ItPhBeLikeThatSometimes

I know this happened last year in March at my undergrad institution. The PI is really well respected, it just didn't work out with any of the people they interviewed.

First of all, congrats on your interview! I HATE interviews and was a nervous wreck applying to lab manager jobs last year. It turned out that I actually enjoyed the PI interviews more than speaking with the current lab managers & grad students. Usually the students/managers asked more typical "job" questions, e.g. "what are your weaknesses, give an example of a conflict you've had to handle..." which I find to be a nightmare. With PIs, it was always just a conversation about research that flowed really naturally. Have a spiel prepared about a project you've been working on (ideally one that you were involved in designing), explain it clearly and in moderate detail, the professor will ask you questions about it, and it'll go by super quickly! Keep in mind that they are not familiar with the specific work you've done, so they are not testing you on content knowledge - they are asking questions out of sincere interest, and they mainly want to see that you're able to talk about research. One question that tripped me up in a PI interview was "what is your favorite part of doing research?" This should be an easy question to answer if you think about it beforehand, but I was caught off guard and said something really stupid. So basically, just do some self-reflection beforehand and be prepared to answer any questions about your research interests, why you want the job, why you liked the department when you interned there. And ask the professor a few questions. Just relax (easier said than done) and don't worry about sounding "smart!"

Don't write off Philadelphia completely! I'm not sure exactly what "outdoorsy" things you're into, but Philly has beautiful parks and hiking trails, is within driving distance of the Poconos, and a train ride away from the beach. Philly also has more of a cozy, small town feel than larger cities like New York or Chicago. I'm in a similar situation (but opposite: I love northeastern cities and will probably go to school in a smaller town the deep south), so I get it, but if you think LaSalle offers a better education, it might be worth going into with an open mind. Disclaimer: I'm a south Jersey native who did undergrad in philly, so I'm biased

LOL you're right, I truly suck. Honestly though if he's gonna put it out there in public with his name on it that's on him...it's not like he can ever bring it up if he finds out I posted this

wait how did you even find out who it was??? I'm horrified rn

YEAH and what makes it worse is that he tried to ask me about super hero movies as small talk during the visit and I hated them even before I found his weird library

alright so I posted this in another thread and got no replies. Hoping someone here will have sagacious advice for me. I'm lucky to have two great programs to choose from, but I feel like I could very easily fuck this up and regret it for the rest of my life. Here are the highlights: Program 1 pros: slightly better research fit, overall "fit" (whatever that is) felt best during visit weekend, PI is brand new faculty so super motivated to be productive & has a flexible mentoring style, other faculty in the same area are super warm and supportive, and have already expressed interest in collaborating, PI made another offer to an interviewee who I liked a lot, and we would be his only 2 students Program 1 cons: lower stipend, extra course fees & health insurance are not fully subsidized, location not ideal, also...I accidentally found the PI's pinterest board of super hero erotica, so that's a thing I'll never un-see. Program 2 pros: highly ranked, high stipend & full health insurance coverage, experienced PI who is adored by current and former students (and friends with my undergrad mentors, which adds pressure), has a large grant project wrapping that would be mine to take over, great location Program 2 cons: research fit slightly weaker than program 1, vibe during visit weekend was less than stellar for reasons I can't put my finger on For some reason, I'm really leaning toward program 1, but I feel like on paper program 2 is the clear better choice. Do you think I'd be crazy to take a chance on the less prestigious school that is paying me less to work with a less experienced PI in a city I'm not drawn to?

Alright y'all, I'm in a serious pickle. I'm lucky to have two great psych PhD programs to choose from, but I feel like I could very easily fuck this up and regret it for the rest of my life. Any insight would be appreciated. Program 1 profile: Elite private school in a cool city. Relatively well-known PI who is friendly with my undergrad advisors. PI's current and previous students have nothing but great things to say, and I think her mentorship style is a good fit. Female PI (my general preference) who seems super nurturing and has already expressed interest in my personal life. Super small lab. PI has a longitudinal project wrapping up this summer that would be all mine to analyze & write up. Flashy stipend. Visit weekend was super disappointing (barely had a chance to talk to any grad students, was forced to talk to several unenthusiastic, uninformative faculty, felt like the school thought they were too fancy to have to try to impress us). Program 2 profile: Large state school in a not-so-cool "city." PI is newly hired, so I'd be their first grad student. I originally applied to a different PI and was deferred to this one, but it turned out to be a good fit. Male PI who said he would "not ask me about my personal life," but that I could always "pop in to talk" (not sure how to interpret this). The PI I did apply to is lovely and made it clear that she'd be happy to collaborate on projects, and that her senior students would be there to support me. Good stipend; lower than program 1 but livable and I got a small extra scholarship. Visit weekend blew me away. The program head made it her personal mission for us to love it there. Our schedules were thoughtfully planned: only a few interviews with faculty whose interests overlapped with ours, lots of time alone with current students, and scheduled in breaks. I actually think I prefer the more down-to-earth vibe at the state school -- but will I regret not choosing the more elite program down the line? I feel like I'm lucky to have been accepted there and would be crazy to turn it down. I also like the idea of being someone's first grad student, rather than being taken on by someone who is probably set in their ways...but that's also a huge risk, since no one can tell me what they're like as a mentor. Both PIs were actually trained by the same person, so they're pretty close research-wise. Is feeling vaguely better about school 2 a valid reason to turn down school 1, which admittedly looks better on paper?

Sending good energy your way!!

Anotha one!! School: Florida State Concentration: Developmental Type: PhD Date: 2/11 Notified by: email from PI happy #WomenInScience Day!

Is it appropriate to ask a PI who accepted me (yay!) whether they made any other offers? They currently don't have any students, so knowing who else (or at least how many others) I might end up working with will play into my decision. My current PI and the grad students in our lab actually encouraged me to ask this, but I'm not quite sure how to word it. I don't want to come off as if I'm asking because I want reassurance that I'm special and the only one they picked or something, ya know?

I just got a schedule with SEVEN faculty interviews and a grad student one-on-one. What in tarnation. I'm exhausted in advance

Update, in case anyone is having similar anxieties: They pretty much just said "We've already talked about research, so do you have any questions for me?" and I pulled out my notebook list of questions like a fuckin dweeb (hopefully having a list didn't hurt me...I just knew I would forget to ask something important) and the first question I asked turned into a free-flowing, actually enjoyable conversation. I *hate* interviews and it was a genuine pleasure. Have fun and good luck yall!!

I interviewed at what I *thought* was my last-choice program this week and fell in love!! I'm obsessed! But i also hate making decisions so i'm kind of hoping (if i get an offer here) that i hate visiting my first-choice next week...

What should I expect from a 45 minute in-person interview with the faculty I already skyped with in December? I.e., since we already discussed both of our research interests, mentor/mentee style fit, etc., will the in-person interview be redundant? Or will it be more casual...or will they expect me to have grown impeccably in the two months since we last spoke and completely blow them away with new information?? My interview is in two days and I'm just now starting to worry about this HELP