Adenine_Monarch

Don't know how much this matters, but I just called someone in the Caltech graduate studies office about the status of my application and was told to "expect a decision between now and the beginning of April." And I asked her if this was even true of people (like me) that haven't gotten an interview or heard back ANYTHING at all, and apparently that's the case. I was also again told that not all options do interviews, even though I specified that I applied to the Biology Ph.D program from the beginning of my call.... Does anyone else think this is weird??

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This is certainly true. I am hoping schools will get back to us within a reasonable time frame, though (like sometime in March). I just don't know how realistic this is. And I definitely feel you on wanting to take everything into consideration as much as possible! So....people who've already done this before. Once you were done with interviews and had some offers, how long did it take you to make a decision? Any tips or tricks for this?

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Well, they also just said that they couldn't promise anything after April 1st but I think that is kind of BS. I wouldn't be surprised if it's still possible to get the money (like if you're legitimately wavering between one school and another). If they offer the money before April 1st, why wouldn't they have it after April 1st, especially if it could make or break someone's decision?? I know USC has plenty of money, after all. Maybe it's just their way of opening the negotiating table, should it be necessary. They are allowing themselves to make the first move. As for timing, I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that I can make a decision by sometime in March anyway, so a couple of weeks before the actual deadline shouldn't be a big deal....I hope. Any thoughts on this? Is that an unrealistic expectation? I'm assuming it really just depends.... :/

scooper barstool

So did anyone else get an offer from USC PIBBS? Did any of you get supplemental money contingent upon replying by April 1st? If so, how much was it? I'm wondering if we all got the same. Thanks.

Yep. I also got this email about being in the "hold" category and that my chance of being moved to the "interview" category is slim.... And I don't think that they meant just "extending interviews," I took it to mean that they have filled most of their incoming class spots (since I know of people that have gotten accepted already...)

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I personally agree with sending thank you emails to all the people you interview with, the coordinator and any students that hosted or helped you. I think it's just the nice, polite thing to do and it doesn't hurt anything. Even with some interviewers that I didn't end up feeling much connection with, I received very nice replies!

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United Airlines! (my dad worked for them for ages....)

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Nematology. I see why it's relevant but it still poked me in the eye a bit when I first came across it.... I mean, who would..........???? But then again, I love snails so....guess I shouldn't judge....

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It was about 3.5 pages of text. 1 inch margins. 11 or 12 pt. font - I don't remember which. Also, I'm in the US so it was a lengthy "American" CV.

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Ah, that reminds me. UTSW was that way, too. I had to submit the app BEFORE they would even contact LORs - where's the sense in that?? Why can't they be done at the same time? It just makes it so that everyone has less time to work with.

I agree with this. Definitely ask questions - it will convey your interest and they will like seeing you tackle "their" problem analytically. Critical thinking is important to acquire as a student and they will want to see you trying to do just that. In my opinion, I would lay off the jeans, sneakers and sandals for any sort of interview (actually saw some girls wearing sandals and was surprised - I guess this was their take on "comfortable."). And I definitely would keep the heels at home unless you want to come back with blisters. I did a ton of walking at my last interview since the campus was so huge. What I did was invest in a good pair of black, flat, leather, mid-calf boots - easy to wear under slacks or with tights and a skirt and good if the weather is cold or snowy. I made sure they were comfortable. I spent more money on them than I'd normally like, but they have served me very well so far and have not been uncomfortable at all, so I think it's been a good investment. I think so long as it's obvious you made the effort to look nice and professional, it doesn't matter what you wear (whether it's a suit, blouse, sweater, skirt, pants, etc. I have seen all of these on my interviews so far. People actually seemed to be dressed up more than I initially expected, but they didn't seem out of place to me) Don't be the dude at my last interview that wore the tight pink jeans, orange belt and casual polo shirt. I actually saw one of the students ask for his name like he was taking notes on candidates. I went to their first weekend and just got my acceptance over the phone on Friday. They said they'd take about a week and that's exactly what they did! It's my first acceptance and I enjoyed the weekend there, so I'm excited!

What program are you referring to? It was me that asked you about it. Glad it went well for you. What do you mean about laying around at the beach, though? That sucks about the year distribution of the students you spoke to. I'd be a little skeptical of a place that does not have many (or any!) older students advocating the school/program. I wonder why the grad school told me that they don't even do interviews necessarily (something about it being at the discretion of the adcomm or something). Maybe it was someone that was just clueless? Sounds like you had a pretty typical experience. Maybe they like keeping it on the down low? I disagree with this. I keep getting the "where do you see yourself" question (and I've been on three interviews so far) and I think it helps the interviewer gauge the thoughtfulness of your plans for grad school. What planning have you done, where does this program fit in, how knowledgeable are you about your options after graduation, what do you hope to accomplish, etc., in other words I think what they DON'T want to hear is something along the lines of "I want to be a PI and run my own lab," with no further explanation (of course it is okay to say this if that is truly your goal, but you better put your money where your mouth is and explain why). I think there's a lot of meat you can put on an open-ended question like that if you've thought enough about it. You should be able to discuss that sort of question at length if asked about it or to elaborate further. I think they want to see that you've truly thought about it and therefore are committed to this career choice (and, by extension, the Ph.D). And that can be just as impressive as science talk about your project since it is also a demonstration of critical thinking skill. Or perhaps even more impressive since maybe your interviewers already are familiar with the sort of field you're in and understand it better than you do! And I absolutely think that being an articulate speaker is related to science. Talks and presentations are as common as breathing and good communication (whether oral or written in a paper/thesis) is a must. At any rate, it certainly doesn't hurt to be a good communicator. Your project comes alive to people when you can explain yourself well.

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Wow, congratulations!