jonathan

Hi, that was me. Actually, it was by phone -- I selected "email" by accident. No, I was not interviewed prior to being offered admission. I have no idea what the norm is, though.

To paraphrase what my professors seem to think (many opinions jumbled together, and I have not double-checked this for accuracy ...): Stanford will take care of all its students. They focus on small research groups. Output is well-researched and well-written, but not necessarily interesting. Berkeley does not have as much money. Some of my advisors are concerned about its recent track record as to placements. Everyone seems to agree it is a very interesting and eclectic place (academically as well as living). Either school on your C.V. will pretty much guarantee it read. On another note... similar problem, different combination of schools. I am looking forward to visiting, though. Five years of my life... I plan on visiting before making a decision. Also, it's a tough call as to where I'll best reinforce my abilities. Oh, and of course Berkeley and UCLA had to pick overlapping visiting weekends...

Having been very involved with my department as an undergraduate (at a relatively large public liberal arts college), I have some idea of what happens in the hiring process. My professors may have afforded me a rare opportunity, as I am not sure many students have the experience of interviewing Ph.D.'s seeking to be hired as a professor. I will try to share some of the key lessons I learned, although I will have to be somewhat generic as a matter of courtesy, and out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved. (a) While sometimes faculty are sought because funding exists for a particular field, one might actually be well advised to choose a field for idealistic reasons. It should come across that you truly care about your research. Not only should you be able to answer for why your research is of social significance, but also for why it is significant on a personal level. Passion counts. ( Be careful not to get bogged down in your own research. Your advisors may do you a disservice if you or they are preaching to the choir. Anticipate questions from faculty not particularly interested in your area. You may not always agree with contrarian advice, but advice from those with an ideology antithetical to your own can help as not only will you improve your paper, clarifying and improving your arguments, but you will be ready when questions inevitably come up during your presentation in front of a hiring committee. © Do something interesting. Take risks. Even the most highly awarded individuals, by playing it safe, can do surprisingly bad when presenting their research. A novel idea can be more attractive than a well-written, well-researched dissertation. Just be sure that you know your stuff, methodologically. (d) Do not coast. A paper of convenience might be okay, but a dissertation...

I wonder about anxiety conducting interviews. E.g., having been accepted, and now the shoe being on the other foot. In the case of emails, these can be thought out thoroughly, as time can be taken between each message. Having been given a personal phone number and invited to call, one might wonder about a number of issues, including: - How enthusiastically to present oneself - What questions to ask (to sound informed as well as how best to learn to whether one fits well with a graduate program) - How and when to end the conversation (I thought about adding this to the "Interviews" thread, but I think these are fairly distinct issues.)