the_chimp

It's a long flight that costs ~$1000... I think I could do a Skype interview and let them know I'll be dropping in for a visit a month later. These programs are highly competitive, so I'm afraid that in missing out on the visit (with the talks, interviews, tours and student dinner) I'll put myself in a disadvantage in the competition.

Hi all, I applied to several US bioinformatics/computational biology PhD programs (I'm not American, nor did I study in the US). Yesterday I got an e-mail from one highly regarded university, inviting me to an interview. They have a visit weekend on February 1st. The problem is that I still haven't heard from any other university. My top two choices hold their visiting sessions on Feb 15 and 27, so I was hoping to be in the US during these two weeks. The e-mail suggested I could also choose a Skype interview and hinted that I could come visit at a later date. I fear it would hurt my chance of acceptance if I won't come. I should mention I've met one of the professors from that university a year ago. We discussed my research and her work and she supports my acceptance. Should I spend the time and money to fly to the US for just a few days? Maybe a Skype interview is OK in this situation? Or should I tell them I'll be arriving for a visit on a later date? Thanks