CambridgeHeismanLord

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

No, because most departments have pretty horrible funding and if your resume speaks for itself or if your LOR's are good enough, then I would gander that they don't need one. I didn't get a single interview yet I still got into a fair number of schools. I think it's honestly if there's an incredibly impressive candidate that they want to make sure actually does reflect the pedigree you offer, then that's certainly something. On the other hand, I've seen it used on people with incredible resumes and GPA/GRE scores but have little to no research experience at all.
So under no circumstances should you assume no interview means a rejection nor should you assume that it means an automatic acceptance. I have seen both poor and great candidates receiving interview requests for a variety of reasons. At the end of the day, it's to ask about thing left unclear by your application or resume. 
That is indeed the case. I believe more often than not though that it's more a case that very few get interviewed to begin with. At least from what I've heard talking to my professors, it was to distinguish and sort out top candidates when it comes to that oh-so-sweet funding that is in demand at least when it comes to Harvard. Can't really say for other schools, but I would assume it's not an automatic rejection by any means if you don't get an interview. 

No, because most departments have pretty horrible funding and if your resume speaks for itself or if your LOR's are good enough, then I would gander that they don't need one. I didn't get a single interview yet I still got into a fair number of schools. I think it's honestly if there's an incredibly impressive candidate that they want to make sure actually does reflect the pedigree you offer, then that's certainly something. On the other hand, I've seen it used on people with incredible resumes and GPA/GRE scores but have little to no research experience at all.
So under no circumstances should you assume no interview means a rejection nor should you assume that it means an automatic acceptance. I have seen both poor and great candidates receiving interview requests for a variety of reasons. At the end of the day, it's to ask about thing left unclear by your application or resume. 
That is indeed the case. I believe more often than not though that it's more a case that very few get interviewed to begin with. At least from what I've heard talking to my professors, it was to distinguish and sort out top candidates when it comes to that oh-so-sweet funding that is in demand at least when it comes to Harvard. Can't really say for other schools, but I would assume it's not an automatic rejection by any means if you don't get an interview. 

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

Oh, I definitely agree. I'm just more or less clarifying to Komina and to a great many other anxious posters here not to go and call it quits if they didn't get an interview or haven't heard back at this point. Admissions is a long process, and it's not as clear at the doctoral level as it is for the undergraduate level. A lot of people are pessimistic (for perfectly valid reasons), but I think it's good to have an open mind and not let it weigh themselves down too much. To be honest, part of the reason I lurked for so long was because I felt a lot of people here were really negative and only saw the flaws in their applications rather than the strengths. 
After all, if the Eagles were able to win the Super Bowl, then anyone can get into any program. 

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!

I've been lurking for a bit but I decided to post my story to calm some of you down. I agree that the admissions guidelines can be a bit random at times, but there is a sort of chaotic logic to it. At the end of the day, there is a committee of multiple professors who decide your fate and it may very well be the case that none of them interviewed you or cared that you were interviewed. I managed to get into Harvard with a sub 3.5 GPA (undergrad, I had a 3.9 in my MA program), a 157 V, 161 Q GRE, and maybe two work experiences (albeit this was data analysis work in my home country). 
After entering, I even asked some of the professors as to why I got in, and they said they had chosen to read my writing sample as the topic it covered was fairly interesting. Off the whim of some professor who didn't have to read it but did anyways, I was able to get in. I'm not trying to brag or anything (indeed, I still feel like I don't belong here at times), but I wanted to let people know that rejections may come from the most unlikely sources but that may also mean acceptances likewise come from unexpected places as well. In that cycle, I got rejected from Boston College, Stanford, Washington, and Emory while getting into Harvard, Northwestern, and Toronto. Don't let this initial rejection let you down as there isn't a solid formula to this acceptance cycle, but you have to accept that there will be strong aspects that you want the committee to pay attention to that will completely be overlooked. 
Have hope, and I hope to see some of you guys soon!