<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>I am applying to Ph.D programs in biomedical/bioengineering. One of the schools I heard back from sent me an email saying I was accepted, but I got another email saying that I was invited to their campus for an interview. I was a little confused by this, I thought that it meant I was accepted and the interview was for fellowship money or to see if I am a good fit with specific professors. Is this correct? Has anyone had experience with this type of situation?</p>
<p>If they said you are accepted, I would suspect that isn’t incorrect. I would assume the interview is for any added opportunities you may have going there or even just to get to know you more before you start school there if you go there.</p>
<p>I know some schools do interviews after acceptance. Sometimes they do this to persuade you to come to their institution.</p>
<p>Remember, the interview process is as much for you as the school. You need to make sure you’ll fit in at least two labs (and they have funding for you) before you commit to anywhere.</p>
<p>Can you give us more color on why do you say two labs - is it just to have an option or backup in case something doesn’t go well with one? (e.g. might be personality issues, PI leaving to go to another university, etc.)</p>
<p>Or, is it because often it is helpful to have co-advisers thus the suggestion for two labs?</p>
<p>It’s a huge risk to go to a school where you’re only willing to work with one PI/lab. It’s very common today (and especially in the next 2 years…) for labs to not have enough funding for a graduate student, even if they’re reasonably successful or initially told you they would have money. Similarly, you never know if someone will be a good advisor for YOU until you’ve worked with them awhile. You may realize that you hate the lab’s approach to science, or that there is a tech or postdoc there that will make you completely miserable and regret ever going to graduate school - remember, mental health is just as important as your education. Going to a school with only one potential PI is a serious gamble and very few people would support it.</p>
<p>It can also be things that are entirely out of your control. One of the grad students I worked with in undergrad had to leave his previous grad program as he was finishing his second year when his PI lost a multi-million dollar grant (entire program got shut down due to lack of government funding), so he lost his job along with a bunch of labmates. He didn’t have any other faculty members he wanted to work with there, so he had to reapply elsewhere.</p>
<p>This is also why it’s really important to go to visiting weekends after you’re accepted to be sure there’s a few people you could see yourself working for.</p>