sunpenguin

Yep, this is BU. I'm glad to know it's the norm for them. I take it you did the skype interviews in place of attending the interview weekend? I applied to CM, but they're combining the visit for CM, Neuro, and MCBB.

Has anyone had an interview weekend with only two one-on-one interviews? Just found out that at my next interview I'm meeting with the director of graduate studies and just one of the POIs I mentioned in my statement, and those will be the only two interviews. There will be chances to meet and talk to other professors informally, but the other two visits I've done so far each had me meeting individually with at least 5 faculty members. Is it normal to meet with only two?

You could probably do it. Hershey itself would be pretty easy to get around on a moped, as long as you can deal with the fact that there's a lot of snow and freezing rain for almost half the year. You probably could easily get around downtown and to the medical center without ever having to go much above 40 mph. The surrounding area is very suburban and spread out, so without a car it would be hard to get to Harrisburg or other neighboring cities where there would be live music, museums, etc. If you like hiking, it's a good region, with nearby access to sections of the Appalachian trail, but again you would need a car to get to the trailheads. Whatever you decide, congratulations on the offers! I'm still waiting for my first official acceptance. The programs where I'm interviewing may not get back to me until March.

Not necessarily, apparently! I just got the itinerary for the school I'm visiting this coming Sunday-Monday, and it doesn't tell me which professors I'll be meeting with. The most organized of the universities so far sent me an individualized schedule six days before the interview date.

I don't think you need to worry. I recently attended a visit day at a school that sent the itinerary just two days ahead of time. Since you've been told you have a hotel reservation, you should be fine.

I didn't apply there, but I grew up in that area, so let me know if you have any questions about Hershey or the surrounding area. At least at the time I lived there, Hershey had no night life to speak of, but it's a cozy little town in a pretty part of the country, especially if you like hills..

Yay! Congratulations!

I got an email yesterday from the department chair of a university that doesn't hold formal interviews, but I talked with a POI there in December. The department chair says the lab of that POI might suit me, but he also wants to know if I'm interested in the work in his lab as well. His projects sound really interesting and right up my alley, so I wrote back and told him yes, I'm interested. This is definitely encouraging, but it's unexpected. I haven't heard from the first POI lately, but from the dept. chair's email, it sounds like they both may still be interested.

Good luck!

Oh, sorry, I see you two already discussed this.

These are external funding sources, not other schools, so it can only be a plus for the school to know that an applicant has taken the initiative to apply for external funding. As for whether you should email to follow up on the phone call, tcmazer, I think it depends on whether you feel a thank-you email following up the call would be appropriate even if you didn't have further information to share. If you were on the other end of the call in this situation, would you appreciate a quick, "thanks for the call" email? If so, go ahead, and certainly let them know they're your top choice and that you're waiting for the results of grant apps. If the phone call felt perfectly self-contained and an email seems like overkill, I would just wait. Only you can make that call.

If I were in your place and wanted to let them know they were my top choice, I'd keep it simple enough that it comes across as a polite reply, something like, "Thanks! This is my top-choice program, so I'll be looking forward to hearing from you." That way you're letting them know, but not depending on it as leverage.

It really depends on the program. There may be a few out there that have close to a 100% acceptance rate after the interview, but I've been to two now and can tell you the statistics. One of the programs where I've interviewed plans to offer places next year to about two-thirds of the people who interviewed. The other is a smaller program and plans to offer spots to only about one-third of the interviewees. They've both made it clear that they would love to admit everyone who was invited but that space and funding limitations mean that isn't possible.

I still haven't heard anything from them either.

Congratulations!

Good for you--well played.

Only one of the three places I'm interviewing does rotations at all, as far as I can tell. I wouldn't mind knowing which lab I'm going into and jumping right into the research that will lead to my dissertation. But I think either way could be good. Good luck with the phone interview! When will it be?

Maybe they want to learn more about which adviser would be the best fit for you!

If I were you I would go for the one where I loved the faculty! Does anyone know how common it is for programs to ask for a decision within a few days, the way Etern's acceptances have, instead of giving you until April 15? I have a funny feeling one of the programs where I'm interviewing might want a decision very quickly. I wouldn't mind that at all; just curious how common it is.

Congratulations!

No, I haven't. In past years, they've sent their invites out pretty late, toward the very end of January. I take it you haven't heard anything from them either?

Hopefully that's a good thing! I'm pretty happy about the prospect of going to Boston. It's funny how things work out sometimes!

I have to laugh when I see my signature now, because I swear, I really did apply to programs outside Boston, too! But for some reason all my interviews are there!

It probably depends on the program. Some say in the admissions materials that admissions offers can't be deferred but that you're welcome to reapply in future years.

Thanks for the input! This pretty much confirms what I've been thinking.