The Great Fishbowl Quest #10

I got back really late (or really early) the other night after driving 8½ hours from an 8-hour day of interviewing on-campus. My wife and I took a weekend trip that consisted of my hours logged in driving than in visiting or interviewing, but it was an insightful trip regardless. We visited four institutions in one weekend, two of which I had interviewed with at SPE, and two of which I have interviews set up for NASPA. Interestingly enough, once again an institution that had been near the top of my list just jumped off Interest Cliff. The institution was too urban for our liking and the people weren’t as friendly as we were hoping for. Visiting informally has its advantages of getting to really see a place for what it may be, as long as you can see the things you’re wanting to without help.

The on-campus interview went fantastically. Quite honestly, this was a department that truly appears to live up to its stated values. If you’re wondering how to test that (because you may have noticed most institutions say that they are “student-focused”), it’s pretty simple. Talk to everybody you make eye contact with (I said “simple,” not “easy). I know that’s a little exaggerated, but it is important to talk to a variety of people that haven’t necessarily been selected to interview you. When you do that, you’ve got to look for consistency in answers and themes that emerge. In this instance, it became clear based on everybody that I talked to that the entire staff and the students feel valued and listened to. For me, that’s a pretty big deal. Because of all of this, this institution is pretty high on my list, and I can’t imagine there being a group of people that could top this group of people. With that said, though, the apartment I saw was frighteningly small to live in with a spouse and it’s a bit in the middle of nowhere. I don’t want to make a decision on those factors, but those factors may be enough to knock it out of number one if I can find an equally awesome staff in a better location with a nicer place to call home for the next few years.

Anxiety is pretty much choking me every time I turn on my brain to think, which is disappointing, since thinking is a bit critical right now. Last night was my one chance to get a good night’s sleep this week and that didn’t happen. I’ll be getting up around 4:00 in the morning to head to the airport to get to NASPA. I feel that I can be prepared for NASPA without too much trouble, but I haven’t prepared at all for comps (pesky little detail that determines if I graduate) and it is in 15 days. Wait a minute while I grab my paper bag and do my breathing exercises.

Writing in this blog has proved to be helpful, but even now my time grows short. I have a phone interview in twenty minutes and I believe that if they are interested, I receive an invitation to come onto campus. Sadly, I feel that this may be a waste of time because even if I do well, I can’t justify traveling to a campus based on a thirty-minute phone conversation. It is hard enough to do that based on spending thirty minutes with a person or two at an exchange.

Anyway, I’ve experienced a lot of the same frustration and anxiety that my blogging buddy has, although the advice she has received is completely true. It is very typical to get e-mailed in the last few days before an exchange, even if you have e-mailed the institution weeks ago.

Reminds me a good vent story to share, but I’ve got to prep for this interview. Maybe next time. Good luck to those of you traveling to Boston!

Oh! The "open interview" I was trying to figure out: In this instance, "open interview" meant that it was open for anybody to attend, although specific people had been chosen to be a part of it as well. I interviewed with people from high in the food chain to low on the totem pole, all at once.