"Campus visit" turned out to be an interview
I have something that's a continuation of an earlier post, plus a cautionary tale.
To recap my earlier post, I had a faculty member, Dr. V., at a school express interest in me and offer me a place in his lab, which I accepted. He extended an invitation for me to visit the school, which I accepted, and I visited the school this weekend. The department is reimbursing me for the airfare, and the professor who offered me a position in his lab paid for my accommodations.
Nobody told me that this was going to be an interview until I got to campus; I had been under the impression that I had already been accepted and was just going to meet the program faculty. In fact, I have NOT been accepted yet, and one of the professors I met with (let's call her Dr. B) did NOT seem to think too highly of me as a candidate. Dr. V. studies an area in which I have done some research and in which I had an interest as an undergrad, but wasn't the area in which I expressed interest in my application--he studies psychophysics and visual perception, and in my application I expressed interest in clinical neuroscience. Dr. B also studies visual perception, and in my interview with her, she made a comment that threw me a little,
"You didn't mention in your application that you have any interest in vision research. You need to convince me that we should accept you."
(This post is NOT to dwell on that comment. Although it seems a little blunt, I realize it's a valid concern and she has a point.)
The other professors were awesome, and the graduate students were nice, and the research facilities are excellent and I like the town.
Dr. V. told me at the end of the weekend that he wants me to take a few days and think about whether I think vision research is something I feel I can do for the next five to seven years (I'm pretty sure, but I'm taking some time to see if there's any angle I haven't considered). He said that if after I think about it I still want a place in his lab, he'll go to the ad comm and advocate for my admission.
Given all of that, I'm trying to gauge my chances. I know that Dr. V. wants me in his lab, and there's another professor, Dr. D., who I know ALSO wants me in the program. (Dr. D. heads the clinical neuroscience division, and said my application was "impressive," but she's not taking a grad student this year; she saw that I had some experience with vision research, pulled my application, and gave it to Dr. V., who then contacted me.) A friend of mine who just finished grad school says that she would be surprised if I weren't admitted, since there are at least two faculty members who want me there and one of them has already offered to fund me. I hope hope hope she's right, as I have, in fact, been rejected from everywhere else, but Dr. B's comment shook me and I can't help wondering if any of the other professors feel equally skeptical.
Any thoughts are DEEPLY appreciated.
To recap my earlier post, I had a faculty member, Dr. V., at a school express interest in me and offer me a place in his lab, which I accepted. He extended an invitation for me to visit the school, which I accepted, and I visited the school this weekend. The department is reimbursing me for the airfare, and the professor who offered me a position in his lab paid for my accommodations.
Nobody told me that this was going to be an interview until I got to campus; I had been under the impression that I had already been accepted and was just going to meet the program faculty. In fact, I have NOT been accepted yet, and one of the professors I met with (let's call her Dr. B) did NOT seem to think too highly of me as a candidate. Dr. V. studies an area in which I have done some research and in which I had an interest as an undergrad, but wasn't the area in which I expressed interest in my application--he studies psychophysics and visual perception, and in my application I expressed interest in clinical neuroscience. Dr. B also studies visual perception, and in my interview with her, she made a comment that threw me a little,
"You didn't mention in your application that you have any interest in vision research. You need to convince me that we should accept you."
(This post is NOT to dwell on that comment. Although it seems a little blunt, I realize it's a valid concern and she has a point.)
The other professors were awesome, and the graduate students were nice, and the research facilities are excellent and I like the town.
Dr. V. told me at the end of the weekend that he wants me to take a few days and think about whether I think vision research is something I feel I can do for the next five to seven years (I'm pretty sure, but I'm taking some time to see if there's any angle I haven't considered). He said that if after I think about it I still want a place in his lab, he'll go to the ad comm and advocate for my admission.
Given all of that, I'm trying to gauge my chances. I know that Dr. V. wants me in his lab, and there's another professor, Dr. D., who I know ALSO wants me in the program. (Dr. D. heads the clinical neuroscience division, and said my application was "impressive," but she's not taking a grad student this year; she saw that I had some experience with vision research, pulled my application, and gave it to Dr. V., who then contacted me.) A friend of mine who just finished grad school says that she would be surprised if I weren't admitted, since there are at least two faculty members who want me there and one of them has already offered to fund me. I hope hope hope she's right, as I have, in fact, been rejected from everywhere else, but Dr. B's comment shook me and I can't help wondering if any of the other professors feel equally skeptical.
Any thoughts are DEEPLY appreciated.