MidwesternAloha

Don't expect to be accepted. At mine they could only accept 40% of those they interviewed. In one way, these trips can be difficult because it's hard to enjoy visiting a university you might get rejected from, but in another sense, they're really a lot of fun because everyone is in the same application process and understands how you feel. I met a lot of cool people at mine and we had fun hanging out commiserating about applications together. So enjoy the trip - at least the 'not paying for anything' part! Good luck! 

Thank you! And yes I did get an alternate interview.  I ended up going between my two interviews, so I basically missed a full week of school between those three interviews. I didn't get to experience the whole interview weekend because of this. I wish I had but I still got to talk with some faculty I was very interested in. 

In the US, it's generally advised to keep business and personal life separate. That's not always the case, but when you don't know the interviewer's perspective, you should stay cautious. Nothing wrong with being personal, but being too personal can have some impact

There are some rejections mixed in with the acceptances for CMU today, if it was a mistake I don't think some people would get rejected and some would be accepted.
 
Also presidents day is not a holiday for most of the US. As much as I would have liked to be on vacation, we weren't.

My favorite comic/grad school website:
 
http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/

My favorite comic/grad school website:
 
http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/

So, I've written posts on this thread several times and deleted them without posting.  Grad school isn't so much a plan for me as a grab at the brass ring.  I'm a non-traditional UG student at present, and the idea of doing research and teaching at the collegiate level for a living in my area was something I didn't think possible for me personally until about a year ago. The idea didn't just interest me, it had been a dream of mine since I was quite young, I just assumed it beyond my grasp considering my age and life choices.  If grad school works out I'll be over the moon.  If it doesn't, well, there will be tears, but l will go on. (Not in a Celine Dion kind of way....)
 
The shorter version: the back up plan is a job that I don't hate.

My advice for young students would be not to compare yourselves to different age groups of students. You're like apples and oranges. I've seen a lot of young students dive straight into grad programs and they are generally more driven and self work harder at school because they aren't committed to a spouse, family, whatever other obligations the older students tend to have. That being said, there is an air of ease that exists among older students, so, whatever you do, just don't try to be or fit in with your peers if you simply do not have commonalities. Learn to exist professionally and you'll be treated with respect by your cohort. It's how I became a manager of PhD candidates and teaching their lab skills when I was 22 and only had a BA. Most of them were in their thirties. They could tell I was young, but they didn't know how young. It'll all work out. Age is nothing but a number.

You sound very competitive!

Inspired by a sister thread in the Waiting-It-Out forum and after bombing an interview spectacularly just now, I thought the time was ripe to kick this topic up. What are your most notable interview failures?
 
 
 
Naturally, I'll start.
 
That awkward moment when.....
 
You answer the question, "What would be your ideal experiment?", with a crack about the Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies (I study aggression).
 
 
 
---------- As anyone but me would suspect, this was not the ideal response.  

great to know there is somebody else in the same boat! My pro and con list is pretty similar, however I am not as concerned about basically starting again, I've mentally prepared for that. It seems to me that, in the big scheme of things, a year or so isn't a big deal if I'm doing what's interesting to me and I have a good funding package. Also during these two years I'll have done other things besides course work that will have been useful to me. 

thanks! Your response is super helpful! I ran out of things to say too, so i guess brevity is a good thing 

If you can say what you need to say in 700 words, you are certainly meeting the requirement. Brevity is a good thing. A concise essay is more appealing to the adcoms than a long one.

Continue to work on getting older.

Thanks for the replies! I ended up searching for general academic calendars at each institution (instead of looking for the date on the graduate department websites), and that helped. It seems it'd in mid to late August or early September depending upon the school.

If a vegetarian does Crossfit, what do they tell you first?

Depends: Are they also gluten-free?

Keep in mind you've also got a pretty good chance you'll have to be there 1-2 weeks early for orientation.  

How do you know someone does crossfit?
 
Don't worry, they'll tell you

I'd be creeped out personally. Like to the point where I'd request a different roommate or pay for my own room.

My favorite comic/grad school website:
 
http://whatshouldwecallgradschool.tumblr.com/

OH, and my favorite (because I'm married):
 
"So, how can you start a family?  You'll be in your thirties!"

Not a question, but something that I just discovered that may be of use in interviews:
If you have a student host, get to know this person.
 
These people volunteer to be hosts, they know a lot about the pros and cons of the program, and the hosts I've had have been really cool. It's a perk if they are part of/will be meeting with the admissions committee. You never know what kind of surprises this person might drop in your inbox before anything official rolls out

I thought it would be nice to start a thread on BEST/WORST acceptance packages. I know some schools mail fancy packages, while other merely send you a letter.
 
This is meant to be a fun thread.
 
Also, maybe best/worst rejection letters? I know rejection letters suck, but some are more thoughtful than others...
 
I'll start with Boston, red folder with the simple words "You're in." in the front. That was kind of nice.

It totally depends on the relationship you have with your supervisor. The earliest I would ever say anything is when I've officially accepted a school's offer. However, I would only do this if I believe that I would be strongly supported by my supervisors and bosses. Otherwise, I would probably wait until something closer to the minimum notice guidelines (e.g. 1 month or whatever). The handbooks and guidelines are there for a reason--if you follow them, then they cannot fault you and it should not hurt any future relationship (perhaps add an extra week or two to the minimum time to show good faith or something). But I do not think you should feel any obligation to tell your supervisors as soon as you know. There is nothing wrong with knowing you are going to leave X months down the road and keeping that information from your employers.