The dreaded interview question

[EEpa]

Why do professors ask you what other programs you have applied to and how should you answer this? The POI at my top choice school asked me this is an email and I answered honestly what other programs I've applied to and mentioned that this program was a top choice for me. Any opinions?

[GeoDUDE!]

you did it right. They aren't naive, they applied to graduate school to.

[peachypie]

Who knows why they asked it unless maybe they just want to know the competition that they have as well?  I figure its best to answer honestly so I did the same thing you did and said where I was interviewing at.  I don't think any of them would reasonably expect you to have ONLY applied to one school.  it also communicates that you know its difficult to get into and that people aren't taking for granted an opportunity to study there.

[EEpa]

It wasn't too bad answering here since it was a top choice school, but I've been asked this from POIs from other schools and it always kind of gives me a start.

[TakeruK]

You should answer honestly. Sometimes they are just curious--I often ask visiting prospective students of the same thing. They are also trying to see if they are a top choice for you, or not, so that they can gauge how many offers they will make. If they are looking to fill 5 spots, then they would probably make 7-8 offers to people who said they were their top choice, or maybe 15 offers to people who aren't their top choice, or some combination of top/not-top choices. Basically, they want to be efficient and fill as many seats as they can in the first wave of offers as possible!

 

Also, it might be important for them in terms of funding. They may be able to nominate some quota of their accepted students for some University fellowship, so they only want to put you in the running if you are going to be likely to take the offer! They would not want to waste a nomination on someone who isn't likely to attend their school.

[bsharpe269]

I think this question also lets them now how well you have researched your field.

 

I will be applying to programs for Fall 2015 and have been researching professors who have the same intersts as mine. I have identified about 20 professors, half are at the top of their field and the other half are newer, but same line of work. When asked this by programs, I will just answer with the names of the other professors doing the same thing. There will be no surprise in my answer.. I think the question can come in your favor because it shows that you know about the field.

 

Foe example, If you are applying to school X because you want to work with this specific professor and then answer that you have applied to school Y and Z, where there are no major people doing the same work then I think that would raise red flags. Also, there is a range of prestige in the schools im applying to bc I am applying due to research fit, not rankings. I think that they are looking to see they you actually care about the research you are discussing and not just trying to get into a top 10 grad school.

[Johndg2]

bsharpe269,

     I have a question for you since you are applying to bioinformatics programs next season.  I'm thinking about doing a master's in bioinformatics online.  My background is in molecular biology.  What classes would I need to take to be accepted into master's program.  I have no background in computer science or math.  Also, with a online master's in bioinformatics, would that make me a competitive applicant to PhD programs in Bioinformatics?

 

Best, Johndg2

[bsharpe269]

bsharpe269,

     I have a question for you since you are applying to bioinformatics programs next season.  I'm thinking about doing a master's in bioinformatics online.  My background is in molecular biology.  What classes would I need to take to be accepted into master's program.  I have no background in computer science or math.  Also, with a online master's in bioinformatics, would that make me a competitive applicant to PhD programs in Bioinformatics?

 

Best, Johndg2

 

I am currently doing a masters in bioinformatics and am really enjoying it... I plan to apply to biophysics phd programs. I dont think that an online masters will help you for a phd program really... research is what gets you into a phd program and it will be hard to find that in an online program. You dont need a strong background in computer science or math to do a masters (or probably a phd) since you can take those programming classes as part of the mastesr degree. I think that showing the potential to do well in those classes will be the importatnt thing (so a strong GRE Q score could be really helpful). Showing potential for the programming and math + some research experience should get you into a phd program in my opinion.

[Johndg2]

Thanks bsharpe, That was really helpful and may have saved me 36K

[bsharpe269]

Thanks bsharpe, That was really helpful and may have saved me 36K

 

No problem, definitely ask other opinions but thats just mine! If you are worried then you could always do 1 or 2 programming/stat classes to prove you can get As. I think most bioinformatics programs look for either a strong bio or a strong programming background though and then some evidence of interest in the other, which can come out in research, classes, GRE Q, SOP etc.