<p>Last I checked, being “brilliant” does not necessitate one have a great GRE score.</p>
<p>I got an invite from Dartmouth MCB back in December. My GPA is not so hot(3.23) and scored 1400 (760Q) on the GRE. I do have over 3 years of research experience though. I don’t necessarily know the criteria for an invite at schools, but if it was all GPA/GRE I’m pretty sure I would have no interviews at this point in time. So, in other words, if someone like me can get an invite, you all are fine :-)</p>
<p>no, i was not making that implication at all. i was slightly snarky in my post, but only because all the examples of the aforementioned ‘brilliance’ were numbers-related.</p>
<p>GCN2: I wrote thank-you emails. I thought about writing snail mail notes but I think it might be going overboard (which I tend to do). I’m also getting a little too busy to do that stuff… </p>
<p>I’m really anxious to get an acceptance somewhere so that I can relax! I’ve been overly enthusiastic at interviews (I think out of nervousness) but once/if I get an acceptance I think my interviews will go better. I’m kind of sad I didn’t schedule Sackler for the end of the cycle because by then, I think I will feel more in control and less like a quivering jellyfish. </p>
<p>It’s nice to be wooed lately though, I must say. :)</p>
<p>Oh, I sent out emails to potential mentors at the end of last year and one person, a really respected prof at American Univ., emailed me to find out why I did not apply (or to make sure that my app had not gotten lost or something.) I said that American required the psych subject test which I had not taken and I think he was a little mortified (probably wondered how many good students had been deterred from applying because of that.) Isn’t the subject test almost never required for these schools for psych or the hard sciences? There was no way on earth I was going to study/pay for another one of these freaking tests, if I could help it. The first one was stressful enough.</p>
<p>harvard bbs anyone? seems like there hasn’t been any news since the first “wave” :(</p>
<p>Ok, so I applied to 8 schools and I have only heard back from 2 (VCU and UVA). My question is, how likely is the possibility of acceptance after an interview? People get rejected right? Does anyone know the main reason why people get rejected after interview?</p>
<p>What are you guys packing for the interviews that you have to fly out to? Can you make a list, I want to check to see if I’m missing anything.</p>
<p>Lelouch, did you already interview at either of those two places? I think you should hear pretty soon and you probably have a very good chance of getting in.</p>
<p>I am nervous because I have heard all sorts of conflicting things about interviews – some schools accept 60 percent, some 90, some much less than half… I have friends who interviewed at 5, got into 5 and friends who interviewed at 2, got in nowhere, friends who interviewed at 6 and got into 2. It seems really variable. What I have heard is that the interview is just to make sure that you are who you say you are and what your paper records say about you but I think there are personality issues that they look at too. I got an interview at University of Miami and asked them how many people they accept from interviews and he told me the rate was “high.” Many of the schools though I think will let in a good portion of their interviewees because they know that less than half will end up going there (unless they are Harvard, for instance, where the rate is likely much higher.)</p>
<p>I know that’s not much of a help but some of the senior members have said pretty similar things…</p>
<p>anyone at the columbia cmbs recruitment this weekend?</p>
<p>^^ Yes, I was there for the Integrated program</p>
<p>Anyone heard from UCSD neuro? I know they’ve been having some bad weather, so i wonder if that’s to blame for the delay…</p>
<p>Any info on Lelouch’s question “Does anyone know the main reason why people get rejected after interview?” would helpful.
I know common sense things, obvious things, such as don’t get drunk, treat everyone in a polite way, etc., but what about not so obvious stuff?!</p>
<p>Rio2016, I also am curious about this. I had a couple interviewers ask me kind of obscure semi-test-like questions at two of my interviews and I am wondering if that is normal. I knew the answers two years ago when I was studying for a specific test on receptors but I thought that was a little odd. Maybe if they think you don’t remember enough, that’s a red flag. I’m not sure. (I did bust out my old notecards to prevent that from happening again though.)</p>
<p>UCSD neuro interview requests went out a couple of weeks ago. If you read the posts on this thread around Jan. 12, you’ll see that a few CC members were invited via email.</p>
<p>A search on gradcafe shows that in years past, UCSD did not invite in waves, making the Jan. 12 notification likely the only one.</p>
<p>things that increase your likelihood of getting rejected:
1.) being extremely cocky about your work and your abilities (i.e. being a smart-ass…grad students especially hate this)
2.) being extremely anti-social and/or unfriendly to the graduate students. they will talk.
3.) skipping out on planned activities to hang out with friends
4.) getting so drunk that you sexually harass graduate students. getting slightly inebriated is acceptable and often preferred.
5.) telling professors that you are committed to working with only one PI. these people are considered risks.
6.) when asked the question “will you go here?”, acting less than enthusiastic.
7.) texting all the time.
8.) not asking follow-up questions after interviews when given the opportunity (if the research bores you, then PRETEND).</p>
<p>and of course, if asked a question you don’t know the answer to during an interview, say “i don’t know”. profs will see through your BS.</p>
<p>(the aforementioned advice was collected from numerous graduate students at several different programs)</p>
<p>oh yeah: a sizable percentage of rejects are individuals that admissions committee members feel would not be a good fit. in other words, applicants who seem less than committed to pursuing research or whose primary research interests do not concern research that is occurring in the program.</p>
<p>also, please don’t tell PIs that you are applying to their program because you love the location of the school.</p>
<p><sizable percentage=“” of=“” rejects=“” are=“” individuals=“” that=“” admissions=“” committee=“” members=“” feel=“” would=“” not=“” be=“” a=“” good=“” fit.=“” in=“” other=“” words,=“” applicants=“” who=“” seem=“” less=“” than=“” committed=“” to=“” pursuing=“” research=“” or=“” whose=“” primary=“” interests=“” do=“” concern=“” is=“” occurring=“” the=“” program.=“”> </sizable></p>
<p>THIS, much more than the other 8 that XXXXXXX listed. I’m on an admit committee, and the #1 concern is “this person doesn’t know what he/she is getting into” I guess any of the other 8 are valid, we just see them much less frequently.</p>
<p>
I still haven’t decided whether it’s better for me to say that I’m underage or to stay tight-lipped and just have one drink or something. :P</p>
<p>aldo003b: Is #3 on that list a big deal? I was exhausted at the end of one of the long days of interviews and did not go to the dinner, etc. They said it was optional. Now I am hoping that that didn’t ruin my chances at that school.</p>