Good questions to ask?

[DonovanMS]

Hi all,

 

It might seem silly to ask, but I just thought I'd brainstorm with the community. I'd love to hear from those who've interviewed recently, which questions they felt most useful to drive the interview discussion. 

 

Thanks!

[SublimePZ]

Not silly at all!

 

A couple of topics to definitely cover (but not in question form):

1) School area + city - what is there to do, how does that professor like it, etc.

2) Current lab projects

3) What past students are up to after graduation

4) Research + Collaboration opportunities

5) Professor's own research

6) If this isn't answered on the website or elsewhere, TA opportunities? Fellowships? Scholarships? Financial Aid?

7) How are advisor-advisee relationships established? How are advisors chosen/assigned?

8) How close knit are the students? Student groups?

[DonovanMS]

Not silly at all!

 

A couple of topics to definitely cover (but not in question form):

1) School area + city - what is there to do, how does that professor like it, etc.

2) Current lab projects

3) What past students are up to after graduation

4) Research + Collaboration opportunities

5) Professor's own research

6) If this isn't answered on the website or elsewhere, TA opportunities? Fellowships? Scholarships? Financial Aid?

7) How are advisor-advisee relationships established? How are advisors chosen/assigned?

8) How close knit are the students? Student groups?

Thanks SublimePZ! These are awesome. I'm tempted to ask, did you put these questions to the test?

[SublimePZ]

Definitely. I didn't ask them all at the same interviews (I usually forgot, the conversation was going a different direction, etc.) but throughout the interviews I went to, I was able to ask all of those questions at least once.

 

Certain questions may be more suited for asking the current grad students, however. Questions 1, 7, and 8 in particular.

 

Some of my interviews just started with "I read the abstract of a paper of yours, could you elaborate on your research a bit more?" and ended with 45 minutes of the professor rambling on