Visiting the university in person to decide which offer to take??

Hi! I’m an international applicant and recently I received three offers on a postgraduate programme in the UK and am now deciding which offer to take. As I heard that it is a cultural habit for UK students to visit the universities in person to get a feeling of the environment and the people around, I’m just wondering if an on-site visit really matters? It would cost quite a lot to fly all the way to the UK just to feel the environment. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

Congratulations on your offers.

May I ask which programme and universities?

This question is important because although the UK is geographically compact, there are considerable differences in the locations, character, facilities, amenities and quality offered.

You will be paying a lot of money for the courses and it's somewhere you will be living for a considerable time.

Of course each university is trying to market themselves and will accentuate positives while suppressing negatives which can alter ones assessment once the advertising is replaced with reality.

If you are from a rural background, you may find city living overhelming and not a little intimidating. Conversely, a city person may find out-of-town campuses lack variety and feel isolated.

TSR is a good place to sound out perceptions and get a feel for the local environment. 😀