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I'm ducking in to wish all applicants good luck during this interview season! I’m a faculty member, and I have now observed a number of application cycles at multiple institutions, including my own graduate program. I haven’t yet cracked the code to reducing the stress for my own trainees as they apply to doctoral programs, but because the ambiguity of the process can be the most stress-inducing, I thought I’d share some information that my trainees often find helpful. Long post ahead, and, disclaimer, the below is my opinion based on my experience and observation over the years and should not be used as the last word on the interview process. Things that befuddle, annoy, and/or freak out applicants during the interview season: Thing 1: I was not invited to interview at programs that are low on my list - now I’m really worried that I’m not competitive. (Sometimes followed by: but I got an interview at my top choice, so clearly lower list program should have interviewed me). Sanity check: One of the main reasons those programs were lower on your own list is because you perceived a lesser fit with them. The faculty reviewing applications also see that lesser fit compared with other applicants, and we know that a weak fit is a recipe for unhappiness for everyone! It’s not that you aren’t qualified, it’s just a fit thing combined with the number of other applicants to that program/person that year. Thing 2: I had stratospheric GRE scores and GPA, 28 years of RA experience, and 337 publications/presentations, but I didn’t get an interview to Program X (or any interviews). Sanity check: You all are a talented and successful lot with outstanding experience and evidence of productivity. Every year I am amazed by the quality of our applicant pool. There are four main possibilities here, none of which are particularly reassuring, but hopefully all of which help you think about this logically. First, the number one error I hear from applicants is that they assume that their stellar records will automatically assure them an interview, which is just not consistent with the numbers. Yes, you have an amazing record and application, but so do the other 300 people applying for 18 interview slots (and 5 offers) in that program this year. Second, applicants often apply to the “name brand” programs, seduced by perceived prestige and figuring that the strength of their scores/CVs will overcome a lack of fit. It won’t, and it shouldn’t (see comment above about unhappiness). Third, applicants often mistake “more” for “better”, without regard for the actual skills and knowledge. Most of us definitely are looking for quality over quantity in your CV. Middle author of 6 authors on 9 publications/presentations is good, and we like to see that level of involvement, but one 1st author paper/presentation at professional conference is more meaningful. More labs is not necessarily better than one lab with really solid breadth and depth of skills learned. In your CV and statement I’m especially looking for evidence of advanced understanding (appropriate to the level of training) of the research process and the research questions conceptually, not just a laundry list of every task you ever did as an RA. Fourth, and this is a tricky one - if there is something about you or your performance (e.g., in your lab) that might lead your letter writers to hedge a bit in their letters, we can read that as a red flag and, given we have the luxury of a large number of applicants, put that application off to the side. You already should be asking writers if they are willing to write “a strong letter”, rather than just a letter, and making sure to ask your mentors for feedback on where you stand with regard to the qualities of a strong applicant. Thing 3: Why are all of the applications due on Dec 1?? Sanity check: This is usually a Graduate School deadline, because the relevant staff need to process the applications for all departments in the Graduate School before sending the applications to the relevant departments. Early December is a sweet spot that gives the staff time to process literally thousands of applications before the chaos of end of semester + holidays. Thing 4: If the applications are due Dec 1, why does it take so long to hear about interviews?? Similarly, why do some programs make interview offers early, but I don’t hear from others until much later? Sanity check: It is surprisingly difficult to find time for a committee to meet, so some programs find the time earlier and others later. It also takes varying amounts of time for the Graduate Schools to send applications to departments/programs. At my current institution we basically have most of them within a few days of the deadline, whereas at my last institution it usually took about 10 days to 2 weeks, which then lands faculty in the end of semester/finals, followed by the holidays. Then once we have the applications we need time to review them, which usually involves multiple faculty reviewing each of a very large number of applications. Note also that you WANT the faculty not to rush that review process. Thing 5: Why do these programs seem to schedule interviews on the same days?? Sanity check: There are only so many days available for interviewing. Most programs understandably choose Mondays or Fridays, and there are far more programs than Mondays and Fridays between the end of January and the end of most (not all) interviews toward the end of February. Google CUDCP application tools (freely available calendar maintained by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology, which is not connected to me in any way and is not commercial) to see the schedule of most clinical program interviews. Thing 6: I have an interview scheduling conflict, and I’m really worried that Program B will think I’m not interested because I can’t attend their interview. Sanity check: We completely understand that strong applicants will have multiple interviews (one year I had a trainee who had 13 interviews), and that there will be overlap in dates. We also understand that accepting an interview prior to our invitation isn’t a reflection of your interest in the program. We’ll do what we can to schedule an alternative informal interview in person, or via video or phone call. Thing 7: I wasn’t invited to interview/wasn’t given an offer, but it took a long time to get an official rejection?? Sanity check: Mostly this is a program-level or Grad School level thing. Sending an official rejection generally is an administrative process that might be automated through the Grad School or the program, and many programs will wait until they have their list of applicants who have accepted before officially closing the applicant pool and generating rejection emails/letters. Sometimes it’s just not prioritizing the applicants, but I think that’s the minority. Thing 8: I wasn’t interviewed/didn’t get an offer. Can I contact the program/POI to ask for feedback on my application? Sanity check: This is just my opinion, but I wouldn’t. Your current mentor/PI should be able to tell you where any weaknesses are in your application, thus the only thing the applied-to program/POI could tell you was that the other applicants were a better fit, which doesn’t really help you at all. Also, and very importantly, note that faculty at some institutions are prohibited from providing such feedback given it takes only one litigious applicant to try to make the case that there was some illegal flaw in the selection process. Post-interview Things Thing 9: The interview day was 2 weeks ago. Why haven’t I heard yet? Sanity check: Programs want to make their offers as early and as quickly as possible (this is also why you shouldn’t contact a program post-interview about your status). Usually there needs to be another faculty/admissions committee meeting post-interview, which might take a little time to schedule, and also there might be a few remaining Zoom/Skype interviews lagging behind. We aren’t sitting on this information; once we know who we want to make offers to, we’ll be in touch immediately. Thing 10: I thought my interview went really well - I had great discussions and rapport with the POI and the students, and I can really see myself there, but I was rejected/waitlisted. Sanity check: You probably did interview really well! Unfortunately we faculty often find ourselves in the position of having fewer slots than outstanding interviewees. It’s a numbers thing, and again not necessarily a reflection on you or your interview performance. Thing 11: I have received multiple offers. Can I hold onto 2-3 offers for a while because it feels nice? Sanity check: Technically you can. But it would be extremely inconsiderate to the waitlisted applicants at the programs whose offers you don’t intend to accept. You generally would know at that point which offer you prefer, and although you still might be waiting to hear from another program, the considerate and ethical thing to do is to decline the offer(s) you know you won’t accept, and only hold one at a time. Thing 12: Should I buy my student host a thank you gift/card? Sanity check: Not at all necessary, and I wouldn’t - you have already spent enough money on interview travel! An emailed thank you is appreciated and more than enough. Thing 13: Should I send my POI a thank you card? Sanity check: Nope. Again an email is more than enough. Good luck, everyone! If this year doesn’t work out for you, don’t give up, and if it does, congratulations and best wishes with your program!

I’m thinking of pulling a “George” & just showing up on interview day at my #1 school & acting like I was invited.

Hey I just wanted to say that I'm grateful for all of you and how encouraging this little community can be. I'll be thinking of all of you for the next several weeks as we make it through this. Thanks for making me feel less alone

I think I'm going to spew. Harvard just contacted me for an interview for the PHS program in epi.

Heeellllooooooooooo, First of all- schools don't do pity invites. They have far too many qualified applicants to waste a spot on someone they're not interested in. So, I'm pretty sure they're interested in you, and that's awesome!! As for your other feelings, I 10000000% understand. I have applied twice now (this is round 3) where I didn't get it. The first year, I didn't get any interviews. My parents and all my friends were so confident I'd get in and it felt like the bottom had dropped out of my world, especially when I had to tell people. BUT. They loved me, as I'm sure your friends and family love you, and they just wanted to support me. No one felt let down or like I had failed them, and when I explained how difficult this process is and the acceptance rates, they were EVEN MORE supportive. As for continuing with this path, are you passionate about it? Do you love it? Can you imagine yourself doing anything else? If you're not 100% in love with this career, it may be difficult to keep going, because rejection is everywhere, at every level. BUT if you truly want to do this, the rejection is worth it, even if it takes a little time to get where you want to go! Most everyone does not get in their first round, so don't write yourself off because of that. From a girl who laid on the floor and cried because I didn't get in last cycle and it really hurt, it does get better, if you want it to and you work for it. Feel free to PM if you wanna talk more!

Long-time lurker here. Just posting to share that I received an invitation to visit Emory today. I'm thrilled to begin the cycle with this news. Based on past years, does anyone know how many people they invite vs how many get accepted? Also, what are their teaching/service requirements of grad students? Here’s hoping we all get good news soon!

For real! Why are they advertising for a program that I already applied to? Like, you got my attention already...now let me in!!

Sorry, but literally no one in a PhD program will care at all what you got on your SAT. It doesn’t come up, and if you bring it up, it would probably just come off as bragging. My personal feelings here are that you seem to lack the maturity right now for a PhD program. I believe you would come across as overconfident and perhaps even a little arrogant at interviews, and that would be a kiss of death. I’m a mom, so I am a bit blunt. I think you need more time to mature and get that research experience. Yes, the GRE scores are great, but that doesn’t guarantee acceptances. I see plenty of people with your stats get rejected. I mean people on here are giving you advice and you’re replying like a child with “exactly how much of this and how much of that do I need?” Even after it’s been explained there is no magic formula. I also suggest you get a post bacc or master’s before applying. I think schools will look at your current profile and wonder why you don’t have more research and research output. Your application fees would likely be more of a donation, especially at top schools. Most people applying to those schools have your stats AND much more research and pubs. The brutal reality is, currently you would not stand out to them with your current credentials. I say wait a year or two and get that experience. I also think programs will be reluctant to go with someone so young. Unfair perhaps, but a reality. I get it too with me being older. Good luck!

Hey folks waiting for responses from UW-Madison! I applied last year and heard nothing until the end of March, when I finally decided to reach out to ask because it seemed all acceptances, waitlists, and rejections went out around the same time in January. Turned out I was waitlisted, but their system lost my notification. I was ultimately accepted off of the waitlist. That‘s all to say that once everything seems to be in, and if you still haven’t heard anything, it’s okay to ask! I wish I would have asked sooner since I ended up having so little time to make a decision that I did it literally on April 15. I’m not sure how rare my situation was, but it’s clearly not impossible!

Totally understand your frustrations and your feelings are completely valid! The only thing I would suggest is to try and use this as a learning/growth opportunity. If you can begin to train yourself to focus on your experiences and successes, independent of comparisons and/or judgments of others around you, your grad school journey (and career) will be so much richer. If you allow your "wins" to be dampened by the fact that you can find others who, from your vantage point, are winning "more" you'll always be left wanting. Mindfulness is a great tool to cultivate in this regard! Good luck!!

@applicant17 Just put your best foot forward.

So while I've only received two official rejections and the rest are assumed and this is my second cycle (although last year I only applied to one school, my undergrad, so maybe I won't count that just to make myself feel better) I can say that I won't be attending any interviews this year, which is disheartening. HOWEVER, having another year to establish more of myself I can improve my gre score, save money, and do one of the things I enjoy the most which is TRAVEL and what better way to run away from your problems than a nice vacation. Before applications were due I already had a ticket for Tokyo in march, my cousin wants to plan a trip to Portugal in September, and my boyfriend is studying abroad in Russia for the summer, so maybe I'll visit him there too. 🤩This may be my attempt to make myself feel better, but life shouldn't stop just because I'm sad!

I got accepted into UMN's ICD Dev Psych program!!! I AM COMPLETELY ELATED!! I am so happy that I now know that I will be going to grad school, it became that much more real T_T

Honestly, divulging this in an SOP can be a kiss of death. I have heard many faculty (in various schools) state that they would not take students who were interested in such topics for personal reasons. The idea is that it can impact your objective stance. If you haven't already, read "Mitch's Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology." If you Google it, it comes up right away.

Just got waitlisted at Ohio State! Feeling joy, gratitude, and hope (for other applications).

Hi everyone! I've been following this thread for a while, and it's been so incredibly helpful, both in terms of staying up-to-date with notifications from schools, and also generally for mental and emotional support as we power through this waiting period. I just finished applying to Health Policy (and Management) programs up and down the East Coast. I don't have any updates that haven't been brought up already, but here's where I am so far. I've scheduled a phone interview with Hopkins, and am still waiting to hear back from my other schools. I am eagerly waiting to hear from Yale, as it sounds like interview decisions will be released soon (this week or next week). Does anyone have any intel about UPenn's health management and econ program? I know historically there has been an in-person interview day, but I'm not sure when that might be or when they might release interview decisions. I'm eagerly and anxiously waiting to hear back from schools (or to find out updates through this forum), and will keep folks updated if I hear anything. Best of luck to everyone! It's a long and sometimes tough process, but it sure is easier to handle with this community.

I would definitely recommend a 2 year post bac to gain more research/work experience. I didn’t go to a “top tier” undergrad institution but I did my post-bac at a R1. I also don’t know how much a PhD admissions committee would care about a perfect SAT score because it’s from high school, as opposed to a perfect GRE score from college but that’s just my two cents about that.

I'm going to the Australian National University!

Hi everyone, I'm also a Fall 2020 applicant, interested in queer theory and postcolonial studies (broadly speaking). I have been anxiously checking the results page and this forum for a few weeks now, and thought about joining in to quell my nerves. Is anyone else's jaw super sore all the time, and breathing erratic? I want this slow-burning anxiety attack to enddd. I applied to a bunch of schools, mostly English and a few gender/women's studies. So far, I got an interview request from a women's studies program but English programs are SILENT so far (didn't apply to any of the schools that have been sending folks interviews so far). Anyways, I have no questions at the moment, but just wanted to join the cesspool of nervous wrecks

Hey everyone, Congrats and good luck on your interviews. I have been through this process before so here is a video of my advice for interview tips. https://youtu.be/GcKT7678J74 Again, good luck!

I was accepted to UChicago's full-time program today! Congrats to everyone that has heard back so far!

That feeling on a Friday afternoon when you're anxiously trying not to check your email every five seconds because Denver now has just a week to send out decisions...

Thanks 🙏🏻 I applied to the Cardiovascular track. It was an email from an administrative staff just asked about my preference between an in-person interview or a Zoom interview. No further details provided yet. I think JHU is probably among those programs which reaches out one by one, not by group emails. I think they would definitely continue sending these emails in the upcoming days. But, no idea how many times the available slots they would invite for an interview. My main question these days is: Upon receiving an interview, what would be the acceptance rate?? I wish we were provided with this important fact to know the probabilities. I was curious about this for Harvard, now Hopkins is added 🤷‍♂️

Thank you for sharing this!! And also to all others who share about their interview experience. The phone call was very casual and friendly conversation that ultimately felt like I was interviewing him since he did not ask me anything. Thankfully I made of list of questions inspired by this guide http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2017/02/MitchGradSchoolAdvice.pdf Although it's for soc psyc, it was helpful to start thinking of questions when you don't really have time to prepare because of a full-time job/time difference. I am also an international student (yay!). I did not ask about how many international students had been offered admission and did not get the sense that they were done with scheduling interviews/phone calls. He did say that they were still contacting people this week. I was also told that even though I am offered admission, funding will become clear towards the end of February, and that I should let him know about other offers I get since that will help him make a case for me. Not sure if this is the case for or was told to the other international applicants, but thought I should share in case you feel like you need further clarity on this from your POI/professor who contacted you for the interview (they should be able to help).

I just received an interview request from Pittsburgh, and they are surprisingly fast considering the deadline was just January 13.

updating my previous post, and again these are not my results, but just what i've seen across the forum and results page! there are a few bolded: Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, and Harvard -- if that was your result listed, would you mind sharing about your area of interest/POI or if it was an official vs. unofficial contact? (based on what ppl have asked so far in the thread!! Northwestern - Interviews sent (in bulk, from POIs and DGS) Stanford - Interviews sent (in bulk, not from a single POI) WashU - acceptances sent (email, POIs KK and EC) UNC (MA) - acceptance sent (POI TS) / rejections sent Emory - Interviews sent (possibly in bulk, since there are 2 on the results page) Yale - MAY send info on interviews in late Jan (we've clarifed that the interview listed was not an official interview) Johns Hopkins - unofficial contact from POI Princeton - one interview listed on Results (anyone want to claim or provide info on area of interest or POI?) UC Irvine - interview via PI (email) UC Berkeley - interview via PI (email) Bard - interview (email) Rice University - interview (email) Harvard - one interview listed on Results (anyone want to claim or provide info on area of interest or POI?) USC - acceptances sent (call from DGS) / rejections not sent (I assume, because I applied!) best of luck to everyone!

I wouldn't worry about being focused on Irish history as being "too niche". You will have a major field in Modern Europe, which will prepare you for applying to any "Modern European history" job. You will have themes in your work that you can apply for thematic-focused positions as well. I have seen several posts for Irish history here in the US and in the UK. Your goal is to demonstrate the importance of Irish history and why historians should not overlook it. You will be fighting an uphill battle but your passion for it will gain you some recognition and respect.

FINISHED MY FIRST INTERVIEW TODAY. Wow guys, what a nerve wracking but amazing opportunity. Excited for all of you that have interviews coming up next month! Good luck!

if i get any interviews, i plan on keeping my nose ring in. i've had it for 5 years at this point and have never taken it out. i wouldn't want to go to a program that would hold a nose piercing against me. it's 2020 and if any field should understand that tattoos and piercings aren't predictors of success / failure in grad school, it's psychology.

Right you were! Heard back from graduate program coordinator, she mentioned that my application had been reviewed favorably and they will get in touch to schedule an interview in the next two weeks!!! I reckon I heard back since I asked about the status of my application, but since she mentioned they will be coordinating interviews sometime during the next two weeks, I suspect other internationals might hear back during that time. Hope this helps someone!

Congrats @Heidelberger + @Deleuze for Wisconsin. Glad to see so many acceptances roll in, and feeling a bit of envy - did I apply to the programs that reply the latest? Sure, that's my luck. But they are all worth the wait. Still recovering from Chicago's implied rejection.

Hi all, Since January has started...interview season is about to commence! I thought it'd be nice to have an easy place to see interview tips for Anthropology students specifically (especially since there are so many threads about interview tips to read through on GradCafe). Feel free to post questions/tips/your upcoming interviews! Best of luck to all of us! ❤️ -- Here are the questions I got from my POI from UCSD Anthro. She asked a few questions I didn't anticipate so I thought this would make a great heads-up for folks! 1. Tell me about yourself and your work. How did you become interested in this topic? 2. I can see the continuities between your last research work and your current proposed research, but they're still different. Can you explain your shift and why? 3. Your work reminded me of X author. How does your work relate to them? How does it contribute to the broader __ studies? 4. Does this X current event happening in your region of interest change your project? (in my case, intense protests that suddenly erupted in my country of interest.) 5. Why Anthropology? (It seems like you could do well in different fields.) 6. What's the most inspiring piece of ethnography/anthropology you've ever read?

Both the Penn and USC interview requests listed today are from me. A great way to wake up, to say the least! For Penn, I sent a brief notice to my POI before and after I submitted my application. I've engaged a lot with his writing in my recent work, and the prospect of working with him is incredibly exciting to me. My area of focus is early modern, with a particular interest in Southern Europe from the 15th–17th centuries. My POI is currently on sabbatical, but I got the sense that this was more of an informal contact. I'm not sure what Penn's policy is for applicant-faculty interviews; it may be a case by case basis. Seriously hoping that others hear back from them as well! And yes, @venusofwillendork, that seems to be the case—so relieving! Was so happy to hear from them. My fingers are crossed for all of us. If nothing else, the one reaffirming factor is that we all understand how anxiety-inducing this process can be.

Why does it seem so quiet regarding admissions this week? It seems like Stanford, Yale, Cornell and Northwestern haven't sent out too many acceptances. Hopefully it is just the calm before the wave of admission offers. #TheOptimismGameIsStrong

My husband sent me this today. Our struggles in a nutshell.

I’d email tomorrow or Monday. Your POI may consider Saturday still within the “end of the week” time limit.

OMG THANK YOU this gives me some hope haha

The clinical application process is absolutely demoralizing, but don’t forget that it’s amazing to have 3 interviews! Most applicants don’t get any, and 3/11 (so far!) is a sign that you’re a really strong applicant.

I'm going crazy refreshing my email as well as all of the forums and results pages on here..Have yet to hear from a single school officially. Anyone else in the same boat? Making me quite nervous for this round 😕

😳 I didn't even apply to Yale and that seems alarming... Reading down this thread, the same seems to be true at Chicago: and Columbia... (Sidenote: this Tweet embedding thing? Very neat!)

That's a good one. In critical periods in one's life like this I always find myself reading Ecclesiastes: "If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." We're all waiting to see where the tree falls.

CONGRATS TO EVERYONE!!! CU is an amazing program! I got into Stony Brook University today! :)))) My top choice in state. I will hear back from out of state schools next Monday/March

No information on financial aid yet - hopefully that comes out soon though and I will update again when it does (A girl is poor and cannot afford full tuition haha)! I really want to be in the New York area so I’m still waiting on Columbia and then I think I’m going to go for a weekend and visit both schools again before I make a final decision. You’ll definitely hear back soon!

That was me! I'm also not sure if all invites were sent, but I got an email yesterday at 6:59 PM for interviews on either February 7th or February 28th. My friend's PI was on the committee and was complaining about how they had ~400 applications for ~6 spots. I'm really shocked and grateful that they sent me an interview--but I feel like, with that many applications, there has to be even more stochasticity than in most.

I received an email from the chem department at Berkeley, but no official notification. I think there's definitely still hope! Good luck For anyone interested here are the schools I've heard back from so far: Chem PhD: Caltech, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UW Madison, Stanford, UCLA, Boston College Accepted, Rejected, Waiting

Congrats on all those interviews! I don't even know what kind of support I'm expecting programs to tell me they have. Every program has some sort of diversity statement/initiative yet it's not always upheld unfortunately. I'd love to hear more about your experience directly asking about support for students of your background/identity! As minorities, I guess we're all pretty good at discerning between bullsh*t and genuineness. I hope we all find programs that adequately support us!

I'm VERY happy the IT guy at my job has no idea what this is and I hope he never finds out because he would definitely block it 😂

Got a phone call and an email from them today!

Hello! @rubcar91 I applied to Northwestern through URTAS and received an interview already. I am not sure what their direct deadline was, or how they balance Direct/URTAS deadlines. In the past two years Yale had gotten back to folks on December 20th-ish, but I have scoured the internet and haven't heard a peep from folks. Usually a Yale interview call brings out the lurkers. So I'm hoping that they haven't contacted folks yet. Maybe next week since the holidays are over? No idea about UCSD, maybe @TheatreGuy123 could answer that? Hey @ctbck! Re statements of purpose: YES. I especially struggled this year because I applied to so many schools, so it felt strange to tweak them for each school. I had about 3 working formulas or framing devices that I used based on the school. So it will be interesting to see which essays were effective. So I'm nervous about that. Generally I tried to answer the questions: why theatre/directing (my values), why me (aethetic & process), why school & why now (goals, and obstacles). But laying it out like that makes it seem so much easier than it was writing the essays. WHICH is why I am so excited to say that I am officially DONE with applications!!! Now I'll move into interview prep for URTAS and of course, the torturous grad waiting period! 🙃 For now, I'm just celebrating being done with essay writing (and paying application fees 😅😩). How's everyone else doing on this side of the new year?

Most interviews go like this: They ask you about your research experience. You start telling them about it, they occasionally stop you to ask questions. They tell you about their research (this is why reading papers in advance is unnecessary). Ideally, you try to ask questions or relate their work to yours or things you've heard of. They ask you if you have any questions about the program. You ask questions about how their lab works (how big it is, if they send people to conferences, if they have space for you, where their funding comes from, what their students go on to do, etc). This shows them you know what goes into a PhD. You shouldn't be focused on one particular line of research. You should be open to studying many things within the general field. If that's the only professor studying it at that school but he isn't taking students, they won't accept you. Or if multiple do but aren't taking students, same thing. You should show that you're excited to talk about your own work, you are able to think about other people's work (by asking questions about their research), you know what goes into a PhD, and you know why you want a PhD. If you're not sure about the why, they'll likely be able to tell, and they won't want to accept anyone who might end up quitting their PhD.