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?

Just wondering if it would it be OK to contact the POI (whom I have previously contacted prior to submitting my application) about my application status? It seems a couple of invitations have been sent out by the school/program and I was wondering if all invitations have been sent out. I tried contacting the department administrator but it seems people will be away till January.

Thanks very much guys - I decided that the international flight would be justifiable as I have received more than one interview invitation, including one of my top choices which offered to sponsor a substantial amount of the costs. Really appreciate both your opinions on this!

Thank you @fuzzylogician The main reason I would appreciate knowing this is because I am an international applicant who will be paying out of my own pocket for an international flight to the US. Thus it helps to get a better idea of what my chances might be like at this point, to assess if it is worth it or if Skype might be a more cost-efficient option (though I understand it is always better to be there in person).

I received an interview invite and was just wondering if it is appropriate to ask the DGS how many applicants made the shortlist and how many places are available? Or does that come across poorly? Thanks!

I did my Masters at a reputable UK university, though not in Devt Psych but Cog Neuro. From my understanding, the UK universities do not require nor care about GREs, but your GPA / Honors received.

Hi, I have three specific questions I'd like to get some feedback on regarding including the following information in my SOP. To provide some context, I am an international student who completed my Bachelors in a US institution and a Masters in the UK. Post-Masters, I returned to my home country (neither the US/UK) where I have been working in a research associate position at a national research institute for 2 years. 1. It is very likely that I will be talking about the research I've done in my country of citizenship as I have 2-3 publications during my time here. I understand international students are at somewhat of a disadvantage as PIs outside of the US or UK may not be as internationally renowned or may have limited connections with those in the US. However, my PI has working relationships with a couple of researchers in the US and I am listed as a co-author on a manuscript where we have collaborated with 2-3 of them, however I did not work intimately with them. Would it be perceived negatively (i.e. trying to namedrop) if I were to mention their names in my SOP when writing about that particular project (one of them works in the NIH)? The publication is listed on my CV but I don't know if I should draw more focus to it in my SOP, just in case people are not familiar with the PI I work with (in addition, he is a clinician-scientist). Is this a good move or does it seem like I'm trying too hard? 2. For a particular top school/program in my area, I had pretty extensive conversations with a recent PhD alumni as well as a current grad student who works in the same lab I am intending to join. Do you think it is a good idea to briefly mention this in my SOP? Again, I'm on the fence because I don't know if it will make me seem like I'm name-dropping/trying too hard vs. actually impressing the committee/POI that I have taken great efforts to speak with past and current students in the program. 3. Would it be wise to mention that my previous research supervisor was on maternity leave for a rather extensive period of time (this happened during my Masters)? I ended up acing my masters thesis despite it being quite a challenge. I don't know if this will come across as me being negative about my experience or if it may be positively perceived as being independent, able to overcome obstacles etc. My advisor did mention after reading my thesis that he was impressed that I was able to do a good job despite these circumstances. Thanks very much and I appreciate any advice anyone can offer!

They do have pretty high GRE scores though.

You've a similar background and stats (except I didn't score as well for the GRE Quant) as I have. I am actually also applying to a mix of psych/interdepartmental/neuro programs. I think you are really competitive even if you lack publications! P/S Sent you a PM!

I was just wondering if top programs tend to invite more/fewer applicants as opposed to mid or lower tier programs? I've read that there tends to be a success rate of 50-80% acceptance once you get invited for an interview, but I wonder if anyone has observed any trends with certain programs?

Thanks very much for sharing @FeelTheBern!