What would you change if you were planning interviews?

[madbiochemist]

So the first year PhD students in my program are basically in charge of making interviews happen. We don't pick who comes, who they interview with, or book travel, but we're supposed to take care of everything else. This seems like a whole lot of pressure to put on the newbies, so I wanted to hear what you loved or hated about your interviews, things you wish would have happened, or what you're hoping for when you do go. Any horror stories? Anything that made you decide that you wanted to definitely go to a school? 

Some info about what we do:

• The weekend goes from Wednesday-Saturday
• Students stay in a hotel until Friday night, when they stay with current PhD students to get more of a feel for life here
• We have a fancy formal dinner with the faculty and current students
• We have a bar crawl with the current students on the Friday night
• There are the typical one-on-one interviews with faculty plus the department gives a ton of talks
• We did a student housing tour, where we actually toured the different places that people lived and they gave us the pros and cons of certain neighborhoods

Any advice would be super helpful so I can bring it up to the other first years at our meeting! I know it's early in the process, but we apparently need to book venues and stuff pretty soon. 

[rising_star]

I would think about offering an alternative to the bar crawl for those who don't drink or whose religious beliefs may not allow them to be in that setting. Basically, I'd try to be as inclusive as possible in the planning in terms of thinking about how someone's gender, sexual identity, religion, food allergies, etc. might affect their ability to participate fully in the interview weekend. 

I'd also make sure that the applicants have some downtime so they can relax and decompress. Especially for introverts it can be hard to be "on" all day long. 

[TakeruK]

I think what you have planned sounds good, and I definitely second rising_star's suggestions (especially the inclusivity with regards to program planning and the "decompression time"). Many places have an alternative alcoholic event with every alcoholic event that is just as awesome and fun (e.g. consider a dessert crawl at the same time as the bar crawl).

One personal thing that I would be worried about is the part where I'd stay with a graduate student. I know that a lot of programs do this and that it is useful to many prospective students and that it is a successful model. I just want to say that my experience hasn't always been great in this model (but sometimes it was great!) and I personally feel fairly uncomfortable when I have to stay in another student's residence. If at all possible, I think having an alternative option would be good. 

In your example case, since the school is paying for accommodations but only until Thursday night, I would suggest that you make the mandatory programming end on Friday, so that students can leave Friday evening if they choose to do. Then you can make the staying with the grad student and whatever Saturday events be optional. The school can inform students that they could leave on Friday evening, or if they choose to stay, they would be responsible for their own lodging but several grad students are volunteering their couches/spare bedrooms etc. But since your visits are interviews, not recruitment visits, it is a little tricky, especially if the department is expecting to use information from the graduate student hosts to help them decide. If so, then probably have to set ground rules about not including anything after the mandatory programming is finished in admissions decisions since it would disadvantage those who do not want to stay.  Just a thought---I understand it's a super tricky thing.

And for accommodations (both with grad students or with prospective students sharing a room), one consideration is how comfortable people would be sharing a room with another person, and what their roommate gender preferences are. I'd say you should definitely ask these things and give people a way to request alternative arrangements. I know money is always an issue, but is your department willing to allow students who do not want to share a room (or is unable to, due to a variety of potential reasons) to have their own room? If so, would the department still pay for it, or would they only pay for half (or none?). I think as organizers, you should find this information from the department so that you can communicate it to students who want to know. In your shoes, I would even push for more inclusivity so that additional requests does not cost the student extra, but sometimes that is not practically possible.

I also have another thought unrelated to accommodations. I'm part of a group of students on campus that are trying to improve our version of interview/visit weekends campus-wide. One thing we're doing is to connect students, in particular students from under-represented groups, with resources and support. This is because our campus is small and the combination of small admitted numbers and the lack of diversity in STEM fields results in some cases where students from under-represented groups will find themselves very much in the minority and may not even be able to find someone that they can identify with. This creates a "feedback loop" problem because they don't feel welcome, so they don't matriculate, which increases the gap, which leads to the next cycle of students feeling the same way etc. So, we're organizing campus-wide events that will be happening during the "visit season" so that all prospective students will have a "coffee hour" or "ice cream social" or something similar with the campus' Diversity Center. This will allow for some students to have concerns addressed (e.g. "I heard this department is really male dominated. What is it like being a a woman on campus?" as well as more intersectional issues that might be hard to find mentors or role models within just your department).

[madbiochemist]

Thanks for the input!
Last year the organizers asked if there was any interest in having a completely separate non-alcoholic event and there was interest, but also concern that if people didn't go to the regular event that they would miss out on socializing with most of the department. Instead they booked a room at a bar and set up a bunch of non-alcohol related games. I actually didn't drink at all and still thought it was pretty fun, so I think we'll probably gauge the interest in a non-alcohol event and either do something similar to the previous year or plan a simple board game night with desserts.

I don't think the department is willing to pay for separate hotel rooms for students. You can get your own room, but it's basically on your dime. I'm pretty sure they charge the student extra if they want to stay separately. The department also has students stay with grad students to 1) save money 2)get the grad student's opinion on other students (one of the interviewees I roomed with was bashing other interviewees and was really negative but we didn't know until we actually spent more time with her) which has probably more weight in admission than it should 3) give students a general feel for safe/nice areas to live (I'm in Baltimore, so that's an issue). I've heard really positive things from my interview class about their hosts, with the only negative comments being that some people lived a bit far from the airport. I know that the department is unwilling to pay for a hotel Friday night, so either you stay with a student or you pay for your own hotel room. Technically interview stuff ended on Friday night, but our department booked through this awful travel agency that made most of us stay until Saturday evening so we had no choice but to stay with a student or cough up extra money. We're letting students book their own travel I think, so the students should be able to leave after the main stuff on Friday if they really wanted to.

The comments on diversity are great! I know our women in engineering type organization had a representative give a talk, but it might be good to do a diversity social as well!

I think it's really interesting to hear about admission from the other side of things now... For example, if you don't go to all of the events, it's not directly a black mark, but since the students wont know you as well they probably won't remember to say anything about you. I also am sure I'll feel really weird about having any power in someone else's admissions decision. 

[rising_star]

I think the dessert and board games night is a great idea. I would substitute that for a bar crawl because it's far more inclusive, especially if you offer a range of desserts (so from fresh fruit to cake to gluten-free, etc.). I feel like I might not have had the guts as a prospective student (one who was not yet accepted) to decline an invitation, especially since not going to something can make it harder for people to get to know you (as you rightly point out). 

[Eigen]

2 hours ago, rising_star said:

I think the dessert and board games night is a great idea. I would substitute that for a bar crawl because it's far more inclusive, especially if you offer a range of desserts (so from fresh fruit to cake to gluten-free, etc.). I feel like I might not have had the guts as a prospective student (one who was not yet accepted) to decline an invitation, especially since not going to something can make it harder for people to get to know you (as you rightly point out). 

I've never been a fan of a bar crawl, but the thing I do like about including a bar option (we usually pick something low-key) is that frequently the visiting students feel more comfortable asking the current students questions.

We have several nice bars that are not such a heavy bar/alcohol environment that it makes anyone particularly uncomfortable- we have some that are nice coffee shop/bar combos.

[TakeruK]

One interesting thing that our department does is a "progressive bar crawl". The first place is first year graduate students + prospectives only and it's usually a dinner place where you can get some drinks if you wanted. It's a good time for some one-on-one conversations from people who are very "fresh" from the application stage. This is like 6pm to 8pm. 

Then, the group moves onto a pub/bar type place where it's mostly drinks and maybe some snacks. At this stage, the older graduate students are invited to join as well so it switches to a much more social setting. This would probably go 8pm to 11pm or so, depending on what the group is feeling. It's 100% acceptable to leave after the dinner stage or at any time during this stage, though. 

In recent years, we have done better in picking places for the second stage that is not just pure alcohol service---something that would have fun drinks and activities as well (for example, a place with coffee and alcohol as well as pool tables etc.). But we can still improve and we're being more careful in picking places that offer more variety.

[rising_star]

20 hours ago, Eigen said:

We have several nice bars that are not such a heavy bar/alcohol environment that it makes anyone particularly uncomfortable- we have some that are nice coffee shop/bar combos.

For me, it's not the combination or balance so much as the fact that some people's religious beliefs prevent them from going into any sort of bar. So, having an alternative that is somewhere they can go, without being made to feel like a pariah, is generally a good idea. I'm not trying to say that this is common but, it was the case in both my master's and PhD programs.

[Eigen]

I've never run across that before, personally. We have lots who's religious beliefs prevent them from drinking, but never one that prevented them from going. And since we have enough non-drinkers in the department that go along with us, no one not drinking feels like the odd one out. 

But also, from a department "fit" standpoint, the faculty and most of the grad students are drinkers, and I feel like it would be selling someone a "bill of goods" if the visit had non-alcohol involved items, and no other department event would.

It's nice to know that exists- it's something I'll mention when this years crew is planning our events. 

[rising_star]

Eigen, two things come to mind. The first is that I realize it's not common but, if graduate programs want to be open to students of diverse backgrounds, then these are things they may wish to think about. I mean, they should probably also rethink a lot of things, such as having female presenting students room with other female presenting students who may not be comfortable with this, but I'm of the belief that every little bit that's done is a step in the right direction. 

Second, if your department is really so drinking-heavy that someone who doesn't drink wouldn't be comfortable, then you should probably blatantly advertise that so those with alcohol issues (whether that's being an alcoholic or religious avoidance) don't waste their time/money applying to your department. And, quite frankly, your department should maybe rethink being so alcohol-centric because it does and can exclude people even if it's not intentional. 

[serenade]

Interesting topic. At my interview, the grad students just took us out for lunches/coffees/dinners throughout the visit. The department picked up the tab on all the food but if you wanted to buy alcoholic drinks, it was on you. In my experience, that setup worked fine. If you wanted to purchase your own alcohol, you were welcome. But yet we were always in restaurants/coffee shops, not bars, so people who don't drink (like myself) felt totally normal. Alcohol was available, but not obligatory. After they dropped us off at the hotel each night after dinner, a group of us went to the hotel bar every night and stayed up till around 1 a.m. hanging out, so if you really wanted to go to a bar, you could at the hotel (though I just did the hanging out part--not the drinking part). 

On November 9, 2015 at 10:51:12 PM, rising_star said:

Especially for introverts it can be hard to be "on" all day long. 

Yes! I remember us sitting around the bar saying this almost verbatim. 

Unrelated, these are probably obvious and self-evident, but I think it's good for people who are picking up prospectives from the airport to text/email them that day/the day before to let them know where to meet or what they look like (hair color, shirt color etc). I knew the person's name and type of car they had from my email itinerary, but it helped to hear more specifics from them via text earlier that day. It also helped to hear from them beforehand so it wasn't like 'total random stranger is picking me up' thing. Again, probably basic "picking someone up from the airport" etiquette, but FWIW. 

Also, when students have individual interviews at varying intervals during the visit, it's really helpful, in my opinion, to have a current grad student walk them there. If they're each interviewing at different times and not going there as a group, it's easy to get lost on a new campus. I remember having to leave an info session on professional grants to get to my interview and had no clue how to get to that building until a grad student pointed it out. Even better if they have someone walk them over since nerves are probably high (at least mine were) and it's easy to get befuddled trying to find a new building. 

In addition, it can be helpful to list on the itinerary what kind of attire is needed for each event. I guess this is also self-evident..i.e., dress up for the actual interview; look nice at events involving faculty; more casual at grad-only events, but it can prevent a lot of fretting (at least for girls) if you specify general attire for each event (though I think at some point during my visit, post-interview day, I just got tired of dressing up and wore jeans instead...almost like, my fate's already been decided in the interview so 'who cares' attitude, but I digress). 

Finally, if students arrive/depart at weird times that aren't convenient for grad students to chauffeur, it's helpful to let them know how to get a cab or arrange it ahead of time for them. I had to leave really early on the last day, Sat, to present at a conference later that afternoon like 8 states away, so another prospective and I took the hotel shuttle to the airport (our hotel conveniently happened to have one) early that morning. I don't think grad students should have to get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to take a prospective to the airport, but it would be nice for them to help students arrange taxi/cab/shuttle instead. Again, I'm sure these are all blatantly obvious, but they're what came to mind. 

 

[Eigen]

4 hours ago, rising_star said:

Eigen, two things come to mind. The first is that I realize it's not common but, if graduate programs want to be open to students of diverse backgrounds, then these are things they may wish to think about. I mean, they should probably also rethink a lot of things, such as having female presenting students room with other female presenting students who may not be comfortable with this, but I'm of the belief that every little bit that's done is a step in the right direction. 

Second, if your department is really so drinking-heavy that someone who doesn't drink wouldn't be comfortable, then you should probably blatantly advertise that so those with alcohol issues (whether that's being an alcoholic or religious avoidance) don't waste their time/money applying to your department. And, quite frankly, your department should maybe rethink being so alcohol-centric because it does and can exclude people even if it's not intentional. 

I didn't say our department was so drinking heavy that someone who doesn't drink would be uncomfortable. As I said, we have a number of non-drinkers. I said someone who isn't comfortable being around others drinking might not find it a great fit. I was commenting that I've never run into anyone whose beliefs prohibit them from going into a bar, not whose beliefs prevent them from drinking.

We have a decent slice of people who are religiously opposed to drinking, as well as those who just don't like to drink. I fell into the latter category for my first year of the program, and never felt any pressure, but I can't speak for everyone.

That said, our visits don't officially have any late evening activities, so it's all informal and optional. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (faculty do dinner, grad students do breakfast and lunch) are paid for by the department, and are supposed to be alcohol free. For those who are interested in some evening activity, we usually have a get-together at a low-key bar and invite anyone that wants to come. 

Some of this is school culture, some of it is department culture. Most department seminars at my school, for example, have alcohol served, either wine or beer. My department has a particular focus on brewing science. Either way, if someone is uncomfortable being around alcohol or others drinking, then they would not generally be comfortable in our department.If they just do not want to drink themselves, they'll be fine.

I do stand by my point, though- if something is a large part of departmental culture, hiding it during visits leads to prospective students getting a different feel of the department than what they will find when they come there, and I don't think that's a good thing.

All that said, I completely agree that we (as universities) need to move to being as inclusive of diverse individuals as we can, and there have been great suggestions here to help with that. 

[rising_star]

8 hours ago, Eigen said:

I do stand by my point, though- if something is a large part of departmental culture, hiding it during visits leads to prospective students getting a different feel of the department than what they will find when they come there, and I don't think that's a good thing.

All that said, I completely agree that we (as universities) need to move to being as inclusive of diverse individuals as we can, and there have been great suggestions here to help with that. 

I'm not saying that departmental culture should be hidden. But in my experience, even in departments where some/most of the students and faculty drink, there are also events held in spaces where those who don't drink, don't want to, or can't be around alcohol are also welcome. As an example, my PhD program held at least a couple picnics a year at city parks. We got ramadas/pavilion areas near the playground so those with children could bring them and let them play. But, if every departmental event you have centers around alcohol, then by all means, make every visit event that way too. My point though is that since it's unlikely that every single departmental thing involves alcohol, planning a visit which suggests that is the case is misleading and the planners could do better.

[TakeruK]

12 hours ago, serenade said:

Unrelated, these are probably obvious and self-evident, but I think it's good for people who are picking up prospectives from the airport to text/email them that day/the day before to let them know where to meet or what they look like (hair color, shirt color etc). I knew the person's name and type of car they had from my email itinerary, but it helped to hear more specifics from them via text earlier that day. It also helped to hear from them beforehand so it wasn't like 'total random stranger is picking me up' thing. Again, probably basic "picking someone up from the airport" etiquette, but FWIW. 

Also, when students have individual interviews at varying intervals during the visit, it's really helpful, in my opinion, to have a current grad student walk them there. If they're each interviewing at different times and not going there as a group, it's easy to get lost on a new campus. I remember having to leave an info session on professional grants to get to my interview and had no clue how to get to that building until a grad student pointed it out. Even better if they have someone walk them over since nerves are probably high (at least mine were) and it's easy to get befuddled trying to find a new building. 

In addition, it can be helpful to list on the itinerary what kind of attire is needed for each event. I guess this is also self-evident..i.e., dress up for the actual interview; look nice at events involving faculty; more casual at grad-only events, but it can prevent a lot of fretting (at least for girls) if you specify general attire for each event (though I think at some point during my visit, post-interview day, I just got tired of dressing up and wore jeans instead...almost like, my fate's already been decided in the interview so 'who cares' attitude, but I digress). 

Finally, if students arrive/depart at weird times that aren't convenient for grad students to chauffeur, it's helpful to let them know how to get a cab or arrange it ahead of time for them. I had to leave really early on the last day, Sat, to present at a conference later that afternoon like 8 states away, so another prospective and I took the hotel shuttle to the airport (our hotel conveniently happened to have one) early that morning. I don't think grad students should have to get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday to take a prospective to the airport, but it would be nice for them to help students arrange taxi/cab/shuttle instead. Again, I'm sure these are all blatantly obvious, but they're what came to mind. 

 

At one university, a graduate student was picking me up but I didn't know what they looked like and they didn't know what I looked like. My host was waiting for me right by the doors that lead into the baggage claim area while I was standing by the baggage claim area waiting for my host to appear from the doors to the outside. So, we walked right past each other without recognizing it. Then, we each waited about 20-25 minutes for the other person. The baggage area and the door where the host was waiting was just barely out of sight of each other so neither of us could find the other person that was awkwardly waiting and looking around. It wasn't until the rest of the flight left and there were only a handful of people left that my host found me (and I didn't think to go back to the doors to the boarding area to find him). So, yes, more communication/description of anyone picking up prospectives/candidates would be great. Maybe even have the host introduce themself to the candidate via email a week beforehand too!

I also think it's really important to have a "host" feel to your prospective students. My program is small enough that we usually have the candidate's 10:00am meeting person walk them to the 10:30am meeting place etc. This is literally a 30 second walk for most cases since we all live on the same floor of the same building. However, I think it creates a sense that the school/department/faculty cares about the student, and I think it's also nice to have a faculty member you've been talking to for the last 30 minutes introduce you to the next faculty member. 

At my current school, the airport is really far away from the school--it would be a 40 minute drive each way so it's not reasonable to have students pick up prospectives. Also, reimbursing current students for this mileage would cost the school even more than paying for a shuttle. So, prospective students are given suggestions on how to get themselves from the airport to the hotel (linked to the shuttle service with the campus discount code). Prospective students are offered help from our admin staff to make these arrangements if necessary but almost everyone prefers making their own arrangements.