How are Applications, Getting Ready to Start, Etc Going for Everyone?

[pomegranateleaves]

5 minutes ago, phdhopeful96 said:

My last recommender got her letters in! I finally feel like I can breathe. 

Until tomorrow when I inevitably begin checking for status updates every hour?

How's everyone else doing?

Oh my god thats so real. All my apps are submitted and my last letter was uploaded yesterday. It's funny- we can sit back and relax now, so it should be less stressful since apps are done. But, now I'm just more anxious than before (although excited at the same time)

[TheCatLady]

I've been needing to start working on my applications, but every time I think about it, I get stressed out. I applied last year, so I have some materials to work from. My problem right now is my statement of purpose. The one I wrote last year is decent, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I always find it difficult to write about myself, so I think that's my main issue. A few of the schools I'm applying to also require a writing sample and I have no idea what to submit for that. 

I'll be glad when this whole process is over. 

[EileanDonan]

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?...

[pomegranateleaves]

Just now, EileanDonan said:

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?...

You shouldn't need to be ready to describe anything you would like to do for your dissertation just yet because your ideas will most likely change in a doc program. However, you should definitely have a basic idea of what you're interested in and some ideas ready for potential studies. You will probably get some questions asking you to describe a study you would like to do, why, and how. Just make sure that the studies you talk about are something that you and the person you're interviewing with can do together in the lab - if you start talking about MRI scans and the person you're inteviewing with studies social stigma, and the lab doesn't have access to MRI machinery or the funds to do that, they might see that as an incompatibility.

[phdhopeful96]

7 minutes ago, EileanDonan said:

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 agree with @pomegranateleaves! I did a few informal Zoom interviews before applying just so PI's could put a face with a name when it came time to reviewing my apps. Most of these were super casual, just trying to get an idea of my experiences and what I want to do with those as a doctoral student. The PI's also told me about their upcoming projects (which was super helpful in ascertaining if their research is still going in a direction you want to pursue). A good question to ask is the role of a grad student when they first join the lab (do they jump right in to their own project, begin work on the PI's current projects, or analysis with an old data set?). That can give you an idea of what you might be doing as a student in that program!

Remember, as much as it might not seem like it - these interviews are just as much about you determining fit as them! 

[justacigar]

I hate how non-logical my brain gets around this time of year. I *know* the earliest I should be hearing back from the programs I applied to is December 15th, yet I still find myself refreshing my email and the results page of GradCafe multiple times a day, just in case. SUPER annoying, brain. 

I also keep double checking my materials and swing between feeling like my statements are utterly inadequate, and feeling like I did everything I absolutely could to show my scientific interests and lab fit. ?‍♀️

[PsychApplicant2]

Just now, justacigar said:

I hate how non-logical my brain gets around this time of year. I *know* the earliest I should be hearing back from the programs I applied to is December 15th, yet I still find myself refreshing my email and the results page of GradCafe multiple times a day, just in case. SUPER annoying, brain. 

I also keep double checking my materials and swing between feeling like my statements are utterly inadequate, and feeling like I did everything I absolutely could to show my scientific interests and lab fit. ?‍♀️

I don't think it's a bad thing to keep checking!! Some PI's are reaching out to students early for a pre-interview or just to chat. Keep checking, but don't be stressed! You got this ❤️ 

[SocDevMum]

7 hours ago, EileanDonan said:

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 would say be prepared mentally for an informal interview in the same way you would a formal one. Have a practiced 30 second bit about yourself, and a couple fleshed out ideas of not just what you want to research, AND how that blends well with the existing focus of the lab you are applying to. My now-PI did ask if I had a general idea what my diss might look like, in the context of my long term goals, so be prepared with some kind of answer for that. More importantly, have good questions ready for them! Ask what their expectations are for first-year students, what possible projects are on the horizon, and get to know what their personal philosophies are like. This may help you make some decisions down the road when you have multiple offers to consider!

[631055224233145]

I have done two informal interviews with one POI and I came super prepared. They asked me to present at their lab meeting about research I have done in the past, and then asked me a lot of questions. I had like a 30 slide powerpoint with figures and examples of tasks just in case. They definitely weren't expecting that, but it is always better to be more prepared. 

The second informal interview was primarily making sure our work flow would match up and then the POI pitched me various studies that she could see me working on and how she pictures the trajectory to be specifically for me. 

[EileanDonan]

5 minutes ago, 631055224233145 said:

I have done two informal interviews with one POI and I came super prepared. They asked me to present at their lab meeting about research I have done in the past, and then asked me a lot of questions. I had like a 30 slide powerpoint with figures and examples of tasks just in case. They definitely weren't expecting that, but it is always better to be more prepared.

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