Vanilla Bean

Still nothing from UNCG! ?

Also, I applied to the Social program and have only been seeing news from people that applied to the Clinical program for the most part, so I'm super confused with what's going on with the Social program lol. That would be nice to know if I'm already out of the running or not!

They are sending out official rejections!? Who emailed you? I also applied there, but have heard nothing!

Same! I just do a mini summary of what my CV and personal statement say. But I have always wondered this as well and whether they would like to hear more about me as a person or not.

Oh awesome! Thank you for the reply! Did you hear from the graduate coordinator?

Find an area in your house where you could set up the computer in a way that the only background behind you is a blank wall. That's what I did, and I think it has been working with preventing distractions since all professors see in the background when talking to me is all white. ? Also, my undergraduate institution had a career center that students could use in which you could reserve a room specifically just to do Skype and phone interviews. It was really useful! Maybe see if your school offers something like that?

Do you know when WashU's on-campus interview is? If it's very soon (in January) then I would just assume you are no longer in the running. However, if it's sometime in February, there may be still hope! It seems like at some institutions, faculty send out interview invites in batches rather than all at once. Also, if the interview weekend is not very soon, it is likely that your POI has not reviewed applications yet (especially since some schools are still on winter break and start classes back up this Monday).

Yeah, I would assume rejection unfortunately. That's really close by to have not heard back at this point.

Nothing from UNCG! ?

Also wondering the same about Houston! ?

Nothing from Wayne State yet!

Do you know if all interview invites for Houston have already been sent out? I applied and have heard nothing from them!

I second running during times of stress! It helps ease my anxiety SO much.

Although, possibly unpopular opinion, but if you can afford it, I don't think it would hurt to still give it a shot next application cycle if you REALLY wish to. As somebody else mentioned strong letters of recommendation also help your application a lot, and you already have great GPA and GRE scores. Do A LOT of research on personal statement kisses of death; make sure that you submit a strong statement and CV (have your mentors proof-read your application materials for feedback!) and I think that though a very slim chance, you could possibly be accepted your first round. Although emphasis on the fact that you have a VERY slim chance applying with barely to no research experience, so do not be disappointed if you need to try again.

I have 11 poster presentations on my CV. I applied this application cycle and still do not know if I will even be accepted anywhere as I have not received any interview invites yet.. As others have already said, it's just a very competitive process. You can be a GREAT applicant and still get rejected. So, none of us can give you a magic number as to how many years of research experience or poster presentations you should have to be a competitive applicant, unfortunately. There's so many factors that play into which applicants stand out and which don't.

I couldn't help but to glance at your signature and I noticed that you applied to a school I applied to! Did you already get rejected from FSU? Is that what the red text means? Sorry if I'm being too nosy. ? You can also pm me if it's more comfortable. I applied to FSU and still have not heard anything from them!

At this point I would just assume you did not get chosen to attend the interview day.

I would take it out.. But then again I'm just a very paranoid person when it comes to things like this (in fact, this is the main reason why I have not gotten a nose piercing myself). I would take it out, and then wear it to go to school if you are accepted into the program.

Maybe just read the abstracts of all of their 2019 papers, to get a gist of what kind of research their lab has recently been conducting.

I like this idea! We should make this the official thread for finding travel mates if we need them. ? I haven't gotten any in-person interview invites yet, but I am very on board with this idea if I do in the future!

Wait until 1/10 before you get back with the department that sent you the interview invite, just in case your top choice program contacts you before 1/10. If you do not hear from your top choice by 1/10, I would just accept the interview offer. There's no guarantee your top choice program is going to send you an invite anyway, and you don't want to miss out on this opportunity and then possibly regret it. Plus, if your top choice contacts you later, you can always decline the interview invite.

I was just asking because I just graduated with a master's and my program was funded via a graduate assistantship. It was a great program, so I recommend applying if you are open to other programs. Message me if you are interested in knowing where I went (don't want to post here since it is obviously identifiable information about me).

I would just be honest and say that you are waiting to hear back from other schools, and that you are wondering if you could have some time to make a decision before getting back to them.

FSU keeps doing this to me.. So frustrating when you don't even know if you will be getting an interview invite in the first place. ?

I agree with what the two people above have said, decline the interview invite if after talking to/emailing the PI(s) you do not feel like the program is the right fit for you. I think it is a red flag if you already sense that a program may not be right for you before even going to visit the campus/department! And other qualified applicants may love to have that spot, so if attending every single interview will be way too much of a strain to your mental health, I would definitely only visit the departments that you are most enthusiastic about.