I applied through college or university. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at UC Davis (San Diego, CA) in Feb 2018
Interview
The interview was a personal interview with my potential advisor followed by a visit to potential research sites, and a discussion of potential funding avenues. This was all in-person on campus during the week.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What were my research interests?
What was my science experience?
Had I organized field sampling before?
Applications start early so be looking well before you need the position. Interviews are fair but be prepared to answer questions about your qualifications for the position. My interview was on zoom but was during the pandemic.
I contacted several PIs about graduate student opportunities in their labs and the funding situation. I had phone conversations with them about these opportunities before my interview in the spring.
