Oliverrrrrrr

Yeah, that's true. I came from non-English speaking undergrad institution and the interview was all in English.

I am an international student who got interviewed by UW. POI asked a few easy questions about me and spent much time highlighting the advantages of UW and his recent research interest. The talk was warm.

Oh my girl, really be confident. It's about deadline and you should just go ahead with your PhD application without making big changes. Really forget about publications, how can undergraduates have top publications like Annals, JASA, etc. Look at for a detailed reference of publications. Build confidence by finding your advantages. I believe your cs background, research projects (shown in RLs), passion for research (show it in your PS!) and gender are sure to make you stand out from PhD applicants!

Sure. I think U South Carolina is super safe for you. So don't get too nervous and you should be more confident about yourself. Relating how your experiences form these thoughts about theory and computation in your PS will surely be a plus for you.

I think your profile is very favorable and safe for your list. But I want to ask why bother pursuing a PhD? It seems that your research experiences are very data-oriented and not theoretical. I think you can go to top data science MS programs like Harvard or Columbia. Does learning to code & use database and then finding a DS or SE job fit your need? Thanks.