Biochem Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 What a day.. a rejection from UIUC Biophysics and an Interview invitation from OHIO OSBP.
Laggs0 Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 The deadline for responding to interview invites for Stanford biophysics is Jan 31, so I would assume rejections/another round of invites would go out before that time. Still no word on Berkeley/UCSF BioEng or Harvard Biophysics?
mrmolecularbiology Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 The deadline for responding to interview invites for Stanford biophysics is Jan 31, so I would assume rejections/another round of invites would go out before that time. Still no word on Berkeley/UCSF BioEng or Harvard Biophysics? Did you get a call/email from stanford or just a letter in the mail?
mrmolecularbiology Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 After consulting with my boss and other professors it seems asking me to buy my own plane ticket was a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks and I shouldn't waste my time. So it seems I must decline my invitation from UW-madison.
RaganSmash Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) Still no word on Berkeley/UCSF BioEng or Harvard Biophysics? Nope. Should be this week or next though. Historically they've sent interview invitations around 1/20 (according to Grad Cafe results), but the website just says "late January." It could be as late as next Thursday. >.< Edited January 23, 2013 by RaganSmash
RaganSmash Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 After consulting with my boss and other professors it seems asking me to buy my own plane ticket was a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks and I shouldn't waste my time. So it seems I must decline my invitation from UW-madison. Jerks.
BCELL23 Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 After consulting with my boss and other professors it seems asking me to buy my own plane ticket was a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks and I shouldn't waste my time. So it seems I must decline my invitation from UW-madison.
iowaguy Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 After consulting with my boss and other professors it seems asking me to buy my own plane ticket was a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks and I shouldn't waste my time. So it seems I must decline my invitation from UW-madison. I think you telling them you had a conflict with their interview weekend showed that you already had an interview lined up with a higher-choice school (which was obviously true). Why should they spend money to bring a candidate up to interview who likely wouldn't accept their offer anyway? If they were indeed your top choice (and you were just being polite in not wanting to cancel an existing interview acceptance), then you would obviously pay out-of-pocket to come up and interview. I think it's just them being rational and trying to spend their $$$ on candidates with the highest chance of accepting an offer, no?
flat_rhino Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I think you telling them you had a conflict with their interview weekend showed that you already had an interview lined up with a higher-choice school (which was obviously true). Why should they spend money to bring a candidate up to interview who likely wouldn't accept their offer anyway? If they were indeed your top choice (and you were just being polite in not wanting to cancel an existing interview acceptance), then you would obviously pay out-of-pocket to come up and interview. I think it's just them being rational and trying to spend their $$$ on candidates with the highest chance of accepting an offer, no? This guy is right.
RaganSmash Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) I think you telling them you had a conflict with their interview weekend showed that you already had an interview lined up with a higher-choice school (which was obviously true). Why should they spend money to bring a candidate up to interview who likely wouldn't accept their offer anyway? If they were indeed your top choice (and you were just being polite in not wanting to cancel an existing interview acceptance), then you would obviously pay out-of-pocket to come up and interview. I think it's just them being rational and trying to spend their $$$ on candidates with the highest chance of accepting an offer, no? If someone has already given their word they would go to one interview weekend, I think it's more rude to cancel on the first offer. He should not be in a position requiring him to limit his options right now, because he doesn't hold any cards. You stick to your commitments. Edited January 23, 2013 by RaganSmash ion_exchanger, mrmolecularbiology and bamafan 3
ion_exchanger Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 The deadline for responding to interview invites for Stanford biophysics is Jan 31, so I would assume rejections/another round of invites would go out before that time. Still no word on Berkeley/UCSF BioEng or Harvard Biophysics? Hey, were you at the UPenn interview weekend this past weekend?
ion_exchanger Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 If someone has already given their word they would go to one interview weekend, I think it's more rude to cancel on the first offer. He should not be in a position requiring him to limit his options right now, because he doesn't hold any cards. You stick to your commitments. Have to agree with you there. If they were the school who had already shelled out the money to fly someone out, only to have them cancel for another school, they would be pissed. bamafan and mrmolecularbiology 2
mrmolecularbiology Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I think you telling them you had a conflict with their interview weekend showed that you already had an interview lined up with a higher-choice school (which was obviously true). Why should they spend money to bring a candidate up to interview who likely wouldn't accept their offer anyway? If they were indeed your top choice (and you were just being polite in not wanting to cancel an existing interview acceptance), then you would obviously pay out-of-pocket to come up and interview. I think it's just them being rational and trying to spend their $$$ on candidates with the highest chance of accepting an offer, no? If i was actually a top choice for recruitment to UW-madison they would have made every effort to be accommodating. When duke called to invite me to interview I was told they would bring me on any weekend that was convient for me if I could not make the scheduled weekend. Since they showed so much interest I would be foolish to ask them to reschedule after they have already booked tickets for me. I suppose Its simply part of the process but I was hoping to avoid choosing between programs before I witnessed them first hand.
banksy Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 After consulting with my boss and other professors it seems asking me to buy my own plane ticket was a nice way of saying thanks but no thanks and I shouldn't waste my time. So it seems I must decline my invitation from UW-madison. If you are planning on declining anyway, you have some room to leverage and get a feel for what is going on. Start by saying you're broke as a joke and then asking them for a skype/phone interview and see what their reaction is - in addition mention you have talked to your PI and say they are trying to get you money so you can visit. At the same time ask for the pamphlets they pass out at interviews because you are really interested. Doesn't seem like this would hurt you, it will only show your interest by showing them you are trying to find alternatives. You do seem to be in pretty good standing as far as your interviews are concerned, so you should ask yourself is putting in extra work into a program you are not that interested in worth it?
Jubilee Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) If i was actually a top choice for recruitment to UW-madison they would have made every effort to be accommodating. When duke called to invite me to interview I was told they would bring me on any weekend that was convient for me if I could not make the scheduled weekend. Since they showed so much interest I would be foolish to ask them to reschedule after they have already booked tickets for me. I suppose Its simply part of the process but I was hoping to avoid choosing between programs before I witnessed them first hand. You did absolutely nothing wrong. No school should expect an applicant to renege on a former obligation to show his or her commitment to their program. If they want you, they'll pay for you to come see them. For my Columbia offer, I simply could not make either of the interview weekends they offered. I told them what date I could make, and they agreed to fly me up on that date and put me up in a hotel (just one night). Of course, I'm not going to get the whole recruitment experience, but at least they're accommodating me! That's what UWisc should have done for you! All in all, though, I wouldn't be too upset about it if I were you. You seem to have plenty of other really great (and dare I say better?) offers. Focus on optimizing those interviews, and you'll be fine. Edited January 23, 2013 by Jubilee ion_exchanger 1
bamafan Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I think you telling them you had a conflict with their interview weekend showed that you already had an interview lined up with a higher-choice school (which was obviously true). Why should they spend money to bring a candidate up to interview who likely wouldn't accept their offer anyway? If they were indeed your top choice (and you were just being polite in not wanting to cancel an existing interview acceptance), then you would obviously pay out-of-pocket to come up and interview. I think it's just them being rational and trying to spend their $$$ on candidates with the highest chance of accepting an offer, no? I really disagree. It's not your fault the other school gave you the invitation first -- you have no idea when UWM's interview dates are, so how is it your fault or you choosing the other school if you already previously committed/booked before even receiving UWM's invite? Most schools will either arrange an alternate date or something similar, but still pay for it. The fact that UWM chose not to do so is pretty much a giant "screw off" disguised as an invitation with caveats. It's not really rational, it's quite the opposite. UWM took offense and responded in an equally offensive manner. Even if they are a bit turned off, as many schools would be, the rational thing to do would be to recognize the applicant's hands were tied already and arrange an alternate date. What if, as the school in question, you basically told a top-tier candidate that they're not getting in by saying they need to get their own flight or you offend them and they turn it down (as most people would, and the poster in question has)? Remember, at this point, the schools are trying just as hard to recruit you as you are trying to sell yourself. The school's behavior here, in eliminating a potentially great candidate that they haven't had the opportunity to interview, is anything but rational. It's kind of petty. ion_exchanger 1
BCELL23 Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Don't waste your money..... It's clear from their tone
stmwap Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 At least you got a response... I still haven't heard back.
Biohopeful Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I wouldn't waste the money. If they were that interested in you, they'd be more accommodating. Plus, you have other great schools to interview for. Good luck!
NeuroTU Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Got a Miami interview call today! Waiting on Michi St, Cuse, Stony Brook, Colorado Boulder. For neuroscience. so I'm at 3 interviews 3 rejects atm
ion_exchanger Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Congrats NeuroTU! Did anyone come online and say how their GSK interviews were? Inquiring minds want to know!
RaganSmash Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Got a Miami interview call today! Waiting on Michi St, Cuse, Stony Brook, Colorado Boulder. For neuroscience. so I'm at 3 interviews 3 rejects atm I checked out CU Boulder a couple years ago and found that they didn't guarantee funding for PhD students. Is this not still the case?
NeuroTU Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I checked out CU Boulder a couple years ago and found that they didn't guarantee funding for PhD students. Is this not still the case? I believe fully funded but one year of TAing unless you get fellowship
Occupation:Student Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 Hi, everyone! As a new user on this website/forum, I attempted posting last night but apparently it didn't go through until today, after a grad cafe moderator could read it over to make sure it wasn't spam. Unfortunately, after accepted, it was posted at the original time of submission, several pages back. I was hoping to get some advice from all of you wonderful people on a predicament of mine: I was recently contacted for an interview at one of my top choice programs (yay!). In the email, they told me where I'd be staying and for how long, but then mentioned that I'd be reimbursed for mileage ($.555/mi). This school is nearly 600 miles away, so while I could theoretically drive, it will cost them around $600 rountrip and cost me quite a bit of time. Not to mention, flights there are about $250, saving them money and me time/miles on my car. I'm not sure why I wasn't offered a flight...perhaps they thought I was closer? Whatever the case, would it be appropriate to email them and make this "argument" to them? I don't want to seem difficult, though. I could just tell them the mileage and get reimbursed, but I feel like that is so wrong. I'm in the midst of finishing up my MS bench work and writing my thesis (along with teaching and taking seminars/journal clubs), so the extra two days for driving really isn't an option. Thoughts?
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