Too many interviews?

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eatsleeppsych

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eatsleeppsych said:
So in the oddest turn of events I could have anticipated, I have thus far received 4 interview invites, with 9 schools left to hear back from(1 assumed rejection because of lack of interview). 3 of these are from my three top choice programs, so I have no question I will be attending. The most recent one, however, was from a program much lower on my list. Attending this interview would require a very expensive plane ride, and interferes with a school that hasn't just given out invites but was much higher on my list.

I'm starting to wonder how I can strategically plan these interviews. A part of me is considering turning down this 4th interview, for the pragmatic reasons stated above. I want to use my time wisely, and if granted more interviews at schools I am more interested in, I want to be sure I can attend. However, the POI at this 4th school seemed really enthusiastic about my application, and I would hate to miss out on a good opportunity, and am worried about being too optimistic in this whole process. I am, to be entirely honest, anticipating at least 3 more interview invites... as these were my three "safety" schools(based on match, gre, and gpa), and 2 of them my mentor has a close friendship with my POI.

I realize this is a ridiculous problem to be having, and feel incredibly blessed to be in this situation. But given all these circumstances, I'm feeling very confused and concerned about what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any sage words of wisdom?
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Wow! Congrats! Could you lend me a few interviews? :laugh:
 
This probably won't be much help, but the scheduling, management, juggling, etc. will be good practice for internship interviews!
 
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my opinion is that an interview in the hand is worth two in the.. uh, well ... you know what i mean. i would graciously accept the interview and go from there. if another school comes calling, explain the situation to them. i dont think they'd fault you because i would understand if i were in their shoes. if the poi knows your mentor they'd probably be doubly understanding that you're a wanted commody :)

just my .02

hmm i wonder if dr. clin ever answered this question?
 
eatsleeppsych said:
So in the oddest turn of events I could have anticipated, I have thus far received 4 interview invites, with 9 schools left to hear back from(1 assumed rejection because of lack of interview). 3 of these are from my three top choice programs, so I have no question I will be attending. The most recent one, however, was from a program much lower on my list. Attending this interview would require a very expensive plane ride, and interferes with a school that hasn't just given out invites but was much higher on my list.

I'm starting to wonder how I can strategically plan these interviews. A part of me is considering turning down this 4th interview, for the pragmatic reasons stated above. I want to use my time wisely, and if granted more interviews at schools I am more interested in, I want to be sure I can attend. However, the POI at this 4th school seemed really enthusiastic about my application, and I would hate to miss out on a good opportunity, and am worried about being too optimistic in this whole process. I am, to be entirely honest, anticipating at least 3 more interview invites... as these were my three "safety" schools(based on match, gre, and gpa), and 2 of them my mentor has a close friendship with my POI.

I realize this is a ridiculous problem to be having, and feel incredibly blessed to be in this situation. But given all these circumstances, I'm feeling very confused and concerned about what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any sage words of wisdom?
Click to expand...

can you demote the one to a phone interview and just say its absolutely not plausible to spend so much to come to their interview, as much as you would like to? Thats what I would do, attend your top schools and phone interview with the lesser ones.
 
please post again and let us know how things play out!
 
From what I've heard, as well, many schools are willing to work with you. If you are already attending an interview at one school, perhaps your POI at the next, should you receive an interview, would be willing to meet with you on a different date. That is, assuming you are a strong enough applicant - which with 4 interviews already offered, I have no doubt that you must be.
 
I had 8 interviews in 5 weekends last year. I was supposed to have a 9th but when I went to reschedule when I was offered an interview at my current (dream) program, the professor at the first school questioned whether I was serious about their program. I felt guilted into turning down the interview as a result. But I want to stress that this is the exception.

However NONE of my other 8 overlapped. Some of this was due to luck and some was due to the schools offering more than one interview date. But I managed to make 8 scheduled interview dates so it is possible you'll be lucky as well :)
 
Wildcat06 said:
I had 8 interviews in 5 weekends last year. I was supposed to have a 9th but when I went to reschedule when I was offered an interview at my current (dream) program, the professor at the first school questioned whether I was serious about their program. I felt guilted into turning down the interview as a result. But I want to stress that this is the exception.

However NONE of my other 8 overlapped. Some of this was due to luck and some was due to the schools offering more than one interview date. But I managed to make 8 scheduled interview dates so it is possible you'll be lucky as well :)
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5 weekends of interviews?? Sounds very expensive **grimace**
 
ilikeeepsycheee said:
i also had a school give me a hard time about wanting to reschedule...they had offered me 2 days, a and b, i picked day a and then got offered another interview on that same day so i called to ask if i could switch to day b...i was told, "this will not be looked upon highly" --- i still got in.

dont let them make you feel bad!
Click to expand...

Hehe, I have no regrets since I got in and currently attend the program I choose to interview at. (If I hadn't gotten in, I might have a different opinion.)

PsyDWannabe said:
5 weekends of interviews?? Sounds very expensive **grimace**
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Oh man yes, especially since they were in 8 different states. Still working on paying off the credit card bills. I justified using credit because it was an "investment in my future" :rolleyes:
 
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Wow, I wish I was in your shoes! That's a tough decision I hope I'll have the opportunity to be forced to make! Still waiting patiently.......
 
eatsleeppsych said:
So in the oddest turn of events I could have anticipated, I have thus far received 4 interview invites, with 9 schools left to hear back from(1 assumed rejection because of lack of interview). 3 of these are from my three top choice programs, so I have no question I will be attending. The most recent one, however, was from a program much lower on my list. Attending this interview would require a very expensive plane ride, and interferes with a school that hasn't just given out invites but was much higher on my list.

I'm starting to wonder how I can strategically plan these interviews. A part of me is considering turning down this 4th interview, for the pragmatic reasons stated above. I want to use my time wisely, and if granted more interviews at schools I am more interested in, I want to be sure I can attend. However, the POI at this 4th school seemed really enthusiastic about my application, and I would hate to miss out on a good opportunity, and am worried about being too optimistic in this whole process. I am, to be entirely honest, anticipating at least 3 more interview invites... as these were my three "safety" schools(based on match, gre, and gpa), and 2 of them my mentor has a close friendship with my POI.

I realize this is a ridiculous problem to be having, and feel incredibly blessed to be in this situation. But given all these circumstances, I'm feeling very confused and concerned about what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any sage words of wisdom?
Click to expand...

Wow, I am in the EXACT same position as you! I wonder if we've applied to a bunch of the same schools. I've got 4 interview invites and I'm waiting to hear from 11 others. I was lucky in that 2 of the invites I've gotten are from top choices, so there's no question that I will attend. Another one is from a school I'm pretty interested in and the interview date definitely doesn't coincide with anything else, which is good. The 4th school might coincide with other invites later (if I get them) but my POI told me ahead of time that they can be flexible. So I told him that I would like to attend on their regular interview weekend but I haven't booked a flight or anything yet. I also looked at past interview threads to gauge when some of my other schools might have their interviews, which has been helpful.

It's really weird that I had a whole flurry of interview invites right around the holidays and then for the past week I've just been sitting around twiddling my thumbs. If last year's any indication, I might not hear anything next week either. I need to find some new addictive TV shows or something.
 
Hurry up and decide! No just kidding, congrats!

I would try to go to all of them. You never know what might happen, whether someone will become particularly more interested or less interested, etc. The other people might be liked better, etc. I would try to attend all of them for the sake of my sanity - that if I denied the one place that would have let me in, 'phew!
 
I agree that you should take the interview. Regarding the financial situation, my adviser suggested that I ask if the school offers any travel or lodging reimbursement. Schools understand that out-of-state travel is expensive, and that most applicants are unemployed college students. Can't hurt to ask politely. :)
 
eatsleeppsych said:
So I actually received the interview invite for my 5th school, the one on the same weekend as school #4 today. So at least now I'm not holding out for an interview I'm unsure if I'll get. Still unsure about what to do entirely, given I now have this definitive conflict, but looking into my options to try and go to both. Thanks for everyones input!
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Let me know how it turns out -- I have the same dilemma. I accepted school A, but then got an interview at school B, which I actually prefer. I think I will just be honest with school B (I prefer your school but committed to another interview). The schools are on opposite sides of the country, so I don't think I can do both. I will tell school B that I am committed to visiting, but probably cannot do it on the scheduled interview date.

Did this happen to anyone last year?
 
To reiterate what has already been said with some more personal experience...

Don't be afraid to ask for a phone interview. I did two phone interviews last year when I was in a similar situation. I applied to a large number of schools, so I had 8 interview invites...3 on the same weekend, 5 within the same two weeks, etc...I probably have PTSD from this process, even though it's a great problem to have... Anyway, I got accepted at the places I did the phone interviews, and I managed to swing the three interviews on one weekend by missing a couple of the social events that some schools do with the current students. I ended up with acceptances at those places, too. So, schedule the best you can, and make sure not to get so bogged down in the stress of having to schedule everything that you forget to revel in your accomplishment a little bit. Congrats! : )
 
katiekoala said:
I managed to swing the three interviews on one weekend by missing a couple of the social events that some schools do with the current students. I ended up with acceptances at those places, too. So, schedule the best you can, and make sure not to get so bogged down in the stress of having to schedule everything that you forget to revel in your accomplishment a little bit. Congrats! : )
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....or you can be CRAZY like me and interview in person at all three. going from georgia to massachusetts to north carolina in one weekend was no piece of cake but i'm glad i did it.
 
Wildcat06 said:
....or you can be CRAZY like me and interview in person at all three. going from georgia to massachusetts to north carolina in one weekend was no piece of cake but i'm glad i did it.
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Yes, that's what I did, too (and a few of my friends). It's best if you can stay for all the social events, and I managed that at most schools, but sometimes you have to be captain jetsetter.
 
Wildcat06 said:
....or you can be CRAZY like me and interview in person at all three. going from georgia to massachusetts to north carolina in one weekend was no piece of cake but i'm glad i did it.
Click to expand...

Oh...yeah, all three of mine in the same weekend were in person (Ohio, to Indiana, to Pennsylvania). So I'm crazy, too, if that wasn't clear before. : ) And yeah, it's definitely good to be at the social events if you can--the info from the current students is usually the best, in my opinion.
 
katiekoala said:
Oh...yeah, all three of mine in the same weekend were in person (Ohio, to Indiana, to Pennsylvania). So I'm crazy, too, if that wasn't clear before. : ) And yeah, it's definitely good to be at the social events if you can--the info from the current students is usually the best, in my opinion.
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I always wondered how you guys managed to schedule a weekend like this. If it's an all-day event, how did you know when you could leave, and weren't you tired from all that running around?
 
Blue86 said:
I always wondered how you guys managed to schedule a weekend like this. If it's an all-day event, how did you know when you could leave, and weren't you tired from all that running around?
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You say you really want to attend but have much travel to do and need to make arrangements...and ask for a schedule.

And yes, it can get tiring, but adrenaline keeps you going. You can rest after. :)
 
Blue86 said:
I always wondered how you guys managed to schedule a weekend like this. If it's an all-day event, how did you know when you could leave, and weren't you tired from all that running around?
Click to expand...

My 3-in-one-weekend-er worked out because the interviews were Friday, Saturday and Monday. I missed a couple social events at the first two but otherwise, I made most of the schedule. Luckily for me this was my first weekend of interviews so the adrenaline was running.
 
My friend got accepted with just a phone interview. It is a viable option, so don't kill yourself trying to make these in-person.
 
cara susanna said:
My friend got accepted with just a phone interview. It is a viable option, so don't kill yourself trying to make these in-person.
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was this at a school that does mostly in-person interviews?
 
I suggest going to as many interviews as you can manage because you really get a feel for the school during the interviews. I had schools in my top 5 that I absolutely hated when I went to interview. Many schools understand the overlapping interview problem and are willing to change dates as you hear from more schools.
 
PsychPhDStudent said:
You say you really want to attend but have much travel to do and need to make arrangements...and ask for a schedule.

And yes, it can get tiring, but adrenaline keeps you going. You can rest after. :)
Click to expand...


Agreed. Just be honest about what's going on. One thing that also helped me was to keep files on my laptop for each school that weekend (or print them off, too) with information about the program, questions I wanted to ask, and things about myself that I wanted to highlight during the interview. It eased my nerves by helping me quickly get in the right mindset for each school so I felt prepared, despite all the travel rush.
 
cara susanna said:
My friend got accepted with just a phone interview. It is a viable option, so don't kill yourself trying to make these in-person.
Click to expand...

This may be true, but I strongly recommend against this, for two reasons. First, some programs WILL look down on you for this - I was told at one place that "students who did not decide to come will not be given as much consideration". Second, I cannot fathom accepting an offer to a program without meeting both students and faculty members - what a program sounds like and what it is like when you visit is not always the same.
 
Go to the interview! Forgive me for sounding harsh, but this is what my current professor always says. In fact, his advice is to go to interviews you want absolutely nothing to do with before you go to your top choices. Apparently it is commonplace for post-docs and facuilty members. It gets you acquainted with the process and makes you comfortable (given the knowledge that you do not want to go there). :) But amazing job, I have yet to hear from anything:p
 
I can't believe I'm actually in this situation (though I guess it's a good one to be in), but I have three interviews conflicting on the same day!

One requires applicants to interview in person, and two would accept phone interviews, but prefer in-person. I prefer in-person interviews as well. :)

Is it a bad idea for me to ask one of the schools if it would possible to interview on another day? I really like all three schools, and they all have different, numerous "pluses" that makes it hard (along with my lack of actual offers) to just casually throw one out.
 
First, I would contact all three programs and ask if it was a possibility to interview in person on any other day - even the "must be in person" one might have an alternate day. But, if all three programs are about equal for you, sounds like you should go to one in person and two phone interviews - you could ask them if they have Skype to do interviews, and also ask for contact info for grad students in the lab you want to work with, I'm sure grad students would be willing to talk on the phone or via email to answer questions.

Depending on geography, you could also ask a program if they could schedule you for the morning and have another program interview you in the late afternoon... crazy, but not unheard of.
 
futureapppsy2 said:
I can't believe I'm actually in this situation (though I guess it's a good one to be in), but I have three interviews conflicting on the same day!

One requires applicants to interview in person, and two would accept phone interviews, but prefer in-person. I prefer in-person interviews as well. :)

Is it a bad idea for me to ask one of the schools if it would possible to interview on another day? I really like all three schools, and they all have different, numerous "pluses" that makes it hard (along with my lack of actual offers) to just casually throw one out.
Click to expand...

This happend to me with 2 of my places. I asked the one who would accept phone interviews if there was something we could work out. The school is in the process of trying to find other dates for me to come out. If they're interested in you and flexible, they will help you out.
 
researchgirl said:
First, I would contact all three programs and ask if it was a possibility to interview in person on any other day - even the "must be in person" one might have an alternate day. But, if all three programs are about equal for you, sounds like you should go to one in person and two phone interviews - you could ask them if they have Skype to do interviews, and also ask for contact info for grad students in the lab you want to work with, I'm sure grad students would be willing to talk on the phone or via email to answer questions.

Depending on geography, you could also ask a program if they could schedule you for the morning and have another program interview you in the late afternoon... crazy, but not unheard of.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I had over 5 interviews on the same day last year! I was able to get all of the programs to offer me an alternate date.
 
researchgirl: Well, of course you want to visit at some point, but that can wait until after you're admitted and have to decide.
 
I've been lurking here for weeks and finally decided to post. I had the same problem with too many interviews for one weekend. I was very upfront about the whole thing with my professor and told them that I still wanted to come meet them in person. Wasn't an issue at all and I've got a private interview scheduled for the school.

My own question in this vein is what to wear? I know the attire questions are overdone but I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like if it's just me I'll look a little like a weirdo wandering around touring the lab and meeting the prof in a suit. I'm thinking slacks and a dress shirt? Fashion is fun...
 
I wonder if it was just some disgruntled overworked secretary who wanted to weigh in on the frustration related to scheduling and rescheduling...someone who doesn't have any say in the decision making process...so yeah, in an ideal world/situation a person would not need to reschedule appointments...but it happens!...glad you still got in!

ilikeeepsycheee said:
i also had a school give me a hard time about wanting to reschedule...they had offered me 2 days, a and b, i picked day a and then got offered another interview on that same day so i called to ask if i could switch to day b...i was told, "this will not be looked upon highly" --- i still got in.

dont let them make you feel bad!
Click to expand...
 
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