Acceptance without interview?

[afinnega]

So I just got accepted to Seton Hall (yay?) but I'm really concerned about whether I should be worried that I didn't get an interview -- I just got accepted. 

 

It's an Experimental Psychology program. I have spent all morning trying to find out if it's a good program, good research, etc. and I can't find anything too terrible. The only flag that went up in my mind is that they have a pretty high acceptance rate (I guess I'm not as good as I thought after all, eh?) but that might have to do with the low number of applications they receive. 

 

Do any of you know about this school? Can you guys shed some light? Should I be concerned? 

Edited January 25, 2014 by afinnega

[thegirldetective]

Hi afinnega,

 

I don't know anything about the school, but I have some suggestions for you:

 

- Contact several faculty you are interested in working with, and ask them if they are willing to do Skype interviews with you. Ask them about their research, what their graduates have gone on to do, and what they think the strength and weaknesses of the program are, and what their mentoring styles are like. Be upfront about the fact that you have been accepted, but that you want to learn more about the program before agreeing to attend.

 

- Contact the department and ask them to put you in contact with some current students. Ask them if they are happy, what their funding situation is, what their post-grad plans are, what the departmental culture is like, and what they think the strengths and weaknesses of the program are. They will probably be a lot more honest with you than program admins or faculty.

[iphi]

This happened to me for UNC, I was invited to an "Admitted Students Day" instead of an interview. The professor who called me told me that they find it to be more equitable -  that way students who can not afford to fly out, or are restricted in their ability to come for other reasons, are not at a disadvantage.