PhD Psychology Recruitment Event?

[Jessica2020]

Hello everyone!

I just received an email from my potential supervisor and from the graduate admissions (University of Toronto) telling me that I have been invited to their recruitment events. They also congratulated me for this invitation.

Has any one of you been to a PhD recruitment event? I dont understand if that means I am accepted or not. Does someone have an idea of what is the purpose of this event and if this is a very good sign?

Thank you

[Jessica2020]

1 minute ago, Jessica2020 said:

Hello everyone!

I just received an email from my potential supervisor and from the graduate admissions (University of Toronto) telling me that I have been invited to their recruitment events. They also congratulated me for this invitation.

Has any one of you been to a PhD recruitment event? I dont understand if that means I am accepted or not. Does someone have an idea of what is the purpose of this event and if this is a very good sign?

Thank you

Recruitment Event

[alina6280]

wondering that as well!

[philoquant]

On 1/24/2021 at 11:46 AM, Jessica2020 said:

Hello everyone!

I just received an email from my potential supervisor and from the graduate admissions (University of Toronto) telling me that I have been invited to their recruitment events. They also congratulated me for this invitation.

Has any one of you been to a PhD recruitment event? I dont understand if that means I am accepted or not. Does someone have an idea of what is the purpose of this event and if this is a very good sign?

Thank you

I was invited to a recruitment event as well. In my case, I take it to mean interview day.

[alina6280]

Have you received the schedule?

[alina6280]

1 hour ago, philoquant said:

I was invited to a recruitment event as well. In my case, I take it to mean interview day.

Heve you received the schedule

[philoquant]

2 minutes ago, alina6280 said:

Heve you received the schedule

I haven't but when I did my informal interview my potential PI told me the next step is an all day interview. So that's why I think it's an interview day not something for admitted students.

[alina6280]

1 minute ago, philoquant said:

I haven't but when I did my informal interview my potential PI told me the next step is an all day interview. So that's why I think it's an interview day not something for admitted students.

oh I see, mine is on 28-29, just received the schedule today

[Jessica2020]

Mine is also on the 28th and 29th of January. I received the full schedule. There will be icebreaker activites, and I will also be able to speak with the faculty, grad students, and post docs. They will also make a virtual tour of the neuroimaging techniques that they use in their research center so that I become familiar with the work they do. 
 

So, I don’t know if this is an interview or more like they are advertising me to join their University!?

[alina6280]

2 hours ago, Jessica2020 said:

Mine is also on the 28th and 29th of January. I received the full schedule. There will be icebreaker activites, and I will also be able to speak with the faculty, grad students, and post docs. They will also make a virtual tour of the neuroimaging techniques that they use in their research center so that I become familiar with the work they do. 
 

So, I don’t know if this is an interview or more like they are advertising me to join their University!?

mine is similar as yours. But mine is more like a formal interview, because I need to meet soooo many profs and current grad students.... also wondering how many ppl are participating the recruitment event and how many offers are they planning to give. Btw, did you receive any possible question for the interview?

[Jessica2020]

How did you know that it is a formal interview? Did they tell you?

I will be meeting the faculty, students, and staff as well. I think we will find out the number of participants when the event starts. As for the University of Toronto, they will only send out 5 offers to international students like me. So it is very competitive. But I think being invited to this event means that they are giving attention to our applications right?

No, I did not receive any possible question because they did not mention to me (word by word) that this is a formal interview. They just said: Congratulations! You have been invited by this professor!

Which University’s recruitment event are you attending and what program?

[alina6280]

2 hours ago, Jessica2020 said:

How did you know that it is a formal interview? Did they tell you?

I will be meeting the faculty, students, and staff as well. I think we will find out the number of participants when the event starts. As for the University of Toronto, they will only send out 5 offers to international students like me. So it is very competitive. But I think being invited to this event means that they are giving attention to our applications right?

No, I did not receive any possible question because they did not mention to me (word by word) that this is a formal interview. They just said: Congratulations! You have been invited by this professor!

Which University’s recruitment event are you attending and what program?

UofT experimental psych PhD. They didn't tell me it is a formal interview, I am just assuming that. Doesn't the full schedule look like a formal interview? LOL, I am international student as well!

[SocDevMum]

On 1/24/2021 at 11:46 AM, Jessica2020 said:

Hello everyone!

I just received an email from my potential supervisor and from the graduate admissions (University of Toronto) telling me that I have been invited to their recruitment events. They also congratulated me for this invitation.

Has any one of you been to a PhD recruitment event? I dont understand if that means I am accepted or not. Does someone have an idea of what is the purpose of this event and if this is a very good sign?

Thank you

Recruitment events are typically for candidates that they would like to offer admission to - they use the day to better ascertain personality and fit. It is also their opportunity to show off the lab and campus and lure you to say yes when the offer is extended.  You should absolutely still prepare as if it is a formal interview, you will be speaking with grad students and faculty beyond your potential PI, but go in confident - universities don't typically invite candidates they don't anticipate offering a spot to, to recruitment days. Present yourself well, be prepared with good questions and thoughtful answers, and enjoy the time!

[PokePsych]

21 hours ago, Randi S said:

Recruitment events are typically for candidates that they would like to offer admission to - they use the day to better ascertain personality and fit. It is also their opportunity to show off the lab and campus and lure you to say yes when the offer is extended.  You should absolutely still prepare as if it is a formal interview, you will be speaking with grad students and faculty beyond your potential PI, but go in confident - universities don't typically invite candidates they don't anticipate offering a spot to, to recruitment days. Present yourself well, be prepared with good questions and thoughtful answers, and enjoy the time!

It depends a bit - I've def seen people been rejected AFTER recruitment events for various reasons. Sometimes a PI may invite two candidates between who they are deciding. Some people may give off inherently bad vibes (dont sexually harass people - that happened. you will  not get in)

 

Our recruitment days this year has 13 people for 6 spots  

[SocDevMum]

7 minutes ago, PokePsych said:

It depends a bit - I've def seen people been rejected AFTER recruitment events for various reasons. Sometimes a PI may invite two candidates between who they are deciding. Some people may give off inherently bad vibes (dont sexually harass people - that happened. you will  not get in)

Very true - an invitation is not a guarantee, I apologize if it came across that way. However, it IS a strong indicator of which way they are leaning.  As a mentor explained to me, a recruitment event is more for luring you, whereas an interview event is for luring them.... either way, if you act like you aren't interested, haven't done your homework or aren't the match they thought you were, you don't get an offer.  Preparation is essentially the same, I think

[pizzarollgotbusted]

48 minutes ago, PokePsych said:

It depends a bit - I've def seen people been rejected AFTER recruitment events for various reasons. Sometimes a PI may invite two candidates between who they are deciding. Some people may give off inherently bad vibes (dont sexually harass people - that happened. you will  not get in)

 

Our recruitment days this year has 13 people for 6 spots  

 

 

only 6 will get offered admission out of 13!! It is so scary... I attended a few interviews and met prospective students applying to be in the same lab as me. So it basically means it is either me or them...  

I am curious, do you know if programs invite more to formal interviews/recruitment events this year because it is all remote, and the cost of inviting more people is a lot less than flying them over? And as a result more people than before would be denied admission even if they were invited to the formal interviews?

 

 

[PokePsych]

6 minutes ago, pizzarollgotbusted said:

 

 

only 6 will get offered admission out of 13!! It is so scary... I attended a few interviews and met prospective students applying to be in the same lab as me. So it basically means it is either me or them...  

I am curious, do you know if programs invite more to formal interviews/recruitment events this year because it is all remote, and the cost of inviting more people is a lot less than flying them over? And as a result more people than before would be denied admission even if they were invited to the formal interviews?

 

 

I know one of my RAs was in an interview with 8 others for one positions - so seems likely!

[AReelExpert]

On 1/27/2021 at 12:36 PM, PokePsych said:

It depends a bit - I've def seen people been rejected AFTER recruitment events for various reasons. Sometimes a PI may invite two candidates between who they are deciding. Some people may give off inherently bad vibes (dont sexually harass people - that happened. you will  not get in)

 

Our recruitment days this year has 13 people for 6 spots  

What would help someone stand out or be among the 6 spots of the 13? My PI has essentially told me there are 2 other people that want to work in his lab that are attending the event and I wonder what could be some good questions or things to bring to the table that would help me shine? I feel like I asked him almost everything I wanted to know during our two interviews.

[PokePsych]

3 hours ago, AReelExpert said:

What would help someone stand out or be among the 6 spots of the 13? My PI has essentially told me there are 2 other people that want to work in his lab that are attending the event and I wonder what could be some good questions or things to bring to the table that would help me shine? I feel like I asked him almost everything I wanted to know during our two interviews.

have a clear idea of your research + how it relates to the PI in a way that gets them excited? Other than that not much - they'll likely already know who is their first choice