Help deciding on interviews to attend!

Graduate School
1

It’s not a terrible problem to have: I’ve received a bunch of interview invites, and naturally a lot of them overlap. It seems like I can choose to attend 2 out of 3 between Johns Hopkins (BCMB), Duke (CMB) and UWashington (MCB). Does anyone have personal experience with any of these programs or advice about how to decide which interviews to attend? Thanks!

2

You might have better luck on thegradcafe.com

3

From my sons experience, all the programs but MIT offered a choice of 2 weekends. It was really difficult to juggle 8 or so interviews, and I know he had to eliminate at least one.

4

Have you already been admitted to any of those three? if so, that is one you might want to target because it is a question of how much support you might get. Otherwise, it would make sense for you to see which ones you feel have the most to offer you as far as research goes.

5

not admitted, just offered interviews. admission contingent on interviewing.

6

The you have a hard choice to make but it depends on where you feel you would find the most research opportunities.

7

First of all, if the interviews overlap making it impossible to attend two at a time, then I’d call one of the overlappers and ask them if it is possible for you to schedule your interviews there on a different weekend. Whichever one is your second choice out of the overalapping schools is the one I’d call. At least give them a opportunity to make it work.

If it’s not possible…then I’d select on the basis of these things, in this order:

  1. Research match/your potential PI. Who do you have the opportunity to work with? Where has that PI’s students gone to work after they finished their PhDs? How closely do your interests match up with the PIs at the program?

  2. Program reputation. Not so much hard rankings, but think about the general grouping/ordering of these programs. For example, some programs may be more solidly top 10 while others are more generally top 30. Those fine differences may make a difference in certain fields - maybe not so much in engineering or economics, where academic positions are plentiful, but for sure in literature or philosophy. And even within fields with lots of open positions, a top 10 program vs a top 30 program could make a difference in where you’re likely to be able to apply to teach after you graduate. You know your own field - what are those fine differences, and where do these three programs stand reputationally? If they’re all around the same boat it doesn’t matter, but if - say - Duke and UW are around top 10-20 while JHU is a little more mid-ranked, maybe that leans you harder towards selecting Duke and UW.

  3. Personal preference. If the schools are roughly equal in terms of research match and program reputation, then just pick where you want to be. Would you rather live in Seattle than Baltimore or Durham? Do you prefer the resources and campus of one location? Is one closer to your family?