Post acceptance interview

[finalcountdown]

Few days ago, I received an email from Colorado, Boulder stating I had been accepted to the PhD Programme. Now, I have a skype interaction scheduled with the professor who sent that email. I have not yet accepted the offer, but have no clue what the talk will be about. Does any one know what could possibly be asked?

Should I just read my SOP and CV again and be thorough about my research interests?

[newms]

Congratulations on your acceptance!

Should I just read my SOP and CV again and be thorough about my research interests?

That would be a good idea. Is this prof your potential advisor? If so, I'd imagine that he or she would want to talk with you about where you would fit in the department, maybe give you advice on what you should do if you were to accept and possibly try to convince you to come to Boulder. It could even be a getting to know you kind of 'interview'.

Edited February 8, 2011 by newms

[Ruiqi]

May I ask which program in CU-boulder?

Thanks.

[neuropsychosocial]

Does any one know what could possibly be asked?

Have you been offered a specific assistantship position? I notice that you're an international student and I wonder if the department might be trying to evaluate your spoken English before offering you a position as a TA (just a guess). They may also be trying to sell you their program, hoping to convince you to attend, if you can't visit in person. I have a post-acceptance visit coming up and I plan to prepare the same way that I did for my pre-acceptance interview, re-reading my SOP, several recent papers by the POI, and brushing up on the terminology of our area, but with less stress!

[Eigen]

It's probably a combination of seeing your fit for research interests and trying to convince you to come to school there, I'd imagine.

Everything I had post-acceptance was mostly the school courting me, with a mix of me trying to court the two prof's I was most interested in working for.

Edited February 8, 2011 by Eigen

[finalcountdown]

journalism and mass communication

May I ask which program in CU-boulder?

Thanks.

[finalcountdown]

Thanks newms Yes, this prof is a potential advisor. Like you, I'm starting to think this may be the getting to know you interview. Still, I'll make sure I'm armed with all info on everything

Interviews make me nervous, but don't mind the part about convincing to come to Boulder

Congratulations on your acceptance!

That would be a good idea. Is this prof your potential advisor? If so, I'd imagine that he or she would want to talk with you about where you would fit in the department, maybe give you advice on what you should do if you were to accept and possibly try to convince you to come to Boulder. It could even be a getting to know you kind of 'interview'.

[Purled]

This is the (one of several) part(s) that I find terrifying - the courtship aspect. I tend to kind of fall apart in interview situations, or just generally when social subtlety is called for, so I'm dreading the next step in what is already a difficult and trying process.

It's probably a combination of seeing your fit for research interests and trying to convince you to come to school there, I'd imagine.

Everything I had post-acceptance was mostly the school courting me, with a mix of me trying to court the two prof's I was most interested in working for.

[finalcountdown]

You have a point there. I have been offered an assistantship position. Also, Indian English can be atrocious at times, so i dont blame the profs. Besides, I've always wondered how universities accept international students without checking whether it was actually them who wrote the SOPs and writing samples. Thx for brainstorming and good luck for your visit!

Have you been offered a specific assistantship position? I notice that you're an international student and I wonder if the department might be trying to evaluate your spoken English before offering you a position as a TA (just a guess). They may also be trying to sell you their program, hoping to convince you to attend, if you can't visit in person. I have a post-acceptance visit coming up and I plan to prepare the same way that I did for my pre-acceptance interview, re-reading my SOP, several recent papers by the POI, and brushing up on the terminology of our area, but with less stress!

[adinutzyc]

Prepare some good questions to ask them!

My interview today (sort of post admission, because I wasn't offered admission officially yet, but was assured I was in) consisted of the Chair of the program (Comp Sci) telling me how great the program is, and of me asking (hopefully pertinent) questions that would help me decide whether I want to go there or not. No question about anything else (well, he did ask me a question about my main field of interest, and about what other programs I've applied to).

Thinking that you're international, and probably unable to attend any grad-student acceptance weekend, maybe he wants to do his best to impress you (while also gauging your ability to speak and comprehend English). Although, I am holding my decision until after I have been to those weekends (I am international too, but I went to college in the US).

[finalcountdown]

Hi all,

So I did have my interview and like most of the people pointed out here, it was mostly a get-me-familiar-with-Colorado talk. I guess the professor wanted to tell me the pluses since I wouldnt be able to visit the place before the term starts. However, he did sneak in a question here and there about why I wanted to do a PhD and my film interests. Overall, it was very reassuring with the prof offering to even pay for my tickets to Colorado in August!!

Thank you everybody for all the suggestions. It really helped get over some of the anxiousness and prepare for the unknown...