HCI PhD 2020

[HCIphdAspirant]

Hi there !

I'm looking for some feedback on my profile. I'm here wondering why i didn't receive any interview invites or responses on my PhD applications. 
Some schools I applied to: NU/TSB, UMich Ischool, HCDE, Berkeley Ischool
Undergrad: Non-related, but design field, GPA on the lower side (But shouldn't matter, since unrelated? )
Masters: From a Non-Profit University in the Midwest, >3.9 GPA- I changed my field of work with the masters 
Research exp: 1+ year with a lab, 1 funded student research study where I was the PI, 
Other: Some tutoring exp, reviewing papers for conferences, Assistantship fund for a year
Publications: 1 first author to appear this year, 1 second author, 1 work in progress 
LOR: Good I assume, 2 from my advisors in the lab, 1 from my advisor for the student research
SOP: Mentioned pretty much everything above in some way in my SOP

Could folks please share their experience, would be super helpful, thankyou ! 

Edited February 7, 2020 by HCIphdAspirant

[GeorgiaTechPhd]

Okay, so your list of schools is highly correlated with the schools where I applied, and being on the other side of it now, I can tell you that your credentials alone don't make a difference, it also depends on which sub-area you applied to, what you wrote in your SOP (i.e. why you want to be in that particular area), and how your skills fit into that area. Because often a lot of work is interdisciplinary and the competition is rife, most profs look for a specific profile (in terms of skills or ideas or knowledge) and there is no single notion of a 'good' applicant. So it's hard to say how good your chances are, but if you want to share more about your work, i will be happy to advice you further. 

What I can tell you is that UMich Ischool has sent out most of their admits, so I am afraid that might not be an option. Berkeley Ischool takes very few people, and they usually interview around end of jan/start of feb. TSB at NU though is usually very late to the scene, and last year they had approached me during mid of March, but I had already made up my mind by then. 

Let me know what other schools you have applied to, and if I can let you know about them as well. 

[HCIphdAspirant]

Hi ! Thanks so much for responding, GeorgiaTechphd . Aboutthe research fit, I did try to align interests and experience this way in the SOP. I figured all schools / specific people's work may not be a direct fit, but some did fall there pretty neatly. I may need to be clearer in communicating that. I applied to a few other schools - UCs so situation may be similar there too. At this point in time without interviews I don't expect much to happen.