pgt2018

i'm sort of in the same boat with you. i've gotten accepted to one of my top choices but i've decided to still go to all my interviews. reason being (1) as @Psyhopeful said, you never know if this school is going to be a better environment or a better fit. it's good to keep an open mind. (2) visiting other schools may bring up questions or things that you never thought of before for e.g. what if the second school is able to offer you an amazing funding package or has this resource that you never thought existed before? that knowledge can also help you later on, when you decide on things to consider for your post-doc (3) networking opportunity!! you will have a chance to meet with renowned faculty in your field and that in itself is an opportunity you should never pass up. you are also going to meet fellow prospectives that you can network and learn from - these are people that later on you will meet at conferences anyway so its good to start your networking from now!

I would agree that connections play a large role in the application process. I know of (many) successful applicants in the past/current cycle who did not have 20 pubs, subpar GPAs, etc, but have given their soul to well-established POIs in the field for the past however many years prior to applying. i think ultimately as a POI, it is very difficult to pick a grad student from hundreds of deeply committed/passionate and, if I may say, overqualified candidates. Even if someone looks AMAZING on paper and the credentials are second to none, he/she may still be a psychopath who you won't want to deal with for the next 5 years. So ultimately you fall on the LOR assessments and if that LOR writer is someone that you already know and whose opinion you deeply respect, then clearly you are more likely to judge this candidate favorably.

I’ve received several invitations to interview/recruitment weekends and wondering if I should ask specific questions about the interview day itself e.g. who I’ll be meeting (other than your POI), interview format, what I should expect to present / talk about, etc. Most schools have an admin person taking care of interview weekend, but one school in particular has their grad students handle interview wknd. Most of the info they send out seems to be very generic so I want to get more details for prep.

same here (if you dont mind PMing me)!! i've been waiting to hear from them as well...congrats!!!

anyone heard from michigan or minnesota ICD yet?

is it considered poor form to contact POI or grad admission department to check on your application status if you haven't heard from them? I'm wondering if my application got missed somehow.

Thanks for sharing, that’s helpful. It definitely gave me a peace of mind so now I can focus on the invites I’ve already received. It does sting though, especially after I had (what I thought was) a very good discussion with the POI prior to application. I really wish this process would allow for feedback so we know what we could improve on and have it be a learning experience.

is it safe to assume that i won't be receiving an interview invite from UCLA at this point? seems that many of the developmental POIs have extended their interview invitations (and i heard elsewhere that the committee had voted on who to invite). i dont know if i should still holding on to hope or start setting my expectation elsewhere...

hey guys, joining the conversation. my top choice just extended an invitation but i have already committed to another school that i am also considering (preliminary - accepted 2 days ago; no tickets purchased yet). will it hurt my chances if i ask to reschedule for my top choice school?

Well at least we know the apps have trickled down to the PIs. Have you heard anything re: Minnesota? And that UCLA post in the results page really freaked me out, I wonder if that’s an official interview notice (because I haven’t heard anything from them at all since my Skype call with POI pre-app).

lol that's so bizarre. so are you STILL going to have a call with that POI who texted you?? is this a standard practice? what if you didnt have a texting plan? i have so many questions! lol

i just thought of a better/more interesting way to conceptualize my personal statement(s) but it's too late because everything has been submitted!! UGH. i wish i never thought of it.

Got my first email for a Skype interview today!!! It was so unexpected (It hasn’t even crossed my mind today). Any advice on how to prep? Ive spoken to many POIs prior to application but I feel a little more nervous now because I get the impression that this is a bit more official.

tomorrow is Friday though! so im holding on hope...

did all of you speak to POIs prior to applying? i spoke to several POIs either over the phone/skype and i dont know if its common for them to ask for another phone/skype call before making a decision. i'm nervous as other people are already getting notice for an interview...