How did the interview impress you?

Positively

What was the stress level of the interview?

2 out of 10

How you think you did?

9 out of 10

How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?

9 out of 10

How long was the interview?

30 minutes

Where did the interview take place?

At the school

How many people interviewed you?

6

What was the style of the interview?

One-on-one

What type of interview was it?

Open file

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?

"What are the traits you are looking for in a thesis advisor?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 2)?

"Why Case? " Report Response | I was asked this question too

What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 3)?

"Specific questions about my research. It's helpful to think of future directions for your work. " Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most interesting question?

"Would you prefer to be a grad student in a the lab of a big shot or a relative nobody? Why?" Report Response | I was asked this question too

What was the most difficult question?

"Nothing was really out of left field or difficult. " Report Response | I was asked this question too

How did you prepare for the interview?

"SDN, school website, reviewed abstracts of PIs with whom I interviewed. " Report Response

What impressed you positively?

"The staff, faculty and students were all incredibly friendly. The students seemed really happy and laid-back. There is an attitude of collaboration rather than competition. Most of the interviews were more like conversations." Report Response

What impressed you negatively?

"The area surrounding the campus wasn't very impressive. It's not as terrible a city as a lot of people seem to think it is. " Report Response

What did you wish you had known ahead of time?

"I wish I hadn't tried so hard to memorize what each PI did because they explained their research to me during interviews. " Report Response

What are your general comments?

"I was really won over by the kindness of everyone I met there. We had dinner with current MSTP students the night before the interviews started. They were completely honest with us when answering our questions. I had five one-on-one interviews on the first day and two on the second day. In most interviews, I just talked about my research and learned about the research of the faculty members. Everyone was very happy to answer questions, so come prepared with questions. I ran out of questions after the first few interviews. During the breaks, I went back to the office and got vouchers to buy coffee at the nearby coffee shop. The ladies in the office are incredibly sweet and very approachable. Almost all of the faculty escorted me to my next interview (all offered, but I told some of them I could find my own way), which was very helpful because I got a little lost on my own at first. Give yourself a lot of time to get there from the hotel on the first morning. I was late, and they were fine with that, but it makes a better impression if you arrive on time. Also, wear comfortable shoes. There's a lot of walking. You meet faculty at their offices, so you walk around the campus a lot. The students seem very happy with the program. Some students had to switch labs because their PIs were recruited to another school (it's more common than you might think - it happens everywhere). When that happened, the whole program was very supportive and helpful in trying to find new projects for the students. The one school of medicine interview is more of a formality than anything. They mostly ask things like, ''Why MD/PhD? Why not one or the other?'' Just stay calm, be polite and ask intelligent questions and you'll be fine. I came away loving the school even more than I did before I came to interview. " Report Response

Who was the tour given by?

Student

How did the tourguide seem?

Enthusiastic

How do you rank the facilities?

9 out of 10

What is your in-state status?

Out of state

What was your total time spent traveling?

2-3 hours

What was your primary mode of travel?

Automobile

About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?

< $100

Where did you stay?

Hotel

How would you rate the hotel?

10 out of 10

What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?

Glidden House

Would you recommend the hotel?

yes

On what date did the interview take place?

10/18/2007

How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?

9 out of 10

What is your ranking of this school's location?

6 out of 10

What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?

6 out of 10