politics?
- what does the university actually do to help students of color?
- what professional development is there?
- what job market help does the university/college offer?
- is the university LGBT friendly? can i be out?
- questions about the department
- what are the unspoken rules of the department?
- what are some of the tensions of the department? the politics? who doesn’t get along? (ask graduate students NOT faculty. faculty might tell you or give you hints without meaning to but definitely don’t ask)
- are grad students happy? if not, why?
- what’s the process of going through the department?
- what are qualifying exams like? what expectations of graduate students are there? how prepared did grad students feel leading up to it? did course work help?
- what are classes like? is there enough variety offered every academic year?
- how is race/gender/sexuality/etc taught in the department? (if it is at all)
- how many students and faculty of color are there in the department? what are their experiences
- what was the racial make up of the cohort prior to yours? two years prior?
- this can hint to some of the issues the department has in regards to accepting people of color and if they’ve tried to change it at all
- how many women of color have made it through the program? is there a trend of women of color leaving or dropping out at all?
- where do women of color end up after graduating?
- can i be out in the department? is the department LGBT friendly?
- is the department activist friendly?
- questions about your potential advisor
- what is their advising style?
- how have previous advisees done in the job market?
- how supportive are they of students?
- who do they usually work with on committees?
- what kind of work are they doing? grants they’re applying to?
meltingthesnow 