Should I ask for another RA interview?

[Schak]

Hi everyone, I am in something of a dilemma regarding what would be most the polite as well as the most effective thing to do here. I had an RA interview with a professor back in January. Suffice to say, I blew it terribly because of certain factors (a raging fever, stress, etc)

 

The school recently sent back an admit with a TA instead. If I join that school, it's this PI's lab that I am most interested in. He hasn't contacted me since that disastrous interview.

 

Should I mail him now, letting him know about my admit and asking for another interview? I know I would do much better this time round. How do I go about framing such a request anyway? Or would it be wrong to request such a thing and maybe I should just join and hope to impress him in class?

[Vader Was Framed]

I would not worry. I recommend the following.

 

Email the professor to let them know you have been admitted and are excited about the prospects of potentially joining the program. I think requesting an interview is fine, but I suggest simply requesting a brief phone conversation (i.e., you do not have to phrase it as an interview) to discuss the professor's and your research interests and current projects in their lab. They key is expressing excitement and discussing research. You may also feel comfortable asking explicitly about RA opportunities in the lab, which is perfectly reasonable to ask/discuss.

 

Since you are basing your decision to join this program at least partially one whether you can work with this professor, it seems vital to reengage with this person before deciding to accept their offer. I would not wait until classes start. 

 

Congrats!