[Not interviewing with POI?]

1 minute ago, TakeruK said:

When you got the interview information, did you get background info / context on the rationale behind choosing your interviewers? 

For example, for one school that interviewed me prior to their decision (via Skype), they told me that the profs interviewing are selected from the admissions committee and there would not be overlap between my interests and their interests. I think they might even do this on purpose, because you tend to like people with similar interests better, and it's easier to find interviews that don't have the same interests as each candidate than it is to find someone with the same interests for each candidate.

However, if the point of this visit/interview is to meet potential people to work with, then you should probably ask if you can meet your POI. It's weird that if this is a recruitment visit (as well as an interview) that the people organizing the schedule did not ask who you wanted to meet with. I think the first thing you should do is email the person that sent you the schedule and ask if it would be possible to meet with your POI. I think this is the best because your POI is probably meeting with a lot of other people and it's easier when one person manages all of the faculty's schedules. If they cannot do this, then asking for an informal meeting like nevermind suggested is a good idea too!

I didn't receive any explanation about why these particular interviewers were chosen, so I hope that they are on the admissions committee, and not necessarily the people that I would be potentially work with. I actually did request to interview with my POI before the interview schedules were made.

I will try to get either an in-person or a Skype meeting with the POI as nevermind suggested.

Thanks a lot!

[Not interviewing with POI?]

Hi all,

I received an interview invitation to one of my top choices, but after receiving the interview schedule, I realized that I will not be interviewing with my main POI in the program. I'm primarily interested in the program because of this POI. Moreover, the professors that I am interviewing with specialize in topics that I have no experience nor particular interest in.

Has anyone else had this experience? Should I email the POI, even though I haven't had any prior contact with him? If so, what do I say in this email? I don't want to sound whiny or unappreciative, because I am still very excited for this interview opportunity.

Thanks for your input!

[2016 Neuroscience Ph.D. Applicant Thread People Thing]

So do you guys think that MIT BCS is done sending out invites? I'm thinking that it may be better to accept rejection than hold on to false hope