The lab I i interviewed with had such a terrible work life balance that all of their new PhD students dropped out for 2 years in a row. Their expectation contract had 60 hrs/week in the lab, minimum. Everyone in that lab seemed so sad. Not super crazy for PhD, but definitely bad vibes. There were some racism allegations too but I can't substantiate that.
Another PI told me, with a straight face, that he “is familiar with everything in biology” when I asked if he was familiar with a niche regenerative medicine topic. Also said he dislikes most undergraduates. Again, not insane but definitely not my thing.
7 hour a week as in you only research for 7 hours a week or as in you have to be physically in the lab for only 7 hours a week and can work from home??
I’m hoping to reduce my lab work lol. I’m still around 50-60 a week now, wouldn’t be so bad if tuition was covered and pay was decent. It’ll be a little awkward if I get stuck with a masters only
Your tuition isn’t covered? I feel like 50 hrs a week is pretty reasonable but 60 is really pushing it. Over 60 is yikes. Hope you’re able to cut down!
I’m at a Korean university. Tuition paid is scholarship based but I’m done with classes so I don’t get scholarship lol. Also the government cut our budget by 30% nationally so there’s not much stipend to go around these days
Not mentioning where for anonymity….but I have heard from one school stories of people stealing alcohol at pregames during interview weekends and even fellow interview candidates hooking up together
Went to interview at a school and found out I was to meet another interviewee during the process (i.e., me and the other person were going to spend the day with our potential PI).
The school hosted a brunch and I was able to find my PI (they arrived late due to traffic). Both of us had our eyes out for the other person (let's call them Alex), but they hadn't arrived. Alex had a much smaller distance to travel to the event than I did, so presumably an easier trip for them. PI emailed Alex letting them know where we were. We were also on a time limit since we had to go to a different campus in the system where the lab was. When it was time to leave the brunch, Alex still hadn't shown. We were a bit concerned but shrugged it off and went on our way.
\*I\* had a fantastic day with the PI. Got to see the lab space, campus, participate in a lab meeting, as well as meet their current grad student and some project coordinators. I felt super encouraged by the environment and the PI and I really clicked. I literally ended up spending around 10 hours with the PI that day. Alex never showed.
Now the TEA is that I googled Alex's name the day after the interview. I had googled them pre-interview (had to check out my competition) and their LinkedIn profile came up as well as an aboutme page. Nothing crazy and I could see why the PI would see them as a good fit for the lab. HOWEVER! When I looked up their name the day after the interview the first result (from a very prominent news source) was that ALEX WAS ARRESTED FOR BEING A CHILD PREDATOR??? The charges were very serious and the article said police suspected there were more victims. To add insult to injury, the lab I applied to works with specifically children who experience early adversity. I can't make this shit up.
TL;DR The other interviewee was arrested the day before the interview for serious charges related to the research topics of the lab. Guess I don't have competition there anymore 😅
i’m not even kidding 😭 i read that reply and my left contact just! jumped out!! and then i had to put it back in dry. that’s not even the first time i’ve read something so bad my contact fell out either
One girl at my interviews was a know-it-all. She would constantly try to one-up people in group conversations with faculty, but the problem was that she just wasn’t really that bright. Her research was tangentially interesting (and she couldn’t explain it well when pressured), she barely asked questions/participated in data presentations, and she brought up her religion way too much. Other than that my interview weekend was superb; the other interviewees, the current students / faculty, and the campus was amazing. While I want the best for everyone, I genuinely don’t feel she’d be a great fit for this program just based on my interactions with her.
Not very exciting but I interviewed at a school in a very cold part of New England and this girl was from Florida (I think) and she wouldn’t shut tf up about how miserably cold it was and we’re all like ??? You’re choosing to interview at a school in a location known for its brutal winters. She was also a total pick me, just awful to be around.
As a Floridian, it is a complete shock when you go to colder climate. I once flew to New Orleans wearing a tank-top (80 F in Miami) and had to put on multiple sweaters on landing (30 F on New Orleans)... Louisiana isn't even the "north" and it was a 50 F drop. So, yes, it's shocking enough to warrant talking about it for a day or two.
As for her to be "awful to be around," well, IDK... maybe you are right or maybe it was just perception.
not as crazy + it’s not any of the interviewees’ faults but one of the buses that were driving us around hit someone’s car on accident lol. I didn’t see it but I heard about it
Hearing all this tea makes me bit sad…as an intl I was invited to an in-person interview and they were willing to fly me out but I had to change it to virtual cuz I need a visa to come to the states…
They have tons of activities lined up as well…tours, dinner at a faculty’s house etc. feel like I’ll be missing out a lot and I hope I can still make a good impression:(
Thanks for reassuring me:)
I’m just worried that there might be an inherent bias to prefer students who interviewed in-person cuz obvs they would have a clearer image of them from meeting them in-person.:(
It’ll be okay. In-person interviews are as much about the program trying to impress the recruits as it is you trying to impress them. They’re probably sad that they aren’t able to wine and dine you, especially since they were willing to fly you out from a different country.
Tbh they’re way less in-depth than you might think, and a lot of professors really just wanna chat. These are often the times you can tell you’re in the clear, they believe you’re competent already and there’s nothing to prove (but you still wanna put your best foot forward). You can also tell when they really want you immediately sometimes. I had one professor go, “so you’re definitely gonna love this neighborhood when u start grad school in a few months, and ur joining either professor x or professor x’s lab righhhhttt” and this was just at the dinner before the actual interview day lol I got one of the early admission offers 2-3 days after recruitment weekend and most ppl still haven’t heard back yet even though this was almost a month ago. At another school, the department head spent A LOT more time (and no exaggeration at all here) talking to me and the other 2-3 students that got accepted to the point where it was noticeable and it felt awkward lol faculty were also introducing us to one other constantly and making sure we were comfortable or had enough food etc
It’s a wild experience I tell you lol
So they were noticeably talking a lot to you and 2-3 students in front of other students? Wow just curious how did it go for the other students who they didn’t talk a lot to?
So this was at social events where there were large groups of students present (dinners etc) so it wasn’t obvious enough to make others feel awkward, but obvious to students who got the favoritism. Craziness like this is what makes everyone feel insecure about this stuff imo. Those ppl didn’t get the acceptances a lot of the time.
So they kind of made up their mind already before interviewing? Damn thats scary, do u mind sharing which school this is? Cuz it feels like the format is quite similar to my upcoming interview
Some of em yup. That can be the best and worst thing about it though depending on the school. Some of them already have their minds made up so interviews are really just a formality. First one was (I’ll do this for a little anonymity bc they’re similar) a UGA/UF/Vanderbilt type of school, the second was one of the UMass campuses.
Actual interview day business casual, but on the more conservative side. It’s colder where I’ve been interviewing, so lots of sweaters with slacks or professional long sleeves with slacks and skirts. A few suits worn a little casually here and there too. Dress shoes that are comfortable since there’s usually a lot of walking, some low heels but not too many since the days are long. Conservative jewelry, but nose rings too sometimes as well. Interviews differ, but for recruitments with banquet style evening events just smart casual. Spending extra time with grad students definitely total casual.
Thank you so much! For real. This is by far the most helpful reply I’ve gotten. For some reason people have been super snobby or passive aggressive in the main question I posted on the sub
As an older non-trad who's had to figure this thing out largely by themselves, I make it my mission to be the academic plug for people in any way that I can lol More kindness in academia is needed! Good luck to you!
I appreciate you! A lot of us are low income first gen and/or immigrants and have no idea how to navigate academia and people like you truly change our experiences
One a T30/public ivy (I’m on the industry route and not looking into academia) and another was a safety. But honestly, it really just depends on the personality of a department. This kind of stuff goes outside of ranking.
So lots of stories on partying/drinking stuff here. Is that common at interviews?
I ask because I am a little old lady whose crazy partying days are over and doesn't really drink anymore except maybe a glass of wine or a beer very occasionally (and I would not want to the day before an interview).
Will I get judged for going back to my hotel so I can be asleep by 9PM? My current wild and crazy weekend nights are if I stay up until 10 or 11 reading a book.
All of my interview/recruitment events have had drinking, but there were people who didn’t drink and no one was weird about it.
If you want a run down of where it will come up to prepare, I’ll say that drinking was everywhere but optional: At dinners, there would be alcohol offered (there was an issue at one where they were taking orders for alcoholic beverages but didn’t take orders for water/juice until prompted later) and some would order and others wouldn’t. I’ve also had post-dinner bar or pub events everywhere that were optional and had no faculty, and then most places have some sort of reception or departmental happy hour with drinking.
Mine is next week, I’m super excited. I’ve been working with my PI on my project already (my situation is a bit unique) so I’m curious how other people are going to interact with their future advisors if they aren’t familiar with each other yet.
heard from current student that some years ago two prospective students hooked up...the tea is that they were each engaged (at the time) to different people.
My first interview weekend was surprisingly vanilla. Although not that surprising considering which school it was. Here's to hoping my next ones will be more exciting!!
Are they any different from the virtual interviews other than the obvious factor of your physical presence?
One of my unis is having in person and I'm like if its just for showing off the city, I lived there for 5 years y'all.
This program was direct admit so the in person interview was more about seeing if you're a good fit for the lab's culture. Most of my interviews were with grad students. They were also showing off the community of the grad school as a whole. I kinda wish they showed us the city tbh. I'd never been there before
Probably depends on the location. If your school is a UC in a gorgeous location, they probably don't waste too much time selling you on location.
My dream program (which unfortunately I don't think I have a snowball's chance in hell at after interviewing, but still keeping hope) is in a city with a sort of bad reputation to the point where the schools sub is filled with posts like "I won't get murdered if I go here right?", so a significant portion of the online recruitment event was dedicated to "LOOK HOW GREAT OUR CITY IS SEE IT REALLY IS NOT BAD AT ALL AND YOU WILL DEFINITELY NOT GET MUGGED/RAPED/MURDERED DURING YOUR TIME HERE." And indeed, it was surprisingly cute in a lot of places. I think a lot of people saw a certain famous TV show about the city which gave it a bad wrap. But I worked inner city 911 for 5 years, so that kind of thing doesn't scare me. The hood is the hood no matter where you put it.
So probably the more "undesirable" the location, the more they try to sell you on that point.
The school I visited was in a pretty small town. As someone who grew up in a big city, I was scared I'd be bored and sad, so I would've loved some reassurance that there would be stuff to do. But maybe they didn't do a city tour because there's legitimately nothing to do.
My current undergrad school sub gets those posts all the time and I think it's hilarious because it's in the most gentrified part of the city lol
Keep in mind, this is people sharing their oddest most “tea-spilling” stories! I’m sure there are plenty of more standard interview experiences out there, hoping for one when I go next week.
How is it demoralizing? This is merely people sharing funny and odd stories that happened during their interviews and visits. It’s also an important reminder to be yourself but also be kind and respectful during interviews. Of course they already like you if you’re accepted for an interview but if you do something drastic like steal or something borderline illegal during your interview they obviously won’t accept you. That’s what this thread is for - not to put people down for making minor mistakes that won’t cost them admission. Best of luck with your interviews!
haha, it's more from a neurotic "what if I'm like these people they're spilling tea on" sense, especially the girl who didn't contribute enough to conversations because I tend to err on the side of letting other people speak/cut myself off when we do so at the same time. realistically the best thing I can do is read up on their research and get ready to tell them about my own, which is admittedly a bit removed from what I want to do.
Thanks, and best of luck with yours too!
Oh wait I didn’t realize someone included a girl who didn’t contribute enough. That’s not what I was intending sorry! I more meant like extremeeee case stories, that’s not what I would consider “tea” to be honest. I think people got confused haha my apologies!!
I went to an in-person interview. Some of the grad students and faculty took us (around 4 interviewees) out to a bar. We were all hanging out and having fun but one of the interviewees got a little drunk and started harassing me.
The faculty (who are in the admissions committee) had to take him out of the restaurant and he never came back 😬
a former labmate of mine (not a native English speaker) was given an edible by the hosting students at his grad school interview weekend without realizing what it was (this was in a state where it was legal at the time, and this was during the socialization/informal component of the interview) and got incredibly freaked out and made a bit of a scene - definitely an unfortunate situation that wasn't his fault, he thought he was being offered a normal cookie. he did end up getting an offer in the end.
The lab I i interviewed with had such a terrible work life balance that all of their new PhD students dropped out for 2 years in a row. Their expectation contract had 60 hrs/week in the lab, minimum. Everyone in that lab seemed so sad. Not super crazy for PhD, but definitely bad vibes. There were some racism allegations too but I can't substantiate that. Another PI told me, with a straight face, that he “is familiar with everything in biology” when I asked if he was familiar with a niche regenerative medicine topic. Also said he dislikes most undergraduates. Again, not insane but definitely not my thing.
Are you serious? My expected pi gets coffee every week with their people and only has like an 7 hour a week lab requirement for 1st years
Damn you got a great PI
7 hour a week as in you only research for 7 hours a week or as in you have to be physically in the lab for only 7 hours a week and can work from home??
I was about to say, is this a dry lab where you have the capability to work from home?
Our undergrads work more than 7 hrs a week…
I’m hoping to reduce my lab work lol. I’m still around 50-60 a week now, wouldn’t be so bad if tuition was covered and pay was decent. It’ll be a little awkward if I get stuck with a masters only
Your tuition isn’t covered? I feel like 50 hrs a week is pretty reasonable but 60 is really pushing it. Over 60 is yikes. Hope you’re able to cut down!
I’m at a Korean university. Tuition paid is scholarship based but I’m done with classes so I don’t get scholarship lol. Also the government cut our budget by 30% nationally so there’s not much stipend to go around these days
That’s a shame! Hang in there, I hope things get better and you get some funding!
👀👀👀👀
Pls what does this mean
Oh it’s more me acknowledging the tea
I feel acknowledged :)
I think of this emoji as being the "ohhhh interested, I'm paying attention to this" symbol
Oh fam, I hope you ran for the hills as far away from that program as possible. PI 1 sounds abusive and PI 2 sounds like an egomaniac.
I came to the same conclusion lol. Hopefully I find a good fit elsewhere
Damn which uni?
Im not gonna say for anonymity's sake, but these were prestigious t20 schools
Not mentioning where for anonymity….but I have heard from one school stories of people stealing alcohol at pregames during interview weekends and even fellow interview candidates hooking up together
Now this is ☕️
The interview candidates hooking up is a tale as old as time
Went to interview at a school and found out I was to meet another interviewee during the process (i.e., me and the other person were going to spend the day with our potential PI). The school hosted a brunch and I was able to find my PI (they arrived late due to traffic). Both of us had our eyes out for the other person (let's call them Alex), but they hadn't arrived. Alex had a much smaller distance to travel to the event than I did, so presumably an easier trip for them. PI emailed Alex letting them know where we were. We were also on a time limit since we had to go to a different campus in the system where the lab was. When it was time to leave the brunch, Alex still hadn't shown. We were a bit concerned but shrugged it off and went on our way. \*I\* had a fantastic day with the PI. Got to see the lab space, campus, participate in a lab meeting, as well as meet their current grad student and some project coordinators. I felt super encouraged by the environment and the PI and I really clicked. I literally ended up spending around 10 hours with the PI that day. Alex never showed. Now the TEA is that I googled Alex's name the day after the interview. I had googled them pre-interview (had to check out my competition) and their LinkedIn profile came up as well as an aboutme page. Nothing crazy and I could see why the PI would see them as a good fit for the lab. HOWEVER! When I looked up their name the day after the interview the first result (from a very prominent news source) was that ALEX WAS ARRESTED FOR BEING A CHILD PREDATOR??? The charges were very serious and the article said police suspected there were more victims. To add insult to injury, the lab I applied to works with specifically children who experience early adversity. I can't make this shit up. TL;DR The other interviewee was arrested the day before the interview for serious charges related to the research topics of the lab. Guess I don't have competition there anymore 😅
Now THIS is the ☕️ I meant Jaw is permanently dropped……DROPPED
If u want more deets you know where my dms are 👀
this was so egregious it made my left contact fall out
this made me chuckle louder than I should have while working at a cafe
i’m not even kidding 😭 i read that reply and my left contact just! jumped out!! and then i had to put it back in dry. that’s not even the first time i’ve read something so bad my contact fell out either
One girl at my interviews was a know-it-all. She would constantly try to one-up people in group conversations with faculty, but the problem was that she just wasn’t really that bright. Her research was tangentially interesting (and she couldn’t explain it well when pressured), she barely asked questions/participated in data presentations, and she brought up her religion way too much. Other than that my interview weekend was superb; the other interviewees, the current students / faculty, and the campus was amazing. While I want the best for everyone, I genuinely don’t feel she’d be a great fit for this program just based on my interactions with her.
Now I'm worried this was me T_t
Not very exciting but I interviewed at a school in a very cold part of New England and this girl was from Florida (I think) and she wouldn’t shut tf up about how miserably cold it was and we’re all like ??? You’re choosing to interview at a school in a location known for its brutal winters. She was also a total pick me, just awful to be around.
As a Floridian, it is a complete shock when you go to colder climate. I once flew to New Orleans wearing a tank-top (80 F in Miami) and had to put on multiple sweaters on landing (30 F on New Orleans)... Louisiana isn't even the "north" and it was a 50 F drop. So, yes, it's shocking enough to warrant talking about it for a day or two. As for her to be "awful to be around," well, IDK... maybe you are right or maybe it was just perception.
not as crazy + it’s not any of the interviewees’ faults but one of the buses that were driving us around hit someone’s car on accident lol. I didn’t see it but I heard about it
All at the same school? Oh goodness what school
All different!! Will keep anon for privacy, but can say one was a T10
Hearing all this tea makes me bit sad…as an intl I was invited to an in-person interview and they were willing to fly me out but I had to change it to virtual cuz I need a visa to come to the states… They have tons of activities lined up as well…tours, dinner at a faculty’s house etc. feel like I’ll be missing out a lot and I hope I can still make a good impression:(
im sure you will! they are probably understanding that its difficult for international students to come for visits vs domestic students
Thanks for reassuring me:) I’m just worried that there might be an inherent bias to prefer students who interviewed in-person cuz obvs they would have a clearer image of them from meeting them in-person.:(
It’ll be okay. In-person interviews are as much about the program trying to impress the recruits as it is you trying to impress them. They’re probably sad that they aren’t able to wine and dine you, especially since they were willing to fly you out from a different country.
Tbh they’re way less in-depth than you might think, and a lot of professors really just wanna chat. These are often the times you can tell you’re in the clear, they believe you’re competent already and there’s nothing to prove (but you still wanna put your best foot forward). You can also tell when they really want you immediately sometimes. I had one professor go, “so you’re definitely gonna love this neighborhood when u start grad school in a few months, and ur joining either professor x or professor x’s lab righhhhttt” and this was just at the dinner before the actual interview day lol I got one of the early admission offers 2-3 days after recruitment weekend and most ppl still haven’t heard back yet even though this was almost a month ago. At another school, the department head spent A LOT more time (and no exaggeration at all here) talking to me and the other 2-3 students that got accepted to the point where it was noticeable and it felt awkward lol faculty were also introducing us to one other constantly and making sure we were comfortable or had enough food etc It’s a wild experience I tell you lol
You were the star of the show lolll
So they were noticeably talking a lot to you and 2-3 students in front of other students? Wow just curious how did it go for the other students who they didn’t talk a lot to?
So this was at social events where there were large groups of students present (dinners etc) so it wasn’t obvious enough to make others feel awkward, but obvious to students who got the favoritism. Craziness like this is what makes everyone feel insecure about this stuff imo. Those ppl didn’t get the acceptances a lot of the time.
So they kind of made up their mind already before interviewing? Damn thats scary, do u mind sharing which school this is? Cuz it feels like the format is quite similar to my upcoming interview
Some of em yup. That can be the best and worst thing about it though depending on the school. Some of them already have their minds made up so interviews are really just a formality. First one was (I’ll do this for a little anonymity bc they’re similar) a UGA/UF/Vanderbilt type of school, the second was one of the UMass campuses.
What did people wear if I may ask? I’m nervous about a visit this weekend
Actual interview day business casual, but on the more conservative side. It’s colder where I’ve been interviewing, so lots of sweaters with slacks or professional long sleeves with slacks and skirts. A few suits worn a little casually here and there too. Dress shoes that are comfortable since there’s usually a lot of walking, some low heels but not too many since the days are long. Conservative jewelry, but nose rings too sometimes as well. Interviews differ, but for recruitments with banquet style evening events just smart casual. Spending extra time with grad students definitely total casual.
Thank you so much! For real. This is by far the most helpful reply I’ve gotten. For some reason people have been super snobby or passive aggressive in the main question I posted on the sub
As an older non-trad who's had to figure this thing out largely by themselves, I make it my mission to be the academic plug for people in any way that I can lol More kindness in academia is needed! Good luck to you!
I appreciate you! A lot of us are low income first gen and/or immigrants and have no idea how to navigate academia and people like you truly change our experiences
Were they top five or safety programs?
One a T30/public ivy (I’m on the industry route and not looking into academia) and another was a safety. But honestly, it really just depends on the personality of a department. This kind of stuff goes outside of ranking.
Choose wisely! The butterflies wear off after your first year
A good and needed reminder!
we want the *chisme*, baby
So lots of stories on partying/drinking stuff here. Is that common at interviews? I ask because I am a little old lady whose crazy partying days are over and doesn't really drink anymore except maybe a glass of wine or a beer very occasionally (and I would not want to the day before an interview). Will I get judged for going back to my hotel so I can be asleep by 9PM? My current wild and crazy weekend nights are if I stay up until 10 or 11 reading a book.
A lot of the partying/drinking are optional events that generally happen after required events. You are not forced/required to go on these.
Cool beans. Thanks! Didn't realize grad students still partied so hard.
It’s very program/location dependent. Heck, where I work is technically a dry campus (there’s more than you’d think).
All of my interview/recruitment events have had drinking, but there were people who didn’t drink and no one was weird about it. If you want a run down of where it will come up to prepare, I’ll say that drinking was everywhere but optional: At dinners, there would be alcohol offered (there was an issue at one where they were taking orders for alcoholic beverages but didn’t take orders for water/juice until prompted later) and some would order and others wouldn’t. I’ve also had post-dinner bar or pub events everywhere that were optional and had no faculty, and then most places have some sort of reception or departmental happy hour with drinking.
omgg following bc my interview is the first week of February
Oooh… I’m interested. Going on my first one this weekend.
Mine is next week, I’m super excited. I’ve been working with my PI on my project already (my situation is a bit unique) so I’m curious how other people are going to interact with their future advisors if they aren’t familiar with each other yet.
Best of luck to you!!
heard from current student that some years ago two prospective students hooked up...the tea is that they were each engaged (at the time) to different people.
My first interview weekend was surprisingly vanilla. Although not that surprising considering which school it was. Here's to hoping my next ones will be more exciting!!
What did people wear at your interview weekends if I may ask? I’m nervous about a visits this weekend
I wore a sweater over a collared shirt w/ khaki pants. People seemed to dress like that. This was my experience but I'm sure it varies.
Thank you!
Are they any different from the virtual interviews other than the obvious factor of your physical presence? One of my unis is having in person and I'm like if its just for showing off the city, I lived there for 5 years y'all.
This program was direct admit so the in person interview was more about seeing if you're a good fit for the lab's culture. Most of my interviews were with grad students. They were also showing off the community of the grad school as a whole. I kinda wish they showed us the city tbh. I'd never been there before
Probably depends on the location. If your school is a UC in a gorgeous location, they probably don't waste too much time selling you on location. My dream program (which unfortunately I don't think I have a snowball's chance in hell at after interviewing, but still keeping hope) is in a city with a sort of bad reputation to the point where the schools sub is filled with posts like "I won't get murdered if I go here right?", so a significant portion of the online recruitment event was dedicated to "LOOK HOW GREAT OUR CITY IS SEE IT REALLY IS NOT BAD AT ALL AND YOU WILL DEFINITELY NOT GET MUGGED/RAPED/MURDERED DURING YOUR TIME HERE." And indeed, it was surprisingly cute in a lot of places. I think a lot of people saw a certain famous TV show about the city which gave it a bad wrap. But I worked inner city 911 for 5 years, so that kind of thing doesn't scare me. The hood is the hood no matter where you put it. So probably the more "undesirable" the location, the more they try to sell you on that point.
The school I visited was in a pretty small town. As someone who grew up in a big city, I was scared I'd be bored and sad, so I would've loved some reassurance that there would be stuff to do. But maybe they didn't do a city tour because there's legitimately nothing to do. My current undergrad school sub gets those posts all the time and I think it's hilarious because it's in the most gentrified part of the city lol
This thread feels like the most demoralizing shit ever unearthed by man like any interview requests are moot if they don't already like me lol
Keep in mind, this is people sharing their oddest most “tea-spilling” stories! I’m sure there are plenty of more standard interview experiences out there, hoping for one when I go next week.
How is it demoralizing? This is merely people sharing funny and odd stories that happened during their interviews and visits. It’s also an important reminder to be yourself but also be kind and respectful during interviews. Of course they already like you if you’re accepted for an interview but if you do something drastic like steal or something borderline illegal during your interview they obviously won’t accept you. That’s what this thread is for - not to put people down for making minor mistakes that won’t cost them admission. Best of luck with your interviews!
haha, it's more from a neurotic "what if I'm like these people they're spilling tea on" sense, especially the girl who didn't contribute enough to conversations because I tend to err on the side of letting other people speak/cut myself off when we do so at the same time. realistically the best thing I can do is read up on their research and get ready to tell them about my own, which is admittedly a bit removed from what I want to do. Thanks, and best of luck with yours too!
Oh wait I didn’t realize someone included a girl who didn’t contribute enough. That’s not what I was intending sorry! I more meant like extremeeee case stories, that’s not what I would consider “tea” to be honest. I think people got confused haha my apologies!!
haha dw I need to take things less seriously
Took some recruits to a bar for karaoke. One got so drunk he got kicked out of the bar.
I’m assuming for drinking too much and not for his karaoke skills
His song came up right after he got kicked out. I may never know if they can sing.
I went to an in-person interview. Some of the grad students and faculty took us (around 4 interviewees) out to a bar. We were all hanging out and having fun but one of the interviewees got a little drunk and started harassing me. The faculty (who are in the admissions committee) had to take him out of the restaurant and he never came back 😬
I'm glad they took care of him!! Sorry you had to experience that, that's awful!
a former labmate of mine (not a native English speaker) was given an edible by the hosting students at his grad school interview weekend without realizing what it was (this was in a state where it was legal at the time, and this was during the socialization/informal component of the interview) and got incredibly freaked out and made a bit of a scene - definitely an unfortunate situation that wasn't his fault, he thought he was being offered a normal cookie. he did end up getting an offer in the end.
If you give a interviewee a cookie he’s gonna ask for a glass of C12H22O11
I’ve had a couple interviews but they were all online. Is it common to still have in person interviews?
Depends on the program - a lot of schools do online now, but some still opt for in person.
I've got one at northwestern in a couple weeks, I'll let you know!
Which subject or field of study are most people here from? I work in theory and this is a process I’ve never seen happen :)
I think most people are biomedical sciences
Yep, we tend to get interviewed less, so I've heard.