Graduate School Recruitment Weekends
As many other prospective graduate students know, February is a very busy month with graduate recruitment weekends. Not only is it busy, but it’s stressful. Don’t get me wrong - it is great to feel wanted by universities, but that also comes with a choice to make. A choice that you’ll be with for the next 5-6 years of your life.
For my very first resource posted on my website, I want to showcase what I learned from my weekends and how prospective students can get the most out of their weekends to best figure out where they should go for their graduate degree. As someone who had no idea what to expect, here’s my rundown.
The more you know the better
One of the most important parts of this weekend is to get to know the university, the program, the students, and the research you’re going to be doing. Before you go to a recruitment weekend, try and figure out what you want out of a graduate program. Do you care about your mentorship relationship? Do you want to do research that is really interesting to you? Take this weekend to learn and collect information to make an informed decision. Don’t worry about making a decision right then and there. For all you know, the program might realize you’re not a good fit and deny you a spot (which is normal). In my opinion, it is a great sign to be denied a spot because they think you would mature and grow in another university. You already got the interview which shows you’re qualified for a position; it just might not be the right fit. So, take this weekend, enjoy it, learn a lot, and make a decision later.
The normal schedule
Most universities have you come down the day before so you’re ready for the day full of meetings and interviews. That night, you’ll probably have dinner with graduate students in your lab. This is a great time to start asking questions.
The next day, there’s normally a breakfast with an introduction to the professors that you will be meeting with. Listen up here to learn more about their research. After that, you’ll most likely be whisked off to meeting after meeting. Your meeting with the PI you might work with will be longer than most, whereas the other interviews will be shorter.
For your interviews/meetings with other faculty members, I realized that it’s mainly up to you. They’re going to want to know a little about you to make sure you’re a good fit for the program, but other than that, they’re going to be a resource to answer your questions. Ask them questions that you want to know but don’t want to waste with your PI. Your interview with your PI should be learning about them, the lab, and what they’re interested in. It’s a good time to make sure your interests line up! The meetings with the other professors can be the time when you ask about the program in general, classes you could take, or the general collaborative nature of the department.
Normally after you’re very very long day of interviews, you’ll have a social event of some sort (even though you probably wish you could sleep instead). This is a fantastic opportunity to chat more with your PI and graduate students. It’s also not a bad idea to chat with other recruits. Could you see yourself being in their cohort? What is the attitude of most students?
After all of that…you probably still have one day! This second (third I guess if you count the first night of sleep) day of your weekend will include either lectures from current graduate students, time with the graduate students, or activities for other recruits. On this second day, all of my universities had a social at a professor’s house - something that I thought was a nice touch.
Things you should do
Create a list of questions you want to be answered
Before I attended my graduate recruitment weekends, I created a few lists of questions: one for my potential PI, one for other faculty members, and one for the graduate students. Although it might feel like the weekend is to interview you, it’s also for you to interview others. Take advantage of the time you have with each person you meet with.
Some important questions to ask that you might not have thought of:
What are the key milestones for progression that you expect from students?
What are the opportunities to publish during the Ph.D.?
If I have to travel for fieldwork is that covered?
Do you collaborate with other universities or researchers on projects?
Where is the lab data stored? Is it easily accessible?
What are some skills that the department focuses on? What do you make sure your students know?
What were some of your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? (For the graduate student)
How do you communicate with your graduate students? Weekly meetings? Emails?
2. Take notes during your meetings with professors
It is not a bad thing to do this! I always asked first and made it clear that I was taking notes and not just doodling. This is good for a few reasons. One, it shows the professor that what they’re saying is important, and two, it helps you remember what your conversation was about. To be honest, there were some conversations that I forgot completely and needed to look in my notes for my information. You’ll have a day full of interviews, and by the end of it, it is normal to not remember every single detail.
3. Dress in business casual
The dress code might have been the hardest thing for me to figure out, so of course I packed my suitcase full. It’s important to look nice and put together, but don’t look like you’re interviewing for a CEO position. Jeans and a sweater are what I found to be acceptable and pretty common! I wore that the majority of the time except for interview day, where I wore dress pants and a flowy shirt (no suit jacket though). Wear something that shows you put in the effort, but make sure at the end of the day that you’re being you.
4. Do keep track of your receipts
Something awesome about these weekends is that you’re probably going to get reimbursed for your food and gas (if you drive). Ask the graduate school exactly what their process is, but most of the time, they just need receipts and the number of miles you drove.
5. Ask the hard questions
Like I’ve said before, you’re interviewing this school just as much as they’re interviewing you. Those questions inside of your head like, “What conflicts have you had with your PI?” or “Is the salary of a Ph.D. student liveable?” are allowed to be asked. Graduate students, and even your PI, know that those questions might be asked. In reality, most of them want you to ask hard questions. On the plus side, it shows how committed you are to find the right program for you.
Things you should not do
Do not, and I repeat, do not get overly intoxicated
Most likely you will be attending some sort of social event and there’s like a 99.5% chance there will be free alcohol. Go get a beer or a glass of wine, but be aware of the amount that you’re drinking. While these are “social” events and you will not be getting pounded with interview questions, you are there to connect with graduate students and your future PI. There’s nothing wrong with drinking, but make sure that you’re responsibly representing yourself. There are sometimes also graduate student events without professors. I repeat…do not get overly intoxicated here as well. I heard a horror story at one university where a prospective student drank a bit too much and could barely get out of bed the next day. And that was over 6 years ago and people still know about it. Enjoy your free wine, but remember you’re talking with your future mentor!Do not stand around waiting for someone to come up to you
It’s extremely easy to stand around at breakfast, or a social gathering, since you don’t necessarily know anyone, but I challenge you to go talk to people. This can help you figure some things out. Are the graduate students and professors approachable and willing to talk to you? This is a great sign! If they don’t seem interested in talking to you, that is probably not a good sign. Depending on what you’re looking for in a graduate program, you might want to have good relationships with the students and faculty (that’s something that I would want). Secondly, talking with graduate students and professors is a great way to learn more about the program. Chat with a graduate student about student life at your breakfast buffet, or talk to a professor about how they utilize statistics in their lab. The more you know the better.
3. Be your false self
You’ve been invited to this weekend where a huge decision about your future is about to be made. It’s normal to want to put on a different persona or personality to impress the people you’re around. But, don’t do it. Be yourself! It’s so cliche, but you’re at the weekend because they want you, not somebody else. Being yourself shows them truly if you’d be a good fit, and also shows you if you can be yourself in that setting. When you’re yourself, and feel happy and supported, that’s a good sign. When you’re yourself, and you feel walked over and unappreciated, then that’s a sign that university might not be for you.
In conclusion, enjoy those weekends and just collect information. Don’t put any pressure on yourself to do anything more than that. Be yourself, be curious, and be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to ask hard questions. This is your future, and although it’s scary, these weekends are just a step forward.
When you have to make a decision, it’ll depend on what you want. For me, I wanted a strong community in the lab, a project where my R skills would grow, and a mentor that is kind and always willing to help. For you, it might be a university close to home, or a project that works on a specific animal. Whatever it is, you will make a decision and all will be well.
Lastly, don’t let the outcomes of these weekends define you and your ability to be a scientist. I truly believe that with passion, and a heart of gold, you’ll be able to find the place you’re meant to grow in.