ITISRED

Thank you for the advice @Eigen. The program is in biology which means it includes research from a few fields. I'm interested in ecology, so it's hard to get excited about reading about neuroscience and cancer research. I can chat about it no problem, but it's hard to motivate myself to get into the nitty gritty of it all.

I'm interviewing at my top program in a month. I was told yesterday that I will interview with all 17 faculty members (in one day!). The faculty will be paired, so I'll only actually have 8-9 30 minute interviews. I'm really interested in working with one of them and have been in frequent contact with him. 3 or 4 others look good too, but the rest do research that bores me. I'm trying to go through everyone's website and read all I can about each person, but this seems like a bad strategy. How should I prep for an interview with faculty members that I'm not interested in working with?

I'm surprised that the 2 PhD programs you already interviewed at didn't offer some kind of assistance. All the programs (ecology PhD programs) that invited me for interviews promise that they'll cover everything. I would ask them for help if I were in your position. Tell them that without assistance, visiting would be cost prohibitive. Even if they say no, they may allow you to do the interviews over Skype or phone. At least that way you'll still be considered.

Thank you everyone! You're all right. The more I think about it, the more I see the benefit of it. I guess I was so surprised because the school that is having me arrange everything myself and stay with a current student is an ivy league and the other one is a state school. I just expected the ivy league to be the more formal of the two and I'm glad to see that that may not actually be the case. I guess the only down side to staying with a current student is that I'm sure they'll be evaluating me the entire time! Although, I guess I'll get to evaluate them as well.

I was invited to interview at my favorite program. This is my second invitation and they do things very differently. One is having me make my own travel arrangements and stay with a graduate student while the other is arranging everything for me including a nice hotel. Is it normal to stay with a current student? It makes me a little uncomfortable and seems unprofessional in comparison to the other school.

Thank you stereopticons. I didn't think of that.

Thank you syazanazura. This helps a lot! Good luck with your applications!

I just received my first invitation to an interview! It's at University of Oregon and I'm thrilled! I'm also very nervous! I'd appreciate any tips on preparation and dress (for women), and what to expect once I'm there. Also, as I mentioned in a previous thread, I am looking for an LGBT friendly school and town. I imagine University of Oregon won't be a problem in this regard, but does anyone know how I can find out more?

I'm applying to ecology programs and keep coming across the question of how I'll contribute to the school's diversity. I'm a biracial woman and I mentor other minorities, so I have no issue answering that question. I just wonder if this is the place to tell the department that I'm gay. On the one hand I want them to know so that if it's an issue, I just won't be accepted and I won't have to worry about homophobia. On the other hand I'm terrified of being rejected because my specific interests are kind of narrow, so there are few programs I can apply to to begin with. I'm still not totally comfortable with my identity, mostly because of the very negative reactions I have gotten from those closest to me. So it's hard to be out and proud and all that. I was even on the e-board of an org for LGBT students in STEM, but I didn't put that on my CV because I was worried about reactions. I just feel like coming out to the school will be uncomfortable for everyone, but I don't want to end up going somewhere where they'll have a problem with it. Do I just slip it into my application? Do I ask about LGBT resources or something during the interview? Do I just not take that risk? This is so stressful. Advice? Thank you!

Thanks everyone! I didn't think about the importance of the postdoc. I'm good at networking, so I think I have a fair chance of getting a good one. Besides, I'm not 100% sure I want to go into academia. Right now that's my preference, but government (ideally the CDC, USAMRIID, or someplace similar) may be the way for me. I don't think I'd need a postdoc for that. Do you know biotechie? I was talking to my potential future PI at UOregon today and as we were hanging up, he said that the most important thing is the fit. I guess he was getting at the same thing that you are, bioenchilada. That's definitely going to be a big factor.

Hello, I am applying to 4 programs to study disease ecology. I want to list the pros and cons of each of them to try and determine my top choice. My main question is about how important the prestige of the school and professor is. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Princeton Pros: highly prestigious university, well regarded professor will take me into his lab, his research is exactly what I want to do Cons: professor is very busy and won't be available for much help, I worry I'll get burnt out at an ivy, I don't think I'd like living there Stanford Pros: prestigious university, very friendly and welcoming mentor that is very hands on and will meet with me at least twice a month, would like to live there Cons: great research but a little bit away from my interests, associate professor there is not really known yet but she's very promising (I guess this isn't really a pro or con), extraordinarily high cost of living UCLA Pros: well regarded school, would like to live in LA, incredibly welcoming and enthusiastic potential mentor, would always be available to help me Cons: research is only tangentially related to my interests, potential mentor is a complete unknown as she is just beginning her career, high cost of living UOregon Pros: fantastic professor that is very friendly and will meet with me twice a week (once independently and once in a lab meeting), want to live there, low cost of living, research is phenomenal, program would prep me well to become a professor, professor is relatively well known though not nearly as much as the one at Princeton Cons: school doesn't really have any prestige So, UOregon and Princeton are my top choices and UCLA is my last choice. How important is the prestige of the school and professor for a career in academia? In government? Princeton certainly wins on both counts and both do fantastic research, but I think UOregon may be a better fit in terms of personality of mentor and location. How is one to decide?! (Also I know I'm totally putting the cart before the horse since I haven't actually gotten in anywhere yet.)