nmoli

Update: I brought no notes because I became so overwhelmed with prepping about my own research that I thought it would just be too much to deal with. As it turns out, I never would have used them.

Great advice. Thanks everyone!

Ok, so maybe I'm thinking the interviews will be much more in depth than they actually are. When I met with PI's over the summer, I sat with them for about an hour. The questions I asked were ones that someone might ask at the end of a talk that was given. They were detailed questions, related to very specific parts of their studies. I went in with a very solid understanding of their body of work - I did not need notes for that. The notes were 1) so I wouldn't forget to ask something, 2) to bring up terminology or techniques in their publications that I was not familiar with and required a more general explanation. It sounds as though the interviews will me shorter & more general, in which case, I am over-preparing.

If I have to refer to notes to answer questions about myself, that means I'm in a lot of trouble! I was thinking of printing out a publication or two of interest for each faculty member that I would like to work with, placing them in a clear folder, along with one page of bullet points that offer a quick summary & specific questions I'd like to ask related to the publications. I would have all of these in my purse, clearly labeled, so that if I am in a private faculty meeting with someone whose work I researched, I can simply reach in and pull out the respective folder. I am always most comfortable being over-prepared, even if I never use the information while I'm in the situation. I just don't want to look like a lunatic, or be inappropriate.

Over the summer, I visited several PIs in programs that I was interested in. When I met with them, I brought notes with bullet points of their research (that was of particular interest to me) and questions specific to their research. I found this very helpful because it allowed me to ask questions that led to great discussions of their work. These conversations, in many cases, brought their work to life for me. I am wondering if it is acceptable to do this again during my interviews - especially with faculty that I would be interested in working with. Obviously, I don't even know if I would meet with those faculty members, but if so, is it appropriate to be prepared in this way? Or should I try to just ask questions from memory? Is it acceptable to take notes when they answer my questions? What if I just want to jot down a question that comes up while they are talking, so that I don't have to interrupt their train of thought, but can ask it later?

Thank you for posting this, it's really nice of you to let us know.

I just logged in and saw that several applicants to NYU Sackler/Neuroscience received notification about interviews a couple of days ago. Is it safe to assume that I will not be receiving an interview? Or are there typically more than one "round" of notifications?

I just logged in and saw that several applicants to NYU Sackler/Neuroscience received notification about interviews a couple of days ago. Is it safe to assume that I will not be receiving an interview? Or are there typically more than one "round" of notifications?