"Recruiting Event?"

[zabius]

Hey all,

I was recently invited to a "recruiting event" at one of my top choice schools. This is the text of the email I received:

 

 

Dear [Me],

 

I’d like to thank you for your application to the [school and Program].  Our faculty has recently met to go over the applicants and I’m pleased to say that we were impressed with your application and would like to invite you to an expenses-paid recruiting event that we will be holding on March 11 and 12.

 

We hope that you’ll be able to come!   If you remain interested in our department and would like to take part in this event, please work with [Administrative Assistant] on travel arrangements.  If these dates don’t work for you, there’s the possibility of bringing you in at another time too.

 

In the meantime, feel free to stay in touch with the particular faculty members that you are interested in working with.  Also, feel free contact myself or [Administrative Assistant] with any questions that you may have.

 

All the best and I look forward to meeting you!

--[Director of Graduate Studies]

 

My question is... what is a recruiting event? They didn't mention any interviews, but am I right to assume that this is basically an interview invitation? Or is it just a "come and see the campus while we tell you good things about our program" type of thing? Has anyone been to a "recruiting event?" In any case, I think that they're at least interested in my application, so that's a good sign. I just want to know what I should expect.

 

Thanks!

[uromastyx]

It means they are interested in you and would like to butter you up so that you might be interested in (choose) them.

[lifesgood]

That is a VERY good email!  Congratulations and good luck on your recruiting event!

[zabius]

Thanks, guys! I still don't know what exactly to expect (and probably won't until they email me a program/schedule), but you've made me feel hopeful!

[fuzzylogician]

Congrats -- this means you're a finalist or have been admitted (though that's not clear from this email). Either way, they don't offer an expense-free trip to people they are not interested in admitting so if you're not admitted yet this trip will serve to confirm that you're a match with the department and you have a very good chance of getting an offer. If previously you were trying to convince the department to accept you, recruiting events are usually structured so that the department will be courting you. The assumption is that they are going to be making you an offer and they will doing their best to convince you to accept it. This is the one time students have power in the graduate school application process - once you have several offers and are choosing which one to accept. You'll probably have meetings with professors, some events with just students or students and faculty together, you may get to sit in on classes, there may be a party or a campus tour.

[DStory247]

I, too, will be taking at least two recruiting trips in the coming weeks. One will to be to WashU in St Louis, the other to UCal Riverside, both for Chemical Engineering.

They have both sent a tentative schedule for the 2-day events, but during the time when I'm individually meeting with professors and current grad students, what are the things I should ask? What should I look for while there to help me make my decision? What should I wear to these?

Thanks!

[ShortLong]

I, too, will be taking at least two recruiting trips in the coming weeks. One will to be to WashU in St Louis, the other to UCal Riverside, both for Chemical Engineering.

They have both sent a tentative schedule for the 2-day events, but during the time when I'm individually meeting with professors and current grad students, what are the things I should ask? What should I look for while there to help me make my decision? What should I wear to these?

Thanks!

 

I am going to three recruiting events in the next month, the first one is this week. I have the same questions.

[lisa11]

I was just at the USC Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences PhD "recruitment" event two weeks ago. There were a couple of interviews mixed into the event, but for the most part, it seemed like they were the ones trying to court the interviewees. Everyone was in business wear (suits for guys) during the day and casual business wear for the dinners. I've heard from the graduate students there that it pretty much means you're in, but you still need to present yourself well.

 

Good luck!