During undergrad, I usually just wore a t shirt, shorts, and some old running shoes--if it was cold, I'd throw on a sweater. This was at a southern state-u.
I'm about to start grad school at an Ivy--should I plan on needing to dress more nicely, or will no one care either way? I plan on dressing more nicely simply because I want to, but should I feel like wearing a tshirt and mesh shorts would be a faux pas?
It depends heavily on what you're studying.
A pony tail is a must. A Goatee may work as well, but only when paired with glasses.
It is tragic that you were accepted to an Ivy and have questions like this. Nobody cares what you look like. They care about your work. If you are particularly slovenly or stupid, than clothing will stand out, but it will almost never matter.
oh god wrote:
It is tragic that you were accepted to an Ivy and have questions like this. Nobody cares what you look like. They care about your work. If you are particularly slovenly or stupid, than clothing will stand out, but it will almost never matter.
Completely incorrect, depending on the program.
2/10.
ABD in US history here.
Beard = mandatory (even if female)
All clothing must come from thrift stores.
Timbuktu bag is a requirement.
unless it's b-school, no one cares.
ivy alum wrote:
unless it's b-school, no one cares.
You've clearly never set foot in a medical/dental/professional school.
I wouldn't exactly put medical/dental/prof. school on the same level as b-school.
ratty tat tat wrote:
I wouldn't exactly put medical/dental/prof. school on the same level as b-school.
Me neither. But "grad school" is a very broad term.
It also varies depending on the school. Some schools are more formal than others.
It always seemed to me that the scientists were the least formal, and genuinely didn't care what they were wearing (old running shoes, baggy khakis, sweatshirts, etc.).
The humanities students can appear a little more carefully bohemian. They'd like to act as though they don't care, but they really do.
Professional schools are usually a bit dressier, but that's really just in comparison to the typical undergrad. It's really more like "adult casual."
B-school is definitely top of the heap in terms of attire. Most b-school students have been making real money for a while, so they can afford to spend more on clothing. They also may have been wearing nice professional clothing, so they might have started to buy their casual clothing at the same stores. However, some of them try too hard and look a little toolish, imho.
If you want to dress a little older, the easiest way is to be more preppy (but not over-the-top). Other styles require a more deft touch; with preppy clothing, all you need is a few polos, a few oxford cloth button-downs, a crewneck shetland sweater for the winter, and a pair of khakis. Look at Lands End and LL Bean if you don't want to spend much. As long as you avoid stuff like cricket sweaters, lobster-embroidered pants, and ribbon belts, nobody will notice you as being anything other than fairly well-dressed.
get ugly wrote:
It depends heavily on what you're studying.
Correct.
I went to grad school in engineering. If a student was dressed nicely in class it meant they had an interview that day. Otherwise everyone wore jeans and t-shirts, which are much more practical in a lab. It was the same in the sciences. Science and engineering professors simply don't care how you dress.
Students in the business school, on the other hand, *always* dressed up, because business professors care about that. Some business schools even have dress codes.
Other programs were somewhere in between.
Yep..... wrote:
Science and engineering professors simply don't care how you dress.
This is true. I'm a hydrogeologist, and my profs were the biggest dirt bags on campus. Flip-flops and shorts were the norm for faculty and students, unless it's a field day or you have an interview. Even then, I always interviewed in jeans.
if you're male
dress more appropriately
if you're female
dress less appropriately
guaranteed to boost you 1 letter grade
Yep..... wrote:
Students in the business school, on the other hand, *always* dressed up, because business professors care about that. Some business schools even have dress codes.
Whats the typical attire in an MBA class? I always figured people dressed in business casual (slacks, button down, no tie).
male: jacket and tie
female: thong and sports bra
No thongs! Yuck. Boy shorts is where it's at!
i work in a science lab that regularly publishes in world class journals. one morning, one of the postdocs was refused entry to the insitute by a new security guard who thought he was homeless. in science, no one really cares how you dress.
I did my grad work in economics (held within a business school) and dressed like a bum every day. Even now, the only time I look respectable is when I'm teaching MBA classes. Undergrad and grad classes = jeans and a t shirt.