EileanDonan

So I've had something peculiar come up. I received an invite that mentioned "two potential mentors" for me, but I only mentioned one of these in my statement. I'm a bit confused at to why they would include the second one then? They're in the same general subfield, but population and focus are different from my interests. I'm honestly not particularly interested in working under them (at least primarily), so I'm not really sure how I should go about incorporating this into my prep? Should I prep as if they were a a serious match for me, so I at least don't seem like I don't care enough about the program generally? Has anyone come across this sort of situation before? ?

It's not necessarily the end of the world! I managed to get a prelim at one of my programs...and I realized after the fact that I left a typo in my statement for that school! Go figure. Just means that they aren't 100% anal and are willing to judge you more holistically. Don't give up yet.

School: Montclair State U Type: PhD Date of invite: 12/18 Type of invite: Email from DCT for formal interview Interview date(s): 2/5 DM for POI: Yes

This is me. My moods are basically "okay to mildly happy" or "I'm never going to school ever again and I need to pick a new career." My poor spouse has to put up with me. ?

Adding another preliminary to the list! I think my heart just about jumped out of my chest. School: University of Georgia Type: Clinical PhD Date of invite: December 10 Type of invite: Email from POI for informal Zoom interview Interview date(s): TBD, next several days DM for POI: Yes

Wow, this is super intense. ? I wouldn't even expect this of a formal interview, much less an informal one.

Thank you for the thoughtful comment, this was my basic assumption as well. I'm certainly not one for nepotism myself (separate from legitimate networking), but I do feel bad for profs who are dealing with such a huge increase in applications and are desperate for a way to whittle things down. I wouldn't be surprised if this year's acceptances largely favored those who were fortunate enough to full-time RA at more prestigious labs this year or had the golden-ticket letter (on top of the usual research fit). Not that I would blame anyone for taking advantage of the opportunities at their disposal of course, but I can certainly relate to those equally competent applicants who simply don't have access to the same resources (e.g. due to financial or familial constraints) and are extremely frustrated at this hyper-selective process. ? It does feel rigged sometimes.

I wonder how prepared we should be for "informal" interviews? Better safe than sorry, but at the same time, wouldn't want to overkill it either. For example, is it sufficient to come in with a basic idea of what you want to study, or is it a good idea to have some potential dissertation topics in mind?...

I heard another thought on this topic today: given the considerable increase in apps and lack of GREs, profs will likely be placing additional emphasis on other ways of filtering out applicants. Given this, is it possible that an applicant's possessing a connection with the given program (e.g. being an alumnus, reference from a resident faculty member) would be seen as a particular plus? Like an additional layer of vetting?

I know we were all expecting an increased amount of apps this year, but it looks like we largely underestimated just how massive the increase would be. I wonder how much of this can be solely attributed to the GRE vs. general pandemic pandemonium? If it's more the former, how likely are we to see these increased amounts become the norm every year? I'm not looking forward to the idea of trudging through this again next year. ?

Are we counting preliminary Zoom chats here? EDIT: Feels too soon to make an official post, but I literally just heard from a prof at one of my "safety" schools about setting up a Zoom meet (not the official one I think)! I guess I should amend my earlier statement about PI's likely not issuing invites yet. I think it's fair game for some POI's to reach out for an early feel.

Is anyone here applying with a BA from a small college (SLAC, not R1/R2, etc)? I did, and I'm worried this sort of thing will be used (unfairly) as an easy excuse to weed out applicants, especially this year.

Yikes, he's only now figuring this out? Is he trying to say "nevermind" or just that this is his last year taking a student? I've been starting to think of next year a bit too. I think there's a possibility it might have to be my final year trying...I'm planning on going all out and applying to as many as possible. I'm a bit nervous about how COVID will impact next year too. ?

Hard to say this time around, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they start trickling in a few weeks (especially for the 11/15 deadlines). I don't expect much before the semester is over, but who knows?

Seconding all of this, trying to get back into a mindset of actually engaging with hobbies again!

Did anyone else apply without an honor's thesis? I was going to do one, but I had to graduate a semester early for financial reasons. Sometimes I wonder if I should have mentioned it in my SOP...

I was also advisor focused, but a few of my schools offer a forensic track, which I'll be opting into.

Wow that is early. That doesn't necessarily give people much time to sufficiently prepare between holidays, work, and finals.

Oof, I hadn't though of that. I'm not aware of my local university doing so, let's hope its not a trend.

Don't worry, you guys aren't alone there! I do wonder about the likelihood of interviews going out later given the increased number of apps?

Ha, thanks. ? Can't say I was really surprised, but still!... Generally, I expect POI's are going to have the pick of the litter this year, and I'd be willing to bet that next year is going to see an increase in applications as well. COVID pushes some to apply sooner, while it pushes others to wait an extra year. I think it will be a while until things equalize. I just hope I don't end up needing to pick a back-up career. ?

Nooooooo I applied to him ? RIP my dreams.

Do you think it's necessarily bad to have applied to a new faculty member who's freshly graduated? As far as I can tell it looks like this cycle will be their first for taking a student. On the plus side, their old advisor is well-respected in my niche and someone I would have applied to myself had they been accepting this cycle.

Are add comms likely to look down on me if I took a 2-credit elective course pass/fail during my last semester?

I would also be careful about the format of Zoom interviews, especially group sessions, which are especially exhausting. Less is more there! I like the idea of meeting with grad students, but I believe that one-at-a-time enables more focused conversation. Basically, I want to be thinking about the interview itself and not be distracted by its format, particularly given what's at stake. I also support some means of virtually touring the department and other relevant areas! I'd like to have a more concrete idea of where I'll potentially be spending the next 5+ years.