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GT is very impressive, especially in more technical/science fields. By contrast, I have been advised against attending the Ivy just for the name. Honestly they are falling behind in program quality and the name doesn't carry that much weight anymore. Also, though I've never been to New Haven, I have lived in Atlanta and the cost of living is pretty low for a city, not sure if that matters to you. Full disclosure, I did my undergrad at Tech, so I may be a bit biased.

I am currently a master's student in an international security program, which I enrolled in because I wanted to do a PhD but knew I wasn't competitive enough to get into a top school straight out of undergrad. I have accepted an offer to a top PhD program (fully funded with stipend), and I have two classes left in my master's degree (which I can easily finish this summer). However, I don't know if I should even bother finishing my master's degree. I know it seems stupid to abandon my degree two classes out, but it would cost a lot of time and a huge financial burden (~10,000, AKA basically all of my savings). And, I'll get a master's degree on the way to the PhD anyway. However, I don't want this to negatively impact my admissions status, since they accepted me into the program with the understanding that I would have a master's degree, even though it isn't required and I don't have to send proof of conferral. Additionally, I want to remain competitive for internal and external fellowships, and I'm worried an incomplete master's program will negatively impact my chances of that. Also, I know that my PhD program will accept some transfer credit, but I think they accept less if I haven't finished the master's. What would other people do? They have been very accessible and welcoming, do you think it would be okay if I asked my contact (on the admissions committee) about my problem? I don't want to come across as though I'm lazy and don't finish what I start...

I turned down SAIS and Georgetown for SIS (although I'm not in your exact program). Having friends at SAIS, I know it isn't any more rigorous and honestly no one cares about rank anymore. Best not to come out with a ton of debt.

Alas, I was accepted to only 1 school of the 7 I applied. I have some concerns about this program that I would appreciate your input on. I am wondering if I should accept the offer or wait around until the next application cycle to hopefully have more options, or accept this offer and make the most of it. I think I already know what I am going to do, but I would really appreciate anyone's input or suggestions. I'd rather not get too specific here, but let's say it's an interdisciplinary PhD Political Science and X. Pros of attending this school: Generous funding, excellent fit, excellent faculty, comparatively low cost of living (I live in DC now), opportunities for competitive internal fellowships, very reputable X department, school is highly ranked in general (top 10/20), very selective program (I think I'm the only one they accepted for this program). Also, more opportunity to shine internally. If I enrolled in a more reputable program, I would be lost in a sea of highly qualified candidates and would not stand out as much (this is also kind of a con, as there will be less for me to learn from other students). Cons of attending this school: Interdisciplinarity of program. I am worried that political scientists won't take me seriously or that this joint PhD will be off-putting to potential employers (is this true?). Also, the political science department grad program is not very highly ranked (top 30-40), although I think they are investing in accomplished faculty to change this. The interdisciplinary program is very new, so it's difficult to gauge rank/success. All 4 graduates have placed in research universities, though. Pros of re-applying next cycle: can apply to more schools, possibly improve my profile by better GRE scores, finishing my master's program, and spending more time on my applications. Possibility of getting into a more attractive school, or at least getting into more than one school so that I have options, could focus on my own research in the meantime. Cons of re-applying next cycle: Would have to find a job in DC that would hire me for only a year (wouldn't be too difficult), the school I'm considering now probably wouldn't consider me again, husband hates DC and is ready to move somewhere that isn't ridiculously expensive, no guarantee that I'll have more options (how much can I really improve myself in the next 9 months or so?) Does anyone have any experiences or insight that might help me? I guess I'm really wondering how valid and important my "Cons of attending this school" are... Thanks!

Thanks, that's helpful! I've had plenty of regular job interviews, and they usually just grill you on your resume and throw scenarios at you and ask "how would you solve this problem." I wasn't sure if it would be similar for an academic interview.

Also, for those that were rejected after an interview, what do you think went wrong?

I have a campus visit coming up. It's an all day affair, with interviews with the director of admissions, head of department and various faculty. It's "semi-formal," and I know I'm a strong candidate but I also know they are inviting more people than they will admit, so it's really important that I do well in the interview. But, I'm not really sure what they will be asking or what they want to know. Any ideas? Any technical questions I should expect? I'm sure they want to gauge fit and propensity to succeed, but I'm not sure what questions would help them do that. If it helps, it's a political science program.

In general, I find it strange that universities expect you to stay overnight with someone who is virtually a stranger, but nonetheless... I don't see how staying with the grad student would disadvantage you. It will show that you are serious about the school, and that you are genuinely interested in being part of the program. You will also have the opportunity to connect with a current student, and sometimes they weigh in on admissions decisions. This is the choice I would make, even though it would make me pretty uncomfortable and I find it a very odd thing. And, come to think of it, they probably weren't looking at your address when they issued the invite. If you really REALLY don't want to stay with the graduate student, I think it's okay to communicate that. Just let them know that it's because you're local and don't want to inconvenience the student. However, either way you should do the social gathering.

That's confusing. I would recommend just asking. If it's a visit you plan on doing regardless, or at least you want to give the impression that you're very interested in their program, just ask them what you should expect, and if they can clarify so that you can prepare accordingly. If you end up getting rejected, you can always cancel later.

That's good advice- there's nothing worse than listening to someone pretend to know what they're talking about. The experts in your field will detect this instantly. To your second point, there are actually studies that show that feigning confidence in your body language even when you don't necessarily feel confident improves your performance and others' perceptions of you, so that's good advice for all involved in the interview process.

I was wondering if people could share their experiences with in-person interviews. I was invited to interview at a university that I am very much hoping to get into. All of my travel and expenses were funded, so I know that they are seriously considering me. However, they are also inviting twice as many applicants as they can accept, so it's crucial that I stand out. Unfortunately, I tend to get very nervous and panic when under pressure. It's something that I've been working on and have gotten better at, but my best strategy for dealing with this is to be prepared for absolutely any situation that I could possibly encounter. Therefore, I would especially appreciate insight on the following: a. Has anyone had any particularly terrible experiences in interviews? b. Any trick questions or weird scenarios that have stumped you? c. Any particular component of the interview that you didn't prepare for? d. Any general advice or tips? I'll be meeting with the director of graduate admissions, faculty member on the board of admissions, in addition to a myriad of other faculty in the department. It also concludes with a dinner (cue social anxiety). Thanks!