Unusual Interview Stories

[aphdapplicant]

Unusual stories...funny, weird, bad - whatever. I'll start:

Recruited to visitation weekend at my top choice university. Current students don't have good things to say about my POI (e.g. "POI is mean/distant/creepy/difficult," "POIs last two students left the university," "current student is miserable," "POI can't keep students in their lab," "think hard about your decision to accept the offer"). POI weirds me out when I meet them in-person - commented on my (attractive) physical appearance, talked about former partners, cost of their house, criminal records of other applicants. I knew I'd reject the offer, even if I didn't get in elsewhere. After I told my advisor & other LOR profs about the weekend, they encouraged me not to take the offer, despite not getting in elsewhere.

[RatsWithHats]

At one of my interviews, we went out with a large group of recruits/students saturday night. After a few hours of drinking/hanging out most of the group called it a night due to early flights the next morning. Another group of us, probably about 7-10 recruits and 2 students, decided to stay out and really party since this was in a city that doesn't like to sleep. By 5am the bars were closed and we were all back at the hotel, where a student hooked up with a recruit. I ended up getting accepted. I'm sure she did too.

[ss2player]

At one of my interviews, we went out with a large group of recruits/students saturday night. After a few hours of drinking/hanging out most of the group called it a night due to early flights the next morning. Another group of us, probably about 7-10 recruits and 2 students, decided to stay out and really party since this was in a city that doesn't like to sleep. By 5am the bars were closed and we were all back at the hotel, where a student hooked up with a recruit. I ended up getting accepted. I'm sure she did too.

 

That's one way to do it! *bow chicka WOW WOW*

[ToomuchLes]

^ One of the disadvantages of being a guy lol. Great story though!

[SciencePerson101]

A girl cried at Harvard after interview.

[deci:belle]

Today one of the professors who interviewed me said, "I like your ethnic hair".

I just said uh, thanks? lol. Just a super awkward moment all around.

I know she meant no harm, but it took me by surprise. She could have simply said "I like your hair"

[Maziana]

A friend told me that a professor yelled at an applicant. The applicant apparently went to her office for an interview, heard that she was on the phone, and waited by the door because she didn't want to interrupt. She waited for too long, and when the prof eventually came out, she yelled at her...

 

Someone else told me there's a professor everyone thinks is a sociopath who, ironically enough, studies psychopathy... Current grad students warned all the prospectives who wanted to work with alleged sociopath professor, but they came anyway - only to regret it.

 

 

Today one of the professors who interviewed me said, "I like your ethnic hair".

I just said uh, thanks? lol. Just a super awkward moment all around.

I know she meant no harm, but it took me by surprise. She could have simply said "I like your hair"

 

Ugh, I feel you. All the departments I have considered were super white, but at least everyone had the courtesy of not emphasizing my "otherness" in that way! 

 

Oh - this isn't an interview story, but speaking of hair... because of grad school interviews, I recently discovered that when I put gel in my hair, it activates the TSA scanner at the airport. LOL. 

[maelia8]

The most awkward part of my interview with my future grad advisor was when I walked into the room, he stood up from his desk to shake my hand … and I realized that I am almost a foot taller than him (I'm a tall girl, but he was really quite short!) We both hastened to sit again so that everything was at eye level rather than boob-eye level … the interview went well, and now I know never to wear heels around him again.

[aphdapplicant]

A friend told me that a professor yelled at an applicant. The applicant apparently went to her office for an interview, heard that she was on the phone, and waited by the door because she didn't want to interrupt. She waited for too long, and when the prof eventually came out, she yelled at her...

Someone else told me there's a professor everyone thinks is a sociopath who, ironically enough, studies psychopathy... Current grad students warned all the prospectives who wanted to work with alleged sociopath professor, but they came anyway - only to regret it.

This was EXACTLY my situation (i.e., POI studied psychopathy and current grad students' descriptions of him sounded a lot like his research interest...), EXCEPT I heeded their warning!

Edited March 19, 2014 by aphdapplicant

[Maziana]

This was EXACTLY my situation (i.e., POI studied psychopathy and current grad students' descriptions of him sounded a lot like his research interest...), EXCEPT I heeded their warning!

 

Good for you! According to the person I spoke to, after accepting a few grad students, and after they started grad work at the university, their POI announced they would be leaving next year, leaving those students high and dry... That sounds like someone lacking empathy to me!

 

What is it with terrible people studying psychopathy, haha... "research is me-search?" 

[aphdapplicant]

Good for you! According to the person I spoke to, after accepting a few grad students, and after they started grad work at the university, their POI announced they would be leaving next year, leaving those students high and dry... That sounds like someone lacking empathy to me!

What is it with terrible people studying psychopathy, haha... "research is me-search?"

Yeah, it's weird. I visited another lab a few years ago whose PI was interested in narcissism - the students said he was like his research interest. I heed the warnings - I have difficulty believing that, if all the students experienced the POI negatively, my experience would be any different. Edited March 20, 2014 by aphdapplicant

[ssynny]

I was scheduled to have an interview today, but it didn't end up happening. About an hour before our skype time, my POI's wife was hit while stopped at a stop sign. The other driver was high on meth, so they had a lot to do with the now totaled car and police reports. I was sad that we had to postpone since I'd been waiting for this interview for weeks, but it actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. 30 minutes after he postponed, I went to leave my bedroom and the door wouldn't open. The doorknob just would not turn! I was stuck there for about 45 minutes before I found something to wedge the door open. Since I did not have my phone or anything in the room with me, I would have missed the interview if it had not already been postponed. Hopefully nothing strange happens on Thursday!

[Crucial BBQ]

Unusual stories...funny, weird, bad - whatever. I'll start:

Recruited to visitation weekend at my top choice university. Current students don't have good things to say about my POI (e.g. "POI is mean/distant/creepy/difficult," "POIs last two students left the university," "current student is miserable," "POI can't keep students in their lab," "think hard about your decision to accept the offer"). POI weirds me out when I meet them in-person - commented on my (attractive) physical appearance, talked about former partners, cost of their house, criminal records of other applicants. I knew I'd reject the offer, even if I didn't get in elsewhere. After I told my advisor & other LOR profs about the weekend, they encouraged me not to take the offer, despite not getting in elsewhere.

I know it sometimes is the case; would the mentorship from this POI have been binding?  I mean could you have gotten into the program then switched labs/advisors?

[geographyrocks]

I was scheduled to have an interview today, but it didn't end up happening. About an hour before our skype time, my POI's wife was hit while stopped at a stop sign. The other driver was high on meth, so they had a lot to do with the now totaled car and police reports. I was sad that we had to postpone since I'd been waiting for this interview for weeks, but it actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. 30 minutes after he postponed, I went to leave my bedroom and the door wouldn't open. The doorknob just would not turn! I was stuck there for about 45 minutes before I found something to wedge the door open. Since I did not have my phone or anything in the room with me, I would have missed the interview if it had not already been postponed. Hopefully nothing strange happens on Thursday!

Holy crap!  That's crazy! 

 

Good luck on Thursday!

[ssynny]

Holy crap!  That's crazy! 

 

Good luck on Thursday!

Thanks! Now we have a conversation starter haha.

[12345678900987654321]

From the other side...

 

Stellar applicant came for a visit. She seemed to be a bit into Kawaii culture or similar. The committee members, who fancy themselves as worldly, were flabbergasted. They apparently had never been exposed to it. (Step out of your office, guys, and it probably won't take you long to find an Asian student into "cute") I think they thought she was on drugs. So dumb whitebread me with no PhD has to explain the subculture to them. 

 

She turned us down but the committee started really valuing my input after that.