neur0cat

Experienced this during one of my interviews - there was another applicant who had been working at the lab for some time prior to formally applying. I was somewhat disconcerted upon realizing this but did my best anyway. I've accepted that there are factors you simply can't control and it's ultimately the POI's choice in deciding. I really hope my POI did not go into the process with the mentality of already knowing whom to accept and inviting applicants as a formality just to ensure "unbiasedness".

Thanks! In your opinion at least, would this qualify as dark denim?

I'm also planning to wear a pair of black ankle boots to the formal interview. Wondering if it's OK to wear regular colored jeans to the social though? I plan to also wear plain sweaters without the blazer.

Would you mind sharing which program that is via PM :)?

Heard about this too, but I'm not quite sure if this is really true. I've heard if you are in a prime position (POI really really wants you), that the interview is mostly to get to meet you in person, make sure you get along well with the rest of the department, etc rather than being an all-out test.

Exactly how I feel Also, is it likely in the case of extremely competitive programs, for programs to interview fewer students since it is likely that most students are bound to accept offers? I'm not quite sure what to expect in terms of my chances and it definitely isn't quite professional to ask.

Do you mean CNAP? The interviews were sent out in mid Dec from what i know.

Thank you @Emotix! Would you think ankle boots (something like this) are fine, or would flats/heels be advised? I am mostly interviewing on the East Coast and it's expected that it'd be cold. Also, what do people think of going with a boucle blazer?

From my understanding, the person-in-charge said they would send all invites by the end of this week. I'm not sure if all of the invitations have been sent out at current time though, I saw someone who posted they received an invitation.

I'm international and hail from a country with a tropical climate. Given interviews are in winter, I would like to seek some advice regarding how formal blouses should be. I'm trying to steer away from wearing a suit as not only is it costly to purchase, I've never worn one before and expect I might feel rather uncomfortable if I were to do so at interviews. I am also not interviewing for clinical programs so I'm not too sure if a full suit is expected/necessary. Do you think the following blouses would work (with dress pants) or are they too informal? Would regular black ankle boots work for interviews or is it necessary to change into heels? Thanks very much!

To those who've received e-mails and preliminary Skype/phone calls from POIs at WashU in St Louis(WUSTL), do you mind PM-ing me who your POIs are? It'd be really helpful!

Hi @fuzzylogician, thanks for the clarification! I do have other interviews but would really prefer not to pool the expenses together mainly because I'd rather have the other schools account for the domestic flight expenses respectively. If I were to pool all the expenses together, I might wind up having to pay a lot more with every domestic return ticket per interview.

Just a few queries - hope people who've been through the process might be able to give their thoughts on. Some might seem silly but I'm international and this is the first (and only, I hope!) time I've been through the process. 1. When programs cover flights, does this necessarily always imply a return air ticket instead of a one-way? 2. I have a few interviews on hand, with most programs offering to cover only domestic air fare. However, one particular program is offering to cover a lot more than the usual amount, which is almost enough to cover the entire international air fare. My question is: Will it be all right for this program to cover the entire international return flight, even if my return date is a lot later (due to the other interviews thereafter)? I'm not sure if this might be in bad taste since I'm pretty sure the school will come to know of it, but a one-way ticket is almost the same price, if not more expensive than a return ticket, so it doesn't make sense. Or should I just personally cover the international air fare to be fair to all schools, but get the program to cover only domestic air fare?

Anyone knows if Vanderbilt NGP has finished sending out interview invites?

Is it good practice to bring a small gift for the grad student whom will be hosting you, or is that unnecessary?