<p>A member of the lab I work in got an interview at the same graduate school I applied to and I was declined to even interview. I have worked in the lab for over a year longer than him and do more advanced research. I have a stronger degree from the same institution (biochemistry vs psychology) and a slightly better GPA. I have no idea why he was invited to interview and I was not. Should I contact the graduate school to inquire about this? Will they even respond?</p>
<p>Just because they didn’t interview you doesn’t mean that you will not be accepted. Have you heard about the acceptances yet? They may have felt that because his degree was in psychology they wanted to make sure he was qualified for their program. They clearly know that you are qualified by your degree & experience so perhaps that is why they didn’t need to interview you.</p>
<p>I personally would not recommend calling them at this point. I would also never ask them why they would interview him and not you. I am not saying that this is what you would do, but thought I should point it out to you.</p>
<p>You also have to realize that there are SO many reasons why schools don’t just look at grades & majors per se. This is just a part of the picture. Most students applying to grad school are at the top of their class. It doesn’t mean that you are a good fit for their program. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Maybe his GRE, references or SOP were better? Maybe he was a better fit?</p>
<p>I am not sure that biochemistry is inherently a stronger degree than psychology. I also have never heard of this situation that that mom2ofOH mentioned where somebody was admitted to a biomedical science program without an interview. If I had to guess, I would say that your labmate did a better job of connecting to a faculty member in his personal statement. He probably spelled out a little more thoroughly why he would be a good fit for that person’s lab.</p>
<p>What is his background? Based on a few recruitment weeks, I am convinced that some schools are holding up to their pledge to enhance diversity. To start with, he has a unique background (psychology) among other applicants for grad program in (I assume) science. </p>
<p>What is the typical number of students called for an interview in the past? You may be a very qualified applicant, but if the dept is aiming for a small class, then they may prefer to have 4 students from university X y z q rather than X X y z. </p>
<p>Ultimately, (as other have mentioned) he has not been accepted and you have not been rejected. </p>
<p>Wish you the best!</p>
<p>Maybe he has a wildcard up his sleeve…</p>
<p>Oops, you are right belevitt. I think you are right that most people do have interviews in that field although I swear some people who were accepted did not get interviews on another forum I saw. Could it depend upon the school?</p>
<p>You do not know the other candidate is less qualified. Their GRE scores, aptitude and subject, may shame yours.</p>
<p>Contacting the graduate school regarding another candidate would be incredibly, totally and completely non-productive. You have no right to do that. You might hurt your chances.</p>
<p>Contacting them to verify that your application is actually “in” their system might be useful. DO NOT ENQUIRE ABOUT ANOTHER PROSPECT!!! EVEN CASUALLY!</p>
<p>The advice for you is the same as for a prospective undergraduate; get some good second choice and safety schools/programs.</p>
<p>You are getting a little too old to believe the world is a fair and equitable place. Sometimes you cannot have the good thing you want most, even if you think you earned it. That does not mean you cannot have something almost as good, the same , or even better.</p>
<p>Good luck. I hope you find a situation to your liking.</p>
<p>mom2ofOH: It is rare in biomedical sciences but yes it does happen. Last year my “safety” school was the last to contact me, which had me worried until I got the call that they would like to offer me admission without an interview. I was invited to visit still on their dime if I would like, but I was already in. That may or may not be the case with the OP of course…as any number of factors are considered during PhD admissions.</p>
<p>My advice is that you should stop worrying about this. Don’t worry about why the other person got the interview and you didn’t. Comparing yourself to to other people will just eat at you and put your in a foul mood. Remember think positive thoughts. Worry about things you can control and not the things you can’t control.</p>
<p>Duh, I can’t believe I forgot about this. One of the schools I applied to does admit before the interview, though they do have a recruitment weekend that you go to before you decide. Obviously, I haven’t been contacted by that program or it would have been fresh in my mind. I guess we were both right Mom2ofOH.</p>
<p>belevitt - we are;] Such a good feeling! </p>
<p>By the way, did you ever decide on Duke or UNC? Congratulations on two really great schools!</p>