<p>A friend’s son wants to get his PhD in chemistry. He graduated last May and took off this past year to apply to grad school. He graduated from college with a low GPA and did not participate in any internships as an undergrad. He now brags that he is being “wined and dined” by numerous colleges. They are paying to fly him across the country, put him up in hotels, and pay for his meals. Is this customary?</p>
<p>I know one of my daughter’s friends, who had a high GPA from a prestigious undergrad chem program got flown across the country and “wined and dined” by numerous PhD programs. So it’s quite possible.</p>
<p>It does happen, and not only in sciences. :)</p>
<p>It DOES happen…but it may not happen at every school…for every applicant.</p>
<p>Yes. Every school at which I interviewed paid for all of my travel expenses/hotel costs, and most also paid to take me out to lunch and for other meals. Other schools that did not interview me, but accepted me, offered to pay the travel costs (up to a certain limit) for me to come to admitted student days.</p>
<p>This is for mathematics/physics, by the way.</p>
<p>Many schools have travel stipends for accepted students to come visit during “accepted student weekends”. It is not unusual at all.</p>
<p>Thank you for answering my question. I was not aware that this was a common practice, but I’ve learned something new. I think that my friend’s son has let all this attention go to his head.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if it is common. In my field, it very much depends on the school and their budget. Also at some schools, you are invited before getting an offer; at others you are flown in after the offer. These visits can serve different goals.</p>
<p>At our school, after doing skype interviews, we will fly in folks from anywhere- often the other side of the world- for them to meet us and us to meet them (before making offers). Given the cost to a PhD program to fund a student for so many years (any good school is covering a students tuition and providing a stipend), it is a very small investment that I think is worth making. It’s just like getting a job really.</p>
<p>I’m surprised he’s having this opportunity given the record you describe. But what do you consider a low GPA for an undergrad in chemistry from his university? We can readily discount an overall lower GPA if the latter years are strong and the core courses are strong or if the school is known for being particularly tough. And even more so if one has high test scores and great letters. Also what do you mean by internships? Most students accepted into good grad schools will participate in research as undergrads, not necessarily paid and not called an internship. I guess it is quite possible you don’t know all the details of his record.</p>
<p>My D is going to accepted student weekends this spring, also for chemistry. Every school she’s visiting is paying for the visits, and many students are invited to each weekend. It seems to be standard. There is some wining and dining, but it’s mostly about meeting with potential advisors and talking with current grad students, to get a sense of whether the department is a fit.</p>
<p>
This.</p>
<p>Recruitment varies so much by department and university that anyone speaking in generalities has absolutely no idea what (s)he is talking about.</p>
<p>^That is usually the case for most discussions of graduate programs. So much variability, on almost anything one can think of. </p>
<p>I just wanted to add that it IS an achievement that might be worthy of letting it go to your head (temporarily at least). Not my field, but from what I have heard, it is really hard to get into a decent PhD program in chemistry.</p>
<p>Keep us posted what college “won” him as a PhD student.</p>
<p>My D has been to 4 different interviews on basically each corner of the US. They paid for all expenses except her flights. After reading about grad school interviews here on CC, I insisted they must be willing to help her out with those, too, but she kept countering me that they were not paying for the flights. I wonder if she should have pressed them on this but was too afraid of coming across as entitled. </p>
<p>At any rate, we were able to use miles for most of these, but not all.</p>
<p>I have a family member, not in the sciences, going to interviews for grad school. They are not funding transportation, but are providing meals and lodging.</p>
<p>No travel was paid for my D’s Med. School interview expanses. But some meals and lodging (with student host, had to pay if choose hotel stay) were provided. D. was just happy to have great selection at the end of process and went to couple of Second Look events. Yes, one of them was lavish, including staying in 5-6 star hotel and limos, but her travel was not paid. The school that organized lavish Second Look won D’s heart (but not because of being lavish but because of additional info.) and she is currently attending there. Before Second Look event she had the hardest time deciding as she had great choices. D. drove to all her interviews and always stayed with current students as a mean to obtain more info about school.</p>
<p>^ I don’t think med school or any professional school fits at all into the same category as PhD programs. The only thing they have in common is they are both called “grad school” on CC. Entirely apples and oranges though. One pays a lot of tuition for professional school, one is paid to attend a PhD program.</p>
<p>My colleague has very bright twins who are seniors at our state colleges who are being wined and dined at schools whose names you would recognize.</p>
<p>My d. received "the treatment’. In her program, they have NO waiting list. They either get the students they accepted, or simply have fewer students that year, which is fine with them. As they are top 3 in their field, they get just about everyone they take, but it is a blow when they don’t. There are likely several hundred applicants for 4-5 places.</p>
<p>But there were no interviews. This is all post-acceptance.</p>
<p>Wined and dined and even stay overnight are not a concern . Concern is the cost of travel asmany are flying all over the country for several interviews and it adds up. Yes, they are fed and provided stay, but it is penny in comparison.</p>