[What are my chances of acceptance after an interview?]

Thanks everyone!!

All the encouragement and advice is so helpful!!

I guess I'm just going to have to put my best face and be as outgoing and friendly and "smart-sounding" as possible....

By the way, the whole process does seem like a crapshoot-- I mean UM was the top program I applied, the other schools were mid-level. It seems like research interests and LORs are some of the most important things they look into, but what do I know... I'm still waiting for an acceptance.

Thank you all! I'll keep you all posted.

First of all, Good luck at the interview!!

I will agree that this whole process is a crapshoot, last year I got accepted to the two top places in my area, and rejected (the day I returned from interviewing at this school) by the lowest tier school I applied to where I had exceptional research fit. But I also want to stress to make sure you not only impress the faculty (which I have no doubt you will), but also the graduate students in their lab. Make sure to send a thank you email to your host as well as the professors that interviewed you . It may seem like a small thing to have to remember, but I can tell you from experience that it actually helped me get into a school.

[Issue: Two recruitment weekends, same date.]

So, just to make sure, these are both interviews, i.e. you don't have an offer yet?

I would email Boulder and ask whether they have an alternate weekend. If they say no, ask WUStL the same question. If THAT doesn't work, then, depending on your level of interest in WUStL and whether you have any outside offers, pick one and tell them that you have a conflict and would love to interview at another time via phone or Skype if possible but will be unable to make it during the weekend. I do think it would look bad to WUStL if you went back on your word -- at least, it would signal that they are not at the top of your list, which probably makes it less likely that you will get an offer. If you can live with that, then go with Boulder.

PS congrats...good problem to have!

I agree with everything that Socialpsych said.

I was also wondering if they are the exact same day that weekend? This is only a question because I had a similar problem last year with 3 interviews all on the same weekend, except they only shared one overlapping day a piece. If that is the case, say one is Thurs-Sat and the other is Fri-Sun, then you can ask if it is okay to arrive a bit late to the interview/leave a bit early. I know there are some differing opinions on this, but from my experience it was okay and they understood. If they are on the exact same days then, again, go with the advice you have already gotten. Good luck and congrats on the interviews!!

[Interview dress code]

I will have to agree with most here. From my experiences interviewing last year, pretty much everyone wore a suit. If you don't, it really will not be the end of the world. But remember, you can always take the jacket off if you feel overdressed...but if you feel under-dressed there is no remedy for that. Good luck!

[Recruiting Weekend invitation]

My sister says I should go, but I don't know... can't make any decision until Tuesday when I find out my midterm schedule for two of my classes...

Anyone else have a suggestion?

Would you be able to arrange to take your midterm at an earlier/later date? As Lib(eration) said, if you can't go you can't. They will understand. However, visiting the school is a really great experience that can help you determine if the school is a good fit for you.

[Current grad students]

I would say it is a tiny bit different, but that is mainly because I am still getting oriented with all the research and procedures in my lab. Though, since I was brought on to also be a research assistant in a new organization I will be starting the research I wrote about in my SOP and talked about at the interview shortly. Luckily my advisor is very open and willing to allow me to dictate the topics I research. Regardless of any differences in what was expected, I can say that I love my program and my advisor is incredible.

[Is this an interview??]

I just received an email from a POI and he said he reviewed my application and was hoping I'm able to talk on the phone soon.

I'm freaking out, what does this mean? An informal phone interview?? Should I know all of his research by tomorrow?? ahhhhhhhhh

This is the first thing I've heard from anywhere so I'm happy about that it is something, but what is it!?

I would suggest just being ready to talk about your own research, at least know what is going on in the POI's lab so if he asks what you are interested in you can articulate it , and have a few questions ready to ask about the lab/program/school/department. This sounds like an informal phone interview, but just remember to breathe and be confident and it should go well. Good luck!

[MA Programs]

I interviewed at John Jay last year for their experimental forensic psychology PhD, so I know a little bit about their department. PM me if you have questions about it.

[When exactly will the flood gates start to open?]

Last year I heard from most of my programs (Social and law) around late January-early February with interviews in mid-Feb. I know the person planning our interview weekend this year and, as far as I know, this is still the plan of when people will know. But the floodgates are going to start slowing opening and then it will get chaotic! Best of luck to everyone!!!

[Applying to PhDs as college senior?]

I don't know percentages but at the program where I am getting my masters (not very highly ranked as it is a growing program rather than an established one), more than half of the incoming class (4 of 6) came straight from undergrad and the other two took a few years off. At least one of the straight from undergrad students chose between multiple offers.

I am in my first year of my Ph.D. and came straight out of undergraduate. I would say (of my entire cohort--so every area of psych here) 5 of us our straight out of undergrad while the others are from masters programs or time off. I am not sure how common it is, but all of us straight out of undergrad had multiple offers. Basically, given a strong application, especially research, you shouldn't be too worried because it does happen. Best of Luck!!

[Getting Married....What to do with my name?!]

I am sure this topic has been brought up before but I just need some advice.

I just finished my undergraduate degree and will be starting in a PhD program this August. I am also getting married in less than a month and still have no idea what to do with my name. My fiancé is pretty adamant about me taking his last name for everything (including publications). No matter what, I will take his last name legally for social stuff, bank accounts, etc. The problem lies in the fact that I have published a decent amount (1 article, 2 columns, 1 encyclopedia entry, and 2 book chapters, along with paper talks and several posters) under my current name, and I would really like to keep using that for publications to avoid confusion or losing my work. I never thought this would be a problem, but I just don't know what to do.

Is it too confusing to have one name professionally and another for everything else, as my fiancé thinks? Will it be hard to transition from publishing under one name to another? Can I legally publish under my maiden name if it is not part of my legal name anymore (I have considered making it my middle name, but my current middle name is after my grandmother who is so supportive of me and looked crushed when my mother told her I might replace it)? I know no one can tell me what I should do (as it is my choice) but advice or your own experiences with this would be helpful:) .

It also does not help that every woman in my life is telling me to keep my maiden name, while every man is telling me I should just go with convention and give it up.

[What were your experiences this application season?]

This was my first time applying and I think it went pretty well. I heard (eventually) from all of my schools and got accepted into my top 2 schools as well as another school, all with full funding. I am going to my top choice with a fellowship on top of everything else. My only regret is in applying to a couple of the schools that just were not great fits for me and so I could have saved the time, energy, and money. Regardless, I enjoyed it for the most part, despite how stressful the whole process was--it did let me visit 4 states I had never set foot in before Now I just have to find an apartment and figure out when to make the trek west!

[Rejected... how do you respond?]

The only school I sent a thank you note to was the one that I had actually interviewed at and kept in touch with the faculty. I figured that it was a small field and that I would be in contact with them again, and hey, they did pay for my flights and hotel. And I did see my poi from that school two weeks later at a conference, where she ended up being the awkward one in our brief conversation.

If I did not have consistent or meaningful contact, then I sent back nothing.

[For those who are awarded a multi-year fellowship, what are your GRE scores?]

I know I did not receive my fellowship (the highest my school offers) because of my GRE scores haha. I had a combined of 1280, but I think it was everything else that got it for me. Tons of research, publications, great fit, good LORs, a decent SoP. Anything is possible!

[Post here when you've DECIDED!]

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Social Psychology Ph.D. and a Masters of Legal Studies

[get it in writing before declining another offer?]

I would ask for it in writing as well. You can even ask, when you email them, for a pdf of the offer that way you at least have a copy of it before it arrives in the mail. I know all of the schools sent me the letter via email before they sent it in the mail. If they are not able to do that, I don't think it would hurt to try asking for an extension from the other school. Good luck!

[Weekend Replies and other False Hopes]

I'm not sure about the weekend, but sometimes decisions are sent after-hours on business days. I received an acceptance e-mail that was sent at 7:15pm from one of my schools. Before I had assumed that if I didn't hear anything by 5 I'd have to wait until the next day.

It was not a weekend as well, but I got a phone call acceptance at 11:30 pm my time, which was 12:30 am their time. I have no idea why they called that late but I didn't care haha.

[Spreadsheet to Compare Offers]

UNL is just awesome like that . I saw that spreadsheet today in the email as well, and had I not just made my decision, would have utilized it!

[Worst Rejection That You Ever Received?]

I think my worst rejection was the first one I got from what I considered to be my safety school. I interviewed at the school, but it was the last of three schools (the first two were my two top choices) I was interviewing at over the course of 6 days. Needless to say I was tired, exhausted, and somewhat out of it. The interview was very strange as they just didn't seem to care about making a good impression and just tossed me around to whoever might be free at the time. Well a day and a half after I left them, I received an email saying that they unfortunately were not able to offer me admission due to funding restraints--fair enough and I responded with a very nice email thanking them for the consideration anyway. But it really freaked me out because I thought if I couldn't get into that school, what sort of chance did I have at the other two, more prestigious, schools.

Well, I got into both of the other schools and am happy to say that I accepted the offer to my first choice with a fellowship...so take that! Also, I just came back from a conference, and during the session that I was giving a talk at, my POI from the rejection school came up and said "Oh hey, I didn't know you would be here. I am actually only here for my student then I will leave during your talk...sorry." Not sure why she felt the need to share, but then I looked out and saw the professors from my other schools sitting there ready to listen to me and I knew all was just fine.

No matter what, I will continue to smother them with kindness and make it awkward

[Am I crazy?]

You aren't crazy. There is no point in going to a school simply for connections where you are not going to be happy. Also, and I have heard many many people say this, your interests might change (gasp!) so it wouldn't be a terrible thing to work with an advisor who does a little bit different work. Plus I find it interesting that you like the first professors work, but say you do not like the research the professor does in the field that you want to be in as much. Anyway, go where you are going to be happy, as that will be a good environment to be productive in for your degree.

[Guess what...]

Coming from someone who just turned down a huge name in my field (not just the advisor but the school as well), go where you think is going to be best for you. This includes research, funding (part of my turning down the other school was not being able to live off of what they gave me), the advising style you want, etc. I come from a background where my advisor is very hands on, and so I looked for that in my potential advisors for grad school. To me you seem to be leaning towards A. Yes it might be a risk to go with a more unknown advisor, it might also pay off because they might be more energetic and productive with their research (such as my current advisor who just got her Ph.D. 2 years ago). But only you can make this decision, and in your mind you might already know where you want to go.

Good luck with the decision, I am sure no matter which one you choose, you will be happy with your choice.

[Acceptance Depression?]

I am so glad I am not alone in feeling this way! I am about 99.5% positive I know which of the three schools I want to go to, but I fell in love with each school for different reasons when I visited and just the idea of having to choose one and close the potential doors at the others is terrifying. But I gave myself a deadline that after I return from a conference next week (where all 3 of those schools have already started asking me to join them for various activities while there) that I will just suck it up and accept the offer that I have been leaning towards since I left their interview weekend. It kind of helps right now that my POI at the school I am most likely going to has been sending me very nice and encouraging emails about my first solo paper presentation, so it helps to know that environment is already nurturing .

[Social Psychology]

Thanks for the info, I know they are encouraging people to respond quickly but it sounds like you should take your time to decide which program is the best fit, especially considering you are trying to decide between your two top schools. My POI is Dr. Wiener, I guess that is another thing I hadn't thought about, I don't know if the waiting list would be for the program or for Dr. Wiener's lab specifically...if it is the latter that would obviously reduce my chances so I hope isn't. How about you, who is your POI?

My POI is also Wiener.

[Social Psychology]

Do you have any idea how many people UNL accepted? I have been told I am next in line on the waiting list, not really sure how good that is considering I don't really know how many applicants they plan to accept, the chances that they will accept anyone from the waiting list, etc. I was on the waiting list a 2 different universities last year and neither ended up accepting anyone from the waiting list...

I am honestly not sure, though I do know that they told me the sooner the better for a decision so they could accept people off the waitlist. And I promise I am trying to figure it out as fast as I feel comfortable. Who is your POI at UNL?

[Results for 2010?]

I guess it would depend on what you wanted to do in the long run. If forensic mental health is your interest, John Jay would probably be most appropriate. Irvine is a great school, but I can't imagine anyone choosing South Orange County over New York City ;-) (I'm a native New Yorker living in Southern California; I speak from experience).

Yeah, I actually was not holding out much hope for UCI because of the whole budget crisis. Right now I am actually trying to make the difficult decision between John Jay and Nebraska...which obviously are very very different places to live haha. But I am a native Midwesterner, so NYC and Irvine both are quite foreign to what I am use to haha.

congrats juror! That's awesome---I thin I saw on the results that you applied for the forensic program? I looked into that a little bit at John Jay before I applied, and was really impressed with it: it seemed like a great program! (Though I have to admit, I looked at it in one of those "Man, CSI is so cool!" type of ways, because I've never actually taken a Forensics class---one of my biggest regrets from undergrad).

Thanks! I applied to the forensic psychology program, so not really CSI type stuff, but still very fun! I have taken one forensic science course and I worked with the local police for a semester and got to play around in the crime scene lab a couple of times, it is definitely fascinating stuff!

[Social Psychology]

Congrats!! What is your top choice school?

Thanks!! As of right now it is probably UNL, though I received a late night acceptance from John Jay two days ago, so I am waiting for them to finalize the financial package and see if it changes anything. Both of those programs have been my #1 & 2 interchangeably since the beginning, so I know I will be happy with either .