Mentioning other applications during an Interview

[perrier]

Greetings to Everyone,

Congratulations to all on their respective acceptances, good luck to those who are still waiting for some news.

I was wondering if the forum could help me out with a situation and question. I'm applying for some PhD programs, both in the US and the UK.

I've had two interviews so far this past spring, and one took place this evening. The professors from both schools asked me the same question, "are there other schools you've applied to?"

In the first one, I answered truthfully, and I felt the tone of the interview committee shift from being interested to being cold. In the end, I did not get the offer.

This evening, the professor gave me an unconditional offer, and then afterwards, he asked me the school question as well. I replied 'No' right away. He became very quiet, and then I elaborated: "There are currently no other pending applications, I withdrew from all the other schools except this one." Which is not true, actually, because I'm still waiting to hear back from two more places. I think he could detect that what I declared wasn't the truth, but at the moment I just lost my head completely and was afraid of repeating the mistake at the first interview. Now however, I am very anxious that he's bound to find out anyhow about the other places, as the circles within my field are quite well connected. I was wondering if anybody's met similar circumstances, and had any advice for an email followup to explain lest further inquiries may be required, or in a next interview, etc.. Helpful advice will be greatly appreciated, thank you very much for your time!

[GK Chesterton]

Greetings to Everyone,

Congratulations to all on their respective acceptances, good luck to those who are still waiting for some news.

I was wondering if the forum could help me out with a situation and question. I'm applying for some PhD programs, both in the US and the UK.

I've had two interviews so far this past spring, and one took place this evening. The professors from both schools asked me the same question, "are there other schools you've applied to?"

In the first one, I answered truthfully, and I felt the tone of the interview committee shift from being interested to being cold. In the end, I did not get the offer.

This evening, the professor gave me an unconditional offer, and then afterwards, he asked me the school question as well. I replied 'No' right away. He became very quiet, and then I elaborated: "There are currently no other pending applications, I withdrew from all the other schools except this one." Which is not true, actually, because I'm still waiting to hear back from two more places. I think he could detect that what I declared wasn't the truth, but at the moment I just lost my head completely and was afraid of repeating the mistake at the first interview. Now however, I am very anxious that he's bound to find out anyhow about the other places, as the circles within my field are quite well connected. I was wondering if anybody's met similar circumstances, and had any advice for an email followup to explain lest further inquiries may be required, or in a next interview, etc.. Helpful advice will be greatly appreciated, thank you very much for your time!

Well, I don't think it's advisable to lie to people - particularly when they obviously know or will know that you're lying. However, it's probably even worse to try and contact them and fix it. How many schools did you apply to? If you rattle off 15, they'll probably find that unappealing, so pick 3 or 4 that you applied to that seem like good competitors to the program you're at and say those.

[fuzzylogician]

Well, I don't think it's advisable to lie to people - particularly when they obviously know or will know that you're lying. However, it's probably even worse to try and contact them and fix it. How many schools did you apply to? If you rattle off 15, they'll probably find that unappealing, so pick 3 or 4 that you applied to that seem like good competitors to the program you're at and say those.

This. The school will know who its competition is, and is entirely aware that people usually apply to more than one school. Pick 3-4 names that are in the same category as the school you're interviewing for or slightly better. The idea is to seem consistent about where you think you'll fit, so mention schools where there are professors who can supervise your doing similar work to what you suggested for this school, with a similar methodology, etc. Maybe it's also a good idea to end that list with "but your school is my top choice."

[Jae B.]

The school will know who its competition is, and is entirely aware that people usually apply to more than one school. Pick 3-4 names that are in the same category as the school you're interviewing for or slightly better. The idea is to seem consistent about where you think you'll fit, so mention schools where there are professors who can supervise your doing similar work to what you suggested for this school, with a similar methodology, etc. Maybe it's also a good idea to end that list with "but your school is my top choice."

^… Agreed! On my master's applications, they asked us to name other schools we were applying to. At first I was hesitant, but then I decided, why not? The schools were in the same league, although one is more prestigious than the other. In the end, I think the less prestigious school used that information to speak to their acceptees directly about why they are as good as the other school (apparently a lot of us applied there -- an indicator of "fit" for sure), and what they offer that the other school doesn't.

Maybe the professor you were speaking with was prepared to talk you out of some of the usual competitors. Either way, knowing their competition is important for schools.

I can see how the only two schools I applied to have a lot in common, and how that indicates where I think I belong and what I'm looking for in resources. However, the third school I considered applying to -- if I had, I'm not sure I would have listed it on my applications -- even though I really admired it and a particular professor there, it is not highly ranked (that I know of) and I wouldn't be sure how other schools would regard it.

[Katzenmusik]

Perrier: it's a bit odd that your first interviewers had a negative reaction to your other applications. MOST people apply to multiple places, so that in and of itself would not be a reason for them to reject you. Perhaps they could tell from your tone of voice or body language that a different school was your first choice--that they were your Plan B or C? Or maybe they thought you were applying to the wrong places and must not have researched the departments well enough? Or maybe they have some personal rivalry that you aren't even aware of... it just seems very strange.

For the second interview, I hate to say it, but you really just should have been honest. There was no point in lying, and this could easily turn into a very embarrassing situation for you. For example, what if you hear back from another university tomorrow, and they make you a MUCH better offer, which you decide to accept--you will then have to explain to the professor that you didn't exactly tell the truth. In addition, since he believes his university isn't competing with any others for you, he might not give you as good a financial deal. And he might interpret your answer to mean you were rejected from everywhere except his school, but you didn't want to admit it.

But what's done is done. Best not to call attention to it and hope that the awkwardness fades with time.

[robinsparkles]

I think it's fine to mention other places you have applied to if the interviewer asks about it. At one group interview I attended, a candidate flat-out asked the interviewer why his program was better than the program of the school's main competitor. The interviewer gave her a pretty well thought out answer about the strengths of his program compared to some of the weak areas of the competitor's program. While some interviewers might not be comfortable speaking so bluntly, it is no secret that candidates routinely apply to multiple programs. I think that if they are truly interested in you, knowing the other schools you applied to kind of gives them an idea about how to persuade you more effectively, and what points would interest you most.

[perrier]

Hey,

Thanks a lot for all of your feedback/advice. The different experiences and perspectives really helped clear things up, and I appreciate the time you took to write them.

I certainly learned a good lesson, and I'll be keeping all these suggestions in mind for next time.