jk616

I think ankle dress pants are totally fine! The outfit you proposed sounds totally professional. 

Hey! I just gave it a quick read over, and it looks pretty good! I would just make a few suggestions. 
- Maybe mention your POI earlier in the SOP, it could fit in the first paragraph and be something like "specifically, I am interested in the work of Dr. XXX" 
- I would take out mentions of how you couldn't find or obtain the types of experiences you were looking for. It seems like you've had some pretty relevant experiences so you want to focus on the positive! I think it's good to mention that you went out of your way to get research experience because your school was small but I'd leave it to one sentence maximum.  
- I would also describe your honors thesis in a little more detail and take out some of the procedural stuff like doing stats in SPSS and IRB stuff. I think if you give a quick few sentences about your project and findings, it is just assumed that you are able to do those things. I was told to include some details about the findings of my projects when I was doing my SOP because it shows the POI that your are able to talk about your work clearly and that you understand it.  
-I also think it would be good to connect your research interests with your POIs work a little more explicitly; maybe mention a few specific things they research. I also think it can be good to talk about the topics you're interested in looking into in the future which are different than what you've already done.  
Hope that was helpful! 

I second all of the above! I also found it really helpful (especially if you're trying to choose between programs) to set up a time to talk with the PI again on the phone to talk more in depth about their projects and how you would fit in with them. It also gives you a chance to talk about projects or research topics you'd like to pursue in grad school that you might not have gotten the chance to/thought you shouldn't talk about during the interview day.  
Mentor fit was also super important to me so it was nice to chat with them again in a more casual setting with less pressure. Best of luck! 

I'll be going to the University of Kentucky for clinical psych. Feel free to message me if you're going as well, I'd love to connect with people! 

I'm also struggling with this. I think research/faculty fit is probably the most important thing. I think if you have to sacrifice something, it shouldn't be that. Ultimately it depends on what's most important to you for your quality of life over the next 6 years and beyond. Along with the things you mentioned, I've been told it's important to think about TA workload, overall lab productivity, potential for collaboration, and where your potential PI is in their career (beginning vs end). Its really stressful, but it's a good problem to have! 

I've just done a very nice email and mentioned how hard the decision was and how grateful I was for the opportunity. I thought about doing it over the phone but email is a little more concrete. 

I've worked an RA job for the past few years and I've found that my payment is pretty set and based on the amount allotted for employees in the grant. I do get a yearly raise ( maybe ~ 50 cents an hour, probably less) based on standards set by the university I work at. I have personally never asked for a raise but I have inquired about potential reimbursement for traveling to conferences. This could also be a time to talk with your PI about the kind of things you'd like to work on or get more experience in during the next year. I've heard it looks really good if you stick with a project for a while. It's also easier to get posters/papers that way if that's something you're interested in! 

I've had this experience at two interviews so far and I think you would only get an offer from one or the other. I'm guessing they meet and talk about which lab you would be a better fit for/which lab is most interested in you. I don't think you need to indicate a stronger interest in one of them unless they ask and you do feel really strongly about one vs the other. There is also the possibility that the two POIs are looking to co-mentor someone which they would likely tell you about during the interview! 

I think you are fine to wear whatever tights you have just as long as they aren't a super funky color. Additionally, I would go with the pumps if they aren't too high (just a little more professional looking).  
As for the suit jacket, I've been to a few interviews so far and have seen a mix of both buttoned and unbuttoned (I've always gone unbuttoned). I've also just been wearing whatever winter coat is warmest, which is usually my semi-bulky ankle length coat. I don't think it matters what coat you wear as long as it's clean! 
At the end of the day, I don't think what you wear matters all that much. I have been surprised at the diversity of outfits I've seen. You really can't go wrong with a black suit and a neutral shirt/accessories! 

Unfortunately I think it varies widely from program to program. For the most part though, programs probably won't grill you on how well you know their stuff. Just make sure you can talk about their work and how it relates to your interests. I think professors want to see that you can think critically and have an intelligent discussion about what you're interested in.  They also want to see if you're someone they could get along well with for the next 5 or so years. 
One great tip I've gotten is to bring a small notebook to the interview and write down a list of questions (as many as you can think of) to ask your PI. A big part of interviews is you asking them questions to see if it is a good fit for you as well and I have been told it's totally okay to pull out a list and jot down notes during your interview.  

Unfortunately I think it varies widely from program to program. For the most part though, programs probably won't grill you on how well you know their stuff. Just make sure you can talk about their work and how it relates to your interests. I think professors want to see that you can think critically and have an intelligent discussion about what you're interested in.  They also want to see if you're someone they could get along well with for the next 5 or so years. 
One great tip I've gotten is to bring a small notebook to the interview and write down a list of questions (as many as you can think of) to ask your PI. A big part of interviews is you asking them questions to see if it is a good fit for you as well and I have been told it's totally okay to pull out a list and jot down notes during your interview.  

I just went to my first interview last week and I actually flew in leggings and a sweatshirt and then changed/made myself less gross in the bathroom before I got picked up. Flying just makes me feel really sweaty (plus added interview nerves), so if you have extra time at the airport I'd recommend changing there! 

As silly as it sounds, being yourself and realizing I was invited for a reason calmed me down. It’s nerve wracking for sure, but recognizing that it’s your time to shine (in a non-self-aggrandizing way) oddly helped me enjoy the interview. 
 
Best wishes with it

First, congratulations! Getting invited to interview is a big deal
Second, keep in mind that this interview process is just as important for you as it is for the program. You're trying to assess whether or not the program and your POI are a good fit for you, just as they are trying to assess if you are a good fit for them. I found that keeping things in perspective when I was going through the process was helpful for me because I didn't feel like I was just the lowly prospective student desperately trying to get accepted into any old program. 
Other tips would be to get a good night's rest, pamper yourself a little bit (e.g., if you really like taking baths then take a nice hot bath the night before the interview), and try not to do any last-minute prepping because I find that that usually makes people more stressed out.