Meeting in person with a POI

[sl0822]

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[AcronymAllergy]

It generally never hurts to be prepared, so having a CV ready could be a good idea. As far as attire goes, I'd personally opt for business casual; some advisors might not mind jeans, but why take the chance? Have a few questions ready for the professor herself, as well as for current graduate students in her lab, as they'll be the people best-positioned to provide you with an accurate depiction of what life there is really like.

 

[serendipity2]

How exciting! Yes, I think bringing a long a few copies of your CV is a great idea. One for her, and one for yourself in case it works out to talk about your experiences/interest a little. You don't need to dress way up, but I agree with acronym that business casual is appropriate. Good luck and enjoy it!

 

[paramour]

Wait a sec . . . So were you going to be in town already, or is that simply what you told her to set up the meeting?

 

[sl0822]

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[cara susanna]

I'd save that money for interviews, but that's just me.

 

[Psychology 76]

I'd save that money for interviews, but that's just me.

I agree. Meeting beforehand probably won't increase your chances of admission much. It's always fun to travel and meet professors but not if you have to pay for it 🙂

 

[syzergy]

I just had my mentor reschedule a meeting because a prospective student was flying in to meet with her. Is this a common thing?

 

[sl0822]

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[psychdocstudent]

Hello, I am going out of town (~700miles) to visit a POI and her lab. Basically I told her I'd be in town and would love to stop by. She said yes and set up a time to meet. It's not a formal interview by any means, I gather it's more like a casual meeting where I can briefly discuss my research interests and she explains about her lab. I'm not sure how much to dress up...smart casual? Jeans out of the question?

Also, other than reading up on her recent research and thinking up a few questions to ask, is there anything else I should do to prepare? Bringing a CV along too presumptuous?

Thank you!

On the way to and back from a conference I will stop at two cities, both have prospective schools that I am interested in. However, I am not sure if I will be rejected if I ask for a casual meeting. Ha...if I am rejected ...I will probably stop by the campus and peek at the professor?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Sounds like some boundaries are in order.

Going to agree here. Asking for an informal meeting on your way through the city is fine. However, if the professor declines, the last thing you should do is show up anyway to take a "peek." Even if no harm is meant, it just comes across as troubling.

 

[psychdocstudent]

Going to agree here. Asking for an informal meeting on your way through the city is fine. However, if the professor declines, the last thing you should do is show up anyway to take a "peek." Even if no harm is meant, it just comes across as troubling.

I guess I was kind of kidding. If they decline, and I still have the time (if I cannot change ticket time in that city) I will probably just go around the campus and take a look.

 

[PhDToBe]

On the way to and back from a conference I will stop at two cities, both have prospective schools that I am interested in. However, I am not sure if I will be rejected if I ask for a casual meeting. Ha...if I am rejected ...I will probably stop by the campus and peek at the professor?

Yeah, I think it was pretty clear that you were just joking, and I don't think it's a big deal if you do go look at the psych building, campus, etc. PUBLIC universities are open to the public...might as well take a look at some labs, facilities, etc.