Thanks! I applied for MS (with a goal of PhD) and was interviewed by a POI in mid-Jan. The interview was mostly about getting to know me and my long-term goals. Was accepted to do a direct PhD in the admission letter. Good luck for your applications!
I applied to Civil Engineering (Phd) with a geotechnical focus. Was accepted to Stanford, UT-Austin and Purdue in the last 3 days. Still waiting to hear from Caltech, Berkeley and UW-Madison.