We're Excited to Meet You!

The faculty and students of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group (ABGG) are looking forward to your visit! During your visit, you will have an opportunity to learn more about us—the people, the interdisciplinary research, the extensive research facilities, and the collaborative academic environment that make UC Davis a great place to undertake graduate studies. We hope this event will help you ascertain whether study at UC Davis is a good fit for you, and vice versa.

This page contains a lot of information. Please read fully and carefully to ensure you are prepared for your visit!

 

UC Davis drawing

Program of Events

This schedule is tentative and subject to change!

Thursday, February 12th

Arrive to Davis by 3:30pm (ideal flight arrival to Sacramento Airport by 2:30pm). Guests will be staying at the Aggie Inn hotel, which has a 3:00pm check in time. Our current ABGG students will be hosting an optional campus tour at 3:30pm (meet at the Memorial Union Bookstore Main Entrance). The tour will be followed by a student meeting and informal student dinner (5:30pm - 7:00pm)

If you end up having to choose a flight that gets you here before hotel check-in time (3:00pm) on Thursday, or have some down time between the end of our event on Sunday, this is a great thing to consult with your student host about when you are introduced to them via email. 

Friday, February 13th

7:45am: A small team of students will meet you at the hotel for breakfast and coffee.
9:00 - 11:00am: Faculty or Current Student Meetings (you will receive a personal schedule ~3 days prior to your arrival in Davis). 
11:15 - 12:00pm: Orientation presentation by Dr. Maja Makagon, ABGG Chair
12:10 - 2:00pm: ABGG Seminar Series and Student Lunch
2:15 - 4:45pm: Faculty or Current Student Meetings
4:45 - 5:45pm: Break
6:00 - 7:30pm: Dinner with faculty and students at ABGG Faculty hosts home

Saturday, February 14th

9:00 - 10:30am - Farmers Market Meetup (optional). Depart from Davis

Travel Information

It is your responsibility to arrange all travel between your home to/from UC Davis. Depending on your current physical address, the program may be able to provide payment to offset the cost your lodging and travel expenses. Please check you email for specific travel payment limits.

If you are booking travel, it is recommend you select tickets with some flexibility. UC Davis is unable to reimburse incomplete travel (i.e. cannot reimburse flight if student cannot attend event due to illness).

Travel payment checks are typically received 6-8 weeks after your visit to campus.

Hotel Accommodations

Students travelling from beyond Sacramento, Solano, or Yolo County will be provided a hotel room at Aggie Inn hotel for the nights of February 12 and 13.

Your hotel room will be shared with another prospective student. You will be given an opportunity to let us know any additional needs or preferences for your hotel stay, although we cannot guarantee that we can accommodate all of them.

Getting to Campus

UC Davis policy requires students to select the most cost-effective method to getting to campus, which usually entails taking a flight, train or bus. You will find some travel options below:

Amtrak: This is the most cost-effective option for prospective students travelling from the Bay Area, Northern California, or Reno, Nevada. The Amtrak station is conveniently located in Downtown Davis, approximately 5 minutes away from the hotel on foot.

  • Non-reimbursable:
    • Train points, redeemed miles, or gift cards
    • Business and first-class train tickets
    • Rental cars
  • Reimbursable (with receipts):
    • Train/bus tickets paid for with credit/debit card

Flying: This is usually the most cost-effective option for students traveling from Southern California or other states (see Travel FAQ below). Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is the closest airport. You will be responsible for securing a rideshare or taxi from SMF to Davis; we take this cost into consideration when offering you a reimbursement limit.

  • Non-reimbursable
    • Airline points, redeemed miles, or gift cards
    • Business and first-class airlines tickets
    • Flight upgrades (priority boarding, additional leg room, etc.)
    • Rental cars
  • Reimbursable (with receipts):
    • Flights paid for with credit/debit card
    • Upgrades made specifically for the purpose of getting a refundable flight, such as Southwest Airlines' Wanna Get Away Plus; proof required
    • Baggage fees
    • Rideshares to and from the airport

Driving: The current mileage reimbursement rate is $0.67 per mile* for people driving a personal vehicle to campus.

  • Non-reimbursable:
    • Gas
    • Rental cars
    • On-campus parking
  • Reimbursable:
    • Tolls (with receipt)
    • Mileage

Travel Reimbursements

All reimbursements are up to the limit stated in your personal invitation email. Costs beyond the stated reimbursement limit are non-reimbursable. Receipts are required for all reimbursable expenses EXCEPT gas.

Reimbursement checks will be mailed to the address you provided in your original RSVP. Checks may take up to 6 weeks to arrive after the recruitment event. Please let the Graduate Program Coordinator know as soon as possible if this is a significant financial burden to you. 

Travel FAQ

 
  • I have family/friends in the Davis area. Can I stay with them?
  • Absolutely! This is a common occurrence, especially given that many UC Davis alumni apply to ABGG. Please let the Graduate Program Coordinator know if you plan to do this.
  • I live in Southern California. Can I drive to Davis and still get reimbursed?
  • It depends on how far south you are! University policy dictates that we can't reimburse you for driving when it would have been less expensive to fly. 

    Anywhere south of the Grapevine is too far to drive. San Luis Obispo is not too far to drive, but Santa Barbara is. Bakersfield is not too far to drive, but the high desert is. 

    If you are unsure about the most affordable way to travel to Davis, email the Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • I want to extend my time in Davis. Can I do that?
  • You may stay extra days in Davis at your own expense. Lodging, food, parking, etc. for dates beyond the recruitment event will NOT be reimbursed. Your return travel is still reimbursable; make sure to follow the guidelines and limits listed above.
  • I'm getting to Davis early. Can I do that?
  • Sure! Same policy as staying late - we will still reimburse you for travel in and out of town, but finding (and, if applicable, paying for) lodging is up to you until Thursday afternoon.
  • Can I be reimbursed if I rent a car?
  • No. All events for the recruitment are within walking distance from your hotel, so rental cars are not recommended and will not be reimbursed if purchased.
  • I will be traveling to Davis from City A but traveling from Davis to City B. What do I do?
  • This is a common situation when students are traveling from one recruitment event to another, and we are still happy to cover the costs. The same reimbursement guidelines and limits are in place: you must select the most cost-effective travel to/from each location, and all reimbursements require receipts. 

Other Details

Dress

This event is business casual. There will be considerable walking, so bring comfortable shoes.

Weather

In early February, rain is always a possibility, so bring an umbrella or rain jacket. Day-time temperatures are usually in the mid-50s to low-60s.

Interviews and Tours

Visiting students will be paired with a faculty mentor and student host prior to the event. Faculty mentor's will oversee the scheduling of additional faculty interviews, lab and facility tours, and student interviews. You will receive your interview schedule ~3 days before your visit. These interviews are designed to gauge your preparation for graduate education and, specifically, for the ABGG program. Therefore, you can expect questions related to your interests in the program and your previous research/academic experience. 

After your visit, the program will be busy at work processing travel reimbursements, evaluated interviews, and drafting offer and financial letters. Please be patient with us!

Travel Payment

All travel payments are up to the limit stated in your personal invitation email. Costs beyond the stated reimbursement limit are at your own expense.

Travel payment checks will be mailed to the address you provided in your original RSVP. Checks may take up to 6 weeks to arrive after the recruitment event. Please let your graduate program coordinator know as soon as possible if this is a significant financial burden to you.

Admission and Financial Offers

Admission and financial offers are typically extended between mid- to late March, though there are sometimes delays due to administrative factors. If you have not heard back from the program by March 30th, please reach out to your graduate program coordinator.

UC Davis is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), and per the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution, you are under no obligation to accept financial offers from UC Davis prior to April 15.

FAQ

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  • What exactly is a graduate group?
  • It's a non-departmental PhD program, where faculty from all over campus can apply and leave voluntarily. 

    Faculty are often affiliated with more than one graduate group (the average for ABGG-affiliated faculty is 2-3); they need to be in the graduate group in order to become PI to a student in that graduate group, which is a moderately common reason for faculty to join. More often, it's simply because their research interests are a good match for more than one graduate group. 

    Faculty often have students from different graduate groups in their lab at the same time; graduate groups have slightly different requirements of students and faculty, program cultures, etc., but their common characteristic is that any faculty member can join or leave a graduate group without it affecting their status in their home department.
  • I'm not getting information in as timely of a manner as I hoped. Who do I contact?
  • First and foremost, please double-check the information in your invitation; for example, if the recruitment itinerary will be sent to you "in the week of February 23rd," please do not email requesting follow-up until February 27th. 

    For most questions, you will likely contact the Graduate Program Coordinator. Please allow at least 4 business days for a reply, as immediate replies are seldom feasible at this time of year.
  • I have another commitment and can’t attend, but I would still like to be considered for the program.  
  • Unfortunately, the likelihood of our ability to accommodate these requests is slim. We don’t say this to be discouraging; it’s merely logistically difficult to schedule the requisite number of interviews over Zoom without sufficient notice. 

    If you cannot attend but still want to be considered, please email the Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • My partner and/or family would like to join this event. Is that allowable?
  • This program is for invited applicants only. If partners/families join your visit, they must book and pay for their own travel accommodations and may NOT join any graduate group events.
  • I’m sick (or there’s been some other unexpected emergency) and I can’t make it. What should I do?
  • Tell the Graduate Program Coordinator. Since the faculty have your interviews in their schedules already, we will pivot to Zoom if possible, and we have an array of virtual resources about the campus we can share with you.