what does an interview mean?

[freakout]

hi there, first post although i've been scavenging around for a fair amount of time...

i am wondering what going on an interview actually means - i was called in to have an in-person interview at one of the schools i applied to that is located in my city, and while it went well, i got no real sense of whether they had made a decision about me...

and of course i haven't heard from them since, and am freaking out, hence my screenname...

if anyone could give me a sense of what going on an interview really means in terms of how the program views you and where they are in their decision process, i would REALLY appreciate it.

THANKS! and best of luck to everyone - i already got rejected at one place, so i feel your pain...

[rising_star]

A lot depends on what the trends in your discipline are. Usually an interview means that you've at least made it through the first round of cuts.

[crustaceangirl]

I think it's always a good sign when they interview you. Since you are local and it didn't cost them anything to have you come visit, it might not be as strong an indication as being flown in from out of town. Still, it's normal to not hear anything for a while after the interview. Typically the admissions committee meets again after doing a round of interviews to discuss the students they met, and make their final decisions. They may have more people to talk to still, or they just haven't scheduled their meeting yet. I've been interviewed by three schools (2 in person, 1 phone) and only one has gotten back to me so far.

Often the interview is like a "sanity check" -- they liked your application, so they wanted to meet you and see if you're as smart in person as you sound on paper, and to check whether you seem like the kind of person they want in their program (based on personality, etc.). You should feel good about it!

[deadparrot]

I think it's definitely a good sign, but your chances of acceptance after probably varies from program to program: some take half of those they interview; for others, it's just a formality. If you're by chance in contact with a current student in that program, they'd probably have more insight on the process.

[freakout]

thanks for the responses, guys