<p>Hi! I am going to be meeting with a biology professor at Brown. I want to ask him questions. Here are questions that I have made so far:</p>
<p>I am particularly interested in genetics: are there courses at Brown for undergrad that would foster that interest?
What is a typical class size biology courses?
What is a typical class size for pre-med classes in particular?
How readily are research opportunities available to undergraduates?
What do you think is the strongest aspect of the biology department?
What are the benefits of PLME vs. a normal pre-med track? Do you think its worth it?</p>
<p>These are just general guiding questions in case there are lulls in the conversation. I think that I should have some more, but I am a little stuck…any suggestions?</p>
<p>Also, I am not sure if I should have my dad sit in with me during this. He should probably wait outside right?</p>
<p>I’ve always found it helpful to learn about the person I’ll be talking to before and at the beginning of interviews, so I suggest that you Google the professor and learn about his background and research interests</p>
<p>Then, you can ask him how he got interested in his research field and what he enjoys about being at Brown and being involved in the PLUM program there.</p>
<p>You then can ask him about the classes he teaches – how many students are in them, what kind of assignments the students get, if any have gotten to do research with him and/or have published journal articles.</p>
<p>Presumably he’s involved with the PLME program, so you could ask him what he sees as the advantages/disadvantages of it compared to a regular premed track. </p>
<p>No, your dad shouldn’t sit in on it with you.</p>
<p>View it as a conversation, and take the time to get to know the professor. Don’t just think you should be firing questions at him.</p>
<p>btw sorry for the redundant title</p>
<p>thanks Northstarmom! That’s really helpful…I am very nervous about this.</p>
<p>I have watched a lecture by him–he is big on evolution, so I should ask him questions about how he got interested in that? I can do that 
Thanks!</p>
<p>Whatever their field, people usually are happy to talk about how they got involved in that field. </p>
<p>Do as much background research in advance as you can on the professor and his research and what classes he teaches. That will make it easier for you to talk to him and to seem genuinely interested, not just asking simply questions to fill up the time.</p>
<p>It also probably would be good to ask for the professors advice for how – if you get accepted – you could take best advantage of the PLME program, and how if you don’t get accepted, you could try to incorporate some aspects of PLME into your college experience even if you don’t go to Brown.</p>
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<p>I strongly second this. Not only should your dad not sit in on your conversation with the prof, but ideally he should not be sitting outside in the hallway or in the secretary’s office as well. Leave your dad with a cup of coffee and something to read at the student union while you go to visit with the prof.</p>
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<p>And let the prof get to know you too. He’ll likely want to ask you a few questions as well. How did you get interested in genetics? What drew you to Brown? [OTHER THAN IT’S AN IVY!] What’s your current background in biology? Have you had a chance to do any interesting EC’s that relate to your interests in biology and medicine? If the answer is yes, he may want you to describe your experiences.</p>
<p>haha okay, leave dad at the coffee shop.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice robin! I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>I think that leaving dad at the coffee shop is a totally personal decision based on both the prospective student and the dad. </p>
<p>As a professor, there are times when I have been stuck talking with prospective students who are awkward or uncomfortable and having another adult there would have been a whole lot easier on both of us. However, if the dad IS there, he should stay in the background unless needed, and the professor should be talking to the prospective student, even if s/he is answering the dad’s questions. Parents can be very good in asking follow up questions and as another set of ears to remember what was said. Dads can be there to provide support, and the professor probably is going to guess that you didn’t come on your own. The only reason a parent should not be in the room is if it is an interview rather than an informational meeting.</p>
<p>Please don’t ask questions that are easily answered from the school’s web pages. Ask questions about opportunities for research or working in labs or being teaching assistants or interacting with professors or graduate students. Ask questions about how many labs are taught by grad students versus professors. Ask questions about nifty things that undergraduates have done. Ask the professor what s/he thinks is the best thing about their particular program. DON’T ask how many students get into medical/grad school as there is no good answer to that one since it depends on the individual student.</p>
<p>limulus,</p>
<p>I’m a professor too, and a former department chair. I can’t count the times that I have had prospective students come in with one or both parents to talk to me. The parents almost never are capable of staying in the background and out of the conversation. My comment about leaving dad in the coffee shop was not in jest—when I’ve dealt with students whose parents were hovering around (even in the hallway or my secretary’s office), the student seemed to have a very hard time settling down and talking * with * me about what he/she thought was important. My point is that in my experience, the student is more comfortable talking with me when they’re not worrying about their parents sitting there with them or sitting outside in the hallway waiting for them to finish. Having the parent occupied elsewhere helps the student behave more like a responsible young adult in the conversation instead of an immature teenage kid.</p>
<p>And, yes, when I took my son on college visits, I made sure that I was in the student union with reading material when he went off to talk to professors.</p>
<p>I think I would feel more comfortable to just talk with the professor without my dad there. But at the same time, I am a little nervous that I won’t be able to hold a good conversation with him without a little parental support.</p>
<p>In interviews (and your discussion with a faculty member goes both ways) it’s important to have a genuine point of view and to prepare. Most professors are quite capable of keeping a discussion going so you don’t really need to focus on that.</p>
<p>I don’t think that (as one responder suggested) that figuring out the professor’s specific areas of interest for the purpose of bringing them up in the discussion is such a good idea. The professor is representing Brown and the biology department – not himself. Nor is a questioning style that turns over the bulk of the discussion to the professor. Think about what impression you will leave: a list of questions is not memorable. Why are you talking to the professor? What’s your personal context for the meeting. Prepare, be thoughtful, ask questions that are not contrived, or which require simple answers that you can easily discover yourself. When you focus on what matters to you you’ll get a perspective from the professor, and you’ll leave a memorable impression of who you are.</p>
<p>“I don’t think that (as one responder suggested) that figuring out the professor’s specific areas of interest for the purpose of bringing them up in the discussion is such a good idea. The professor is representing Brown and the biology department – not himself. Nor”</p>
<p>It’s always a good idea to find out the background of a person who will be interviewing you even in this kind of situation which is like an informal interview.</p>
<p>The professor also is someone who is associated with the program the student is applying to. More than likely, the professor’s area of research is something the professor talks about in their classes, and the professor even may provide research opportunities for students.</p>