Question about grad school open house

[nsatya]

Hello,

I will be attending an Open House this week and was wondering what things I should be looking for when I visit the department as well as what I could ask them to get the best general idea of what life as a grad student there will be like. I know this is a very broad question, but I was just wondering if there are some key aspects of the department that will give insight on life at the university as a grad student. Any input would be appreciated.


Thanks

 

[eri]

How long does it take students to finish a PhD on average? What's the drop-out rate? How many students pass the qualifier on the first try? How about the second try? What's the format of the qualifier (separate subject exams, any subject exams, oral exams, when do students take it in the course of a degree, if retaking can you only retake the part you failed or do you need to retake the whole thing)? Do they have publication requirements? About how many papers do PhD students publish before graduating? What kind of jobs do graduates get - academic, research, teaching, industry? Does any employer in particular employ many of their graduates?

Yes, it's very useful to ask current grad students about the climate of the school, how good the professors are, if everyone gets along well or if there's a ton of competition, but it's also good to think ahead to what you can do with a degree from that school.

 

[the_house]

I second everything eri said. Especially make sure to talk to current students to try to get a general feel for what it's like to be a student there.

Some additional questions: If you'll be teaching when you start (or at any point), ask how many hours per week of teaching to TAs have to put in? In practice does it usually turn out to be much more or less then that nominal amount? If there are professors you think you might want to work with, try to find their current students and ask about what they're like to work with, or ask other students if they have any particular reputation.

Have fun!

 

[physics girl phd]

Also ask current students with RAs how they joined their research group, and how happy they are with this match.

I know how one department at my grad institution (not the one I was in) where students did not join a group until after they passed qualifying exams... and then all the students that had passed submitted slips of paper with their top 3 groups on it... and then the professors heading the groups decided from there. It seemed to be a very bad system, resulting in many unhappy students.

 

[gravenewworld]

I've been reading at least 1 article from every professor that I have an interview with just so it gives something for us to converse about when we are doing 1 on 1 during open house visits. Try reading or skimming over an article they wrote and asking about it during interviews. Professors love to have their egos stroked and like to see that you really are taking an active approach to applying and not just spraying and praying when it comes to admissions apps. Talking about the research with the professors you are interested in will give you an idea of what your grad school life will really be like. Crap, interview at Hopkins tomorrow and I'm reading some journal articles to prepare as we speak. It seems to be ultra competitive here amongst the candidates, it's a little nerve racking.

 

[twofish-quant]

I will be attending an Open House this week and was wondering what things I should be looking for when I visit the department as well as what I could ask them to get the best general idea of what life as a grad student there will be like.

I think the big thing is to look at the people there and ask yourself whether or not you are willing to be locked in a room with them for several years.