(finally de-lurking: salvete, omnes!)
I'm the one with the Berkeley interview. I got the email from Kathleen McCarthy only a few hours after finding out that I had been waitlisted at Penn yesterday evening--this whole week has been one big roller coaster of anxiety. I also thought Berkeley didn't interview, so I have no idea what to make of it. I hope it's a good thing? I have, naturally, been micro-analyzing the email/entire situation, but who knows? Maybe my SoP didn't give them enough of a read on my personality? Maybe they had a lot of competitive applicants and decided they needed to do interviews this year? Oof, I thought everything would be much less stressful after all my apps were in, but this waiting game is grueling.
Also, congrats to those who got into UChicago! I'm currently an undergrad there and love it, so hit me up if you have any questions about the department/campus/Hyde Park/&c.