<p>My D1 is still sending in grad school applications, but as I understand it, the next step might be interviews at various schools. How do people dress for these? (in other words; Christmas and her birthday are coming and if she needs something new, I'd like to know so we can shop) Her field is biology. Her wardrobe consists of 1) high tech active sports clothes specific for the sport 2) old jeans and retro "science" tee shirts 3) slinky night-club wear. I'm guessing none of these is ideal. What have others worn? What seems to be the least expensive way to hit the "norm" for fitting in without seeming preppy or overdressed. This isn't an MBA program, after all.</p>
<p>I have to say that the last time I interviewed for grad school was ages ago :), but I think the rules are still the same. I wore a simple pantsuit with a simple shirt. The Limited in our malls has some fairly nice suiting pieces for younger ladies at reasonable prices. oD also likes Express pants and shirts. </p>
<p>Definitely nothing flashy, slinky or revealing! Your D should save the jeans and those Fisher Scientific T-shirts for her future lab work! Good luck to her!</p>
<p>H and M has some wonderful inexpensive suits....my D got herself a simple grey pinstripe that was under 80 dollars total</p>
<p>she can wear the pants or blazer, pants with a sweater</p>
<p>grey or brown is good for this age group, classy but not too dark..she can dress it down with a simple shirt or up with a button down one</p>
<p>also express has some cute button down shirts...wi</p>
<p>I've heard of H and M but never seen a store - where are they?<br>
The express idea is good - may have to drag her to the mall....</p>
<p>These are the Express shirts:</p>
<p>EXPRESS</a> - For Her</p>
<p>Thanks, this is more what's on her radar (if the mods dont take it off, clearly a shopping spot but her clothing priority is biking to class in the winter, not showing up looking like an adult)
Smartwool</a> Combo Half Zip Sweater (For Women) from Campmor
Express is good - they send us coupons!</p>
<p>Other parents - what have your students experienced on interview weekends (not meaning just clothes)</p>
<p>a simple pair of TROUSER or DOCKER type pants, a simple sweater is good...we just also buy the blazers because might as well have a simple suit</p>
<p>H&M...not everyone, but worth trying to find</p>
<p>I like Express as well, but H&M is less expensive</p>
<p>She is on the right track to become a PhD biologist - they all bike to work! ;)</p>
<p>I would say that her interview will most likely involve one-on-one talks with some professors in the department where she would like to do her research. She will be asked about her motivations for going to grad school, her past research experience, her future plans, blah, blah, blah. Sort of like a job interview. She needs to do her homework about each department she will have her interviews with, what profs are doing as far as their research goes. It is all available online, and professors sometimes have PDFs of their published papers. She will get to hang out with some grad students (they could look intimidating, but most likely will be very friendly) and see the labs.</p>
<p>I think she could also just wear a plain t-shirt (maybe scoop or v-neck) with a blazer/jacket and some sort of neutral pair of pants - black or khaki. The express shirts are fine too.</p>
<p>She should also get a nice porfolio- the folder leather type- you can get them failry cheaply at target or an office supply store- to put in a resume, etc...it just looks better than a paper folder and will always be useful</p>
<p>It IS a job interview, really, so have a pen that works, turn off cell phone, etc</p>
<p>I do not think our son has been asked to interview for any grad schools which are scattered across the country from Cali to Texas to Illinois to Florida.</p>
<p>D went through this a couple of years back, bu is in Humanities. She chose to look at it like a job interview and dressed accordingly. Shes short and petite,always needs alterations on pants and skirts and jackets. She went to the Limited, where they do alterations, and you can buy separate sizes for blazers/pants if you need to. She started out with gray jacket/pants, black shoes and a few different tops to wear under the jacket that worked if the jacket was removed (like a light sweater or shirt,not a shell).She interviewed during the winter months,in different parts of the country.She also needed a decent coat to put on top of the jacket.
Shes frequented the Limited since to fit her needs as a TA and department member..she likes to dress a step up from the undergrads, as she looks younger than 24 and there have been departmental and University functions where she needs to look professional.i will say her outlook on clothing has evolved since her undergrad days, as Im sure your D's will also.</p>
<p>My D is also in the interviewing process. She was actually advised by a couple of programs to make sure and wear "comfortable shoes"! So the very cute high heel pumps she'd normally wear with her skirted suit may not be advisable :)</p>
<p>It's true that some programs do not interview. She's applying for a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy which is part of the med schools at most universities. It can vary even among schools. For example, she was accepted at Northwestern without an interview, but will have interviews at Emory & Duke, before hearing about acceptance or rejection.</p>
<p>I'm thinking a great option for cold weather places might be a blazer and pants, rather than the skirt, so may need to do some more shopping. Should have bought matching slacks with that suit!</p>
<p>I second Express and Limited for good basics at reasonably prices, especially when they have sales.</p>
<p>For CHristmas I got my D some "practical" shoes- lower heals to wear with suits- skirts or pants- she may be interning next summer and needs shoes like that</p>
<p>Each girl should be sent off to college with an Interview Outfit</p>
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Each girl should be sent off to college with an Interview Outfit
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<p>Agreed. Every girl should own a dark colored suit with a no-iron blouse. I bought my DD a couple of Ann Taylor suits at the outlet store when she started job interviews during her last year in college. Four years later, she was wearing the same suits to her MBA interviews and now to her summer internship interviews.</p>
<p>For my biology PhD interviews two years ago, I wore a sweater and skirt one day, and a different sweater and khakis for the second day. I bought a pair of low pumps that were very "I'm a serious scientist, but I still like cute shoes."</p>
<p>Someone in a suit and tie would be pretty noticeably overdressed, and someone in jeans would be underdressed, but anything between those is okay. (One of my professors told me that he didn't like to see interviewees dressing "like they're going to their grandmother's funeral," interpret that as you see fit. :))</p>
<p>That advice is for molecular biology/biomedical sciences -- I've heard field biology interviews are less formal.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great advice. I think Christmas may include a few handmade gift cards "Good for one pair of low pumps" and "Good for one classic sweater". Maybe Banana Republic on sale or Limited if not for the clothes - DSW for the shoes.
I'd second the idea of sending every girl off to college with an Interview Outfit if it weren't for the changing sizes problem.... D1 has gone from a size 4at 18 to a 6 or bigger at 20 to a size 2 now that she bikes everywhere and doesn't eat dorm food. I don't think that's uncommon.</p>
<p>My favorite interview item was a soft black or brown leather portfolio, with shoulder strap and carry-handle both. Leaves a free hand to shake; holds all papers; and no purse or bookbag to juggle. It's a visual upgrade from coming in with a bookbag.</p>
<p>My favorite had one inner divider. It accordianed out slightly, enough to carry several file folders plus perhaps a paperback. Where the paperback might go, I'd instead put the essential contents of my purse (don't even ask). </p>
<p>This let me bring in my own projects-on-paper to show, plus resumes. More importantly, it kept me from having to bring in my a beaten-up college bookbag into a room with unknown expectations. It gave me a place to put keys, etc. Today, etc. includes a turned-off cell phone, or it could clip to the outside of the shoulder strap equally well.</p>
<p>After a while, I began to buy a super small zip-purse to hold the etc. stuff.
That way, I could quickly transfer it in and out of the college bookbag, which I still very much needed throughout senior year of college.</p>
<p>To fly for an interview weekend, still carry the usual college bookbag on a plane, but pack the empty leather portfolio, flatened into a suitcase, with her clothing. </p>
<p>If the leather is soft, she'll feel comfortable. If she doesn't use leather, there are black fabric options, with zippers, just as professional but less expensive than leather.</p>
<p>Pantsuits make much more sense than skirts in cold weather. The skirt leaves the problem of having to wear tights, which are really uncomfortable if you're not used to them. If she hates pants, then a very long skirt (midcalf, even ankle length) with a blazer on top, coupled with boots for snow, is fine, because then you use socks, not tights, and nobody's the wiser. </p>
<p>I'm not talking Lochness Monster boots, but anything that repells snow and cold, black zip-up, is really fine if she's in and out of the outdoors, walking from building to building at a graduate school with others mid-interview, and so on. She still has to walk across a snowy campus to get to the building for the interview, and doesn't want to land there with cold, wet feet; nor does she want to have big snow boots to wear, then little shoes to change into (although that's what people do once they actually have a steady work location). </p>
<p>Would welcome ideas from other northern female scientists...don't want to steer anyone wrong. She can't concentrate if her feet are cold or wet when she arrives.</p>
<p>OK, just went on Amazon and found a good non-leather but prof. looking portfolio. Thanks for the suggestion.
She's only after 2 programs in the NE, so I'm holding out on the boots. No sense spending lots if she ends up at UCSD in flip-flops! Maybe she could be persuaded to wear my old ones if she ends up in snow and then put on "real" shoes for the important talks...
Thanks again for the help. THere is no resource like CC!</p>