When a PI wants you to be a member of their lab, or is even interested and invites you to campus, you want to put on your best show. But so do they, just remember that.
Being Invited for an On-Campus Visit
A PI may invite you for an on campus visit before you are officially accepted into their program, or once you are fully accepted. It depends on the program and how they run it, I experienced both of these scenarios. For example, I attended a university where the on campus visit was two days of events, tours, lectures, dinners, and 4 interviews with different PIs (literally 8+ hours a day). It was the ‘final stage’ of the acceptance process, already narrowed down to a much smaller group (my track only had about 6 students, there were a ton of tracks though, this was a large school). It was a very unique and nice experience, but it had a very competitive atmosphere and gave me strong feeling that if I went to that school, it would feel like that all the time, which rubbed me the wrong way a bit. However, the other campus visits I went on were much more laid back, only a few hours, and the “interviews” were more like conversations. That being said, when I toured these places I was already accepted, I wasn’t still ‘competing’ for the position. So its just something to note.
Like I mentioned, when you go on these tours and meet professors, they are putting on a bit of a show for you, because they want you to come to their university of course. Some red flags/things to look out for I noticed (speaking from my personal experience) –
1 – the PI barely showing up. The PI should want you to come- they should spend majority of the time with you, or if there are multiple PIs that is great too (maybe it is a program with rotations the first year). However, some PIs just send the students off with graduate students for the time and you only get to meet with them for 15 minutes or so. Now don;t get me wrong, time with the graduate students is probably more valuable than with the PI. You get the honest opinions, knowledge, and first hand experience at the school/lab. However, it is definitely a red flag if the PI seems to talk to you only because the have to, and doesn’t seem genuinely interested in you. This can say a lot about how they may mentor you in the future, so its just something to keep in mind.
2 – the graduate students’ advice – while this can be a green or red flag, its more a note for you to really pick the brains of the current students, have a few questions on hand like “What is the most difficult problem you face with your PI?” or “Why did you pick to come work under this PI compared to other options?” Things that will make them really give you an honest outlook. If you get the felling they are holding things back, or the students make some awkward jokes about their PI (this happens a lot), this could be a yellow/red flag.
3 – the environment – this may have be the most important factor in making my decision after the lab’s research focus. Let’s say you are down to your final 2 options or so and you really are interested in both labs/universities, the campus visit is a great opportunity to check out the culture and environment in the lab and the entire department. Do the students seem happy? Are they friendly with one other (genuinely), and with other students in different labs? Do they seem stressed/overworked? Are there social events, seminars, etc. to meet people and encourage a positive environment for learning? You can really get the feel for an environment on this visit, so that’s why I say this may be the most important thing you get out of it. This is something you can’t do over Zoom. And always remember that they may be exaggerating, or enhancing everything a bit for these visits, so take everything with a grain of salt.
Tips
1 – Dress appropriately. This is your first in person impression, so you want to look professional. Business casual is great, it doesn’t have to be a suit or heels, but something that is comfortable to be in all day and walk around, where you look like you are taking this seriously (not jeans).
2 – Ask questions. Like I already mentioned, come prepared with questions for the PI and students, and make sure to bring a notepad to write their answers down so you don’t forget (you can ever pre-write the questions in it to help)!
3 – Be honest. If you genuinely don’t know something, don’t pretend you do. People love to explain their knowledge (sometimes too much), and you don’t want to fall into a place in a conversation where you are completely lost. However, you can always fluff a little bit. Also, be honest with yourself. Don’t look at the stipends, or whatever incentives you have. When you are comparing school, it should really first come to which lab is presenting you with the research you are most interested/passionate in, and where do you see yourself being happy and thriving for the next 5+ years?
4 – Relax. Most PIs are pretty normal people, and they aren’t going to grill you with questions. They just want to hear about your experience that you put on your application to see what you have done, they are not trying to trick you. Same with the graduate students, they are just offering a helping hand and have no judgement on you (they definitely shouldn’t) as they went through the same process. Everyone really should be supportive and kind for you during your visit. You got this!
Next steps…
While you visit campuses and meet people throughout the process, try to take some quick takeaway notes (mental or physical) on things you really liked about it. The more visits you have, the more you will be able to compare and see what you do/don’t like. If you ever are given the option to tour in person or just meet online, I strongly recommend going in person, even if you aren’t accepted yet. Being able to talk to students and see different environments is invaluable in your decision making process …. good luck 🙂
– Meghan