We recently received this email from a soon-to-be grad. student:
I am going to be a senior in college in the fall and am starting to look at grad schools. Next week, I have an appointment to tour a campus and meet with someone in the department I’m interested in to get more info on their program. They don’t offer tours especially designed for prospective grad students, so I’ll be doing the tour with prospective undergrad students. It’s a pretty causal tour and the meeting I have is with an advisor in the education department. I have no idea what to wear. I want to look nice but not too dressed up. I’m also on a pretty tight budget, so I can’t really go out and spend a ton of money. Any suggestions?
While it’s not always easy to give someone advice on what to wear without knowing that person’s individual style, we have chosen some of our favorite outfits that we would wear for a similar situation. We hope these will provide a starting point for our reader to feel inspired in making the most of her existing wardrobe or knowing what key items to invest in.
For a business casual scenario such as a campus tour and meetings with future faculty or advisors, we recommend that you look professional and put-together while staying with pieces or an overall look that is familiar. You want to feel comfortable in your clothes while presenting your best self, so avoid an outfit that you would not wear under any other circumstances. And if you’re walking around campus for a tour, now is not the time to buy that new pair of shoes or go for heels if you’re usually a flats girl. Stick to a shoe you know is attractive and comfortable (or, if buying something new, give yourself time to break it in!).
All that said, here are some outfits we’ve worn for meetings with faculty or other campus events where we’ve wanted to present our best, confident selves. Though there are some similarities, you can see how we’ve each put our own spin on these combinations. Hopefully, these can serve as a launching point for our reader as she considers how to pack for her grad school tours!
We’re all fans of the belted dress as a way to make a casual look more professional:
So if you’re comfortable in dresses already, just add a belt and a more professional shoe than a flip-flop, and you’ve got your business casual outfit. The same can be done with a belt over a top or cardigan, if you’re more comfortable with separates:
If you’re less skirt-inclined, you can pair a simple trouser and top together, or try walking shorts with a dressier top for warmer temperatures. Your combination can be a simple one and you can still achieve that level of professional sophistication by using a nicer material, an interesting pattern, or a top with an embellishment like a wrap-tie. Add accessories like a beaded necklace and a comfortable and cute shoe, and you’re ready to go:
We hope this gives you some ideas for ways to use simple basics and accessories to create a casual-chic and comfortable outfit to wear on your grad school campus tour!
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question! The tour and meeting went really well. I ended up going with khaki walking shorts, a white top, a short sleeve summer blazer, and wedges. I traded the wedges for flats and lost the jacket for the tour because it was sweltering outside and the walking tour was pretty long. Most of the perspective undergrads I toured with were wearing tiny denim skirts and tank tops. It felt good to be dressed more professionally. I have another meeting with another advisor in a few weeks and am totally ready for it! Thanks again! It really helped!