artsy16

My post interview thoughts....the all were actually conversations about random things, what gives? I mean, it's good that I wasn't nervous and that professors weren't shooting questions at me, but I barely talked about research with any of my POIs. We did end up talking about interesting things (sometimes tangentially related to research). So how are they picking applicants????

Oh my goodness that's amazing! Congrats! And thanks. I'm feeling less nervous as I have more interviews but I'm also an introvert so they're extra draining for me too!

Or you could try not assuming one person sharing their experiences is saying it applies to every single person 100% of the time. I'm not commenting on this thread anymore because it's distracting from the OP's post. Feel free to keep going but do not tag me in.

Hanging in there! I've only been on one interview in person and that was exhausting! Took me 2 days to recover. Now I have 2 coming up back to back Plus I'm missing so much class! What about you? (For some reason it's not letting me tag you)

You definitely misconstrued what I said. The only silliness or smugness is coming from you.

Congrats! I'm glad someone resurrected this thread I've had two interviews so far and 2 more coming this week, then 1 more later in the month. Hoping I get an acceptance to the first place I interviewed at (my top choice).

OP-also a young current senior undergrad in the middle of applying to PhD programs. So far I've gotten 5 interviews out of 7 applications. Haven't heard back about acceptances/rejections yet as I'm still interviewing. Some people have recommended time off to me when I told them my plans, but they also had different life trajectories than me. Not saying that someone with my background wouldn't benefit from time off, but when your parents are well-off and have MDs/PhDs/JDs then you can afford for them to support you while you ~discover yourself~. All the reasons people told me they benefitted from time off (self-discovery, getting a job because they never worked a day in their life, being independent, etc) are all things I don't need time off for because I've already experienced it. Life comes at many people fast, and by the time they're 20/21 they have more maturity and have had more life experience than people twice their age even. Age does tend to correlate with maturity and experience, but it's not 1:1. The only reason I'm worried about being young and in graduate school is with regard to colleagues in my program/cohort. Now that I'm 21 I don't have to turn down outings at bars because I'm finally old enough to even walk in the establishment, even though I don't drink. Being young, specifically under 21 put a damper on my relationships with coworkers (early-mid 20-somethings). I'm worried that they'll see me as too young to hang out with or form relationships with, even though many students early in their PhD are only 2-3 years older than me. But that's a (I would say frivolous) personal insecurity, not something that reflects my actual maturity or capabilities. tl;dr Listen to yourself and do what's best for you. Just make sure that the voices you're listening to are actually yours and are true/accurate. Good luck!

I emailed and asked for a female student, to which the program apologized for not asking if I would be comfortable with staying with a male student. All is well and I can afford to visit! Now for a (good) wine moment: just heard tentatively great news from my top choice: POI emailed to say the students in their lab would love to have me as a colleague and POI personally thinks I would be a great mentee! Hoping this means I have one of (2-3 available) slots in the POI's lab!

Thanks all. First and foremost I was just shocked since in my experience it's been rule of thumb to have people (in numerous settings) stay with other people of the same gender. This reminds me of another thread on TGC about rooming with faculty for conferences--students with different gender faculty never ran into this issue. Or, if that's not available, to at least ask comfort level. I have slept in the same room, even same bed when there wasn't enough space, with guys. The difference is they were all close friends & family, not strangers. I'm upset because I can't financially attend without either travel reimbursement or staying with a host. All programs I'm visiting offered one or both. I know they say it doesn't affect admissions, but I feel that it maybe does on a subconscious level. Ah well.

Have any of you had experience being hosted for an interview weekend by a current student of a different gender? I just got offered to stay with a male student and I am kind of speechless. I know one other fellow applicant to a different program was hosted by a husband/wife couple, and she felt comfortable with that (the wife is not a student in the program, though).

Thanks for that! Makes a lot of sense. And thanks Now waiting to hear if I'm accepted will be just as agonizing as it was to wait on interview invites!

I put in clear glass retainers for my nose rings, no one said anything. Probably didn't even notice--I was surprised that *I* didn't even notice them sometimes! I have tattoos as well, but nothing that shows easily (at least, not in the dead of winter). I think that professors MAY have more of a bias against piercings and tattoos than the current students, but it's a toss up really. My advice is to play it safe. You can show your tattoos and piercings after you're accepted and have secured a place as a student

I never understood this, because athletes work out everyday/6 days a week. When I played varsity sports in HS, our only day off was Sundays. My D1 athlete friends practice multiple times a day, 6-7 days a week. The workouts vary of course, but they certainly aren't anything as relaxing as yoga I made it through my first interview day/weekend! Now back to school to take care of all the responsibilities I put off.

Currently en route to my first in-person interviews *deep breathes*. I can't believe I'm doing this. 5 months ago I wasn't even planning to apply to PhD programs—I was too scared of it being "hard" and didn't want to experience rejection. Glad I chose to do this, as I have several interviews (and hopefully more than one acceptance down the road). Congrats to everyone with acceptances already! To those with rejections....I feel you. It definitely sucks, but this isn't the end for any of us

No one has any suggestions or advice?

Wow. Avoid dresses and skirts? I've never heard that one before. I am very skeptical of that coming from men (and honestly wouldn't want to work with them if they feel distracted by a woman in a business dress or skirt!) I'm wearing regular clothes on the plane/to be picked up. All my interviews are preceded by a dinner (at a student's house) only for current and prospective student. No need to be fancy, just comfortable. I'm dressing like I would for class (jeans and a t). From my itineraries, there is 0 time between interview day concluding and after interview events/hangouts, so we'll be wearing our business attire. I don't mind.

It means your application is complete and the department is reviewing it. Hence "referred"—it was sent to the department.

I'm prepping for an interview this weekend--about how many potential research ideas is a good number for applicants to generate?

Thanks for the revelation.

You have to in order to get the funding. If you don't want to write it and email it for security purposes, you can call the department secretary and tell it over the phone. It's a form of financial aid, so everyone has to give some sort of federal/tax identification number, whether it's a SSN, permanent resident number, or something else for international students.

Last year Georgia's interviews were in early February I think. They must've gotten behind this time.

@psycgrad37It wasn't me, but I saw a post about an hour ago that's since disappeared from the results thread. The person said they were notified by an admissions person, not by their POI. They also stated they would not share their POI. I also applied and am waiting to hear back--it's the last school I'm waiting on.

Woke up to another interview invitation! My 5th one this cycle, likely my last as I only have 1 more school to hear from and people were contacted for interviews last week or about 2 weeks ago. But that's ok with me! With interviews at these schools, I'm finding it hard to care about the 1 rejection I definitely have from last week and the 1 I'll probably be getting I'm really speechless. I was warned by almost everyone that it's really tough to get interviews for clinical/counseling psych, and that I may not get ANY interviews or acceptances the first round. Some people even discouraged me from applying at all until I graduated college. I'm only nervous about missing so much class, but I know it's easier for me to just get up and leave than it would be if I had a job and needed to request time off, find coverage, etc. And I'm missing class for a decision that will affect the next 5-6 years of my life, and arguably my life after that. I frame a rejection as, "my APPLICATION was rejected". Not, "*I* was rejected". Because it's true. But for an acceptance, I WILL jump up and down and say *I*

You have (at least) 8 POIs. Your POIs are the professors you listed in your essay. Some professors individually invite students. Some programs have the DCT do it.

I was pushed into engineering because I was "good at math" and a girl. I enjoyed math but didn't want to pursue a career path in it. I was MISERABLE the first year or so of college as a STEM major. Told my parents I wanted to switch to psychology and they told me I was "quitting because it was hard". If something is going to be hard and stress me out often (like a PhD will no doubt), I better enjoy it! I'm so much happier now.