Politicking Interview Requests

[TheDude]

I received contact for and interview from a school that is at the bottom end of my list of programs I'd want to attend. Of course it is flattering to be considered, but if I get an offer at one of the other 3 schools at the top of my list I'm going there....Or so I think!!????

Anyways, I'd love to interview, but I don't want to spend the cash to travel there, and aside from sleeping in other grad student apartments, there is no money for traveling. To confound the problem more traveling this far would require me to loose 25% of my monthly income on top of whatever the expenses are. Can I request a skype or phone interview under the guise of family duress or something? Maybe I can just be honest and say, "Hey, I live 8-10 hours away can we do this via phone?"

I also want to keep lines open on that date because the last week if February is when all school seem to interview.

Thoughts?

[newms]

Congrats on the interview invite! I think it's reasonable to ask for a phone or skype interview. The school isn't offering travel reimbursement so they'd have to expect that some invitees won't be able to come. I'm an international and if this happened to me - interview offer without reimbursement, it'd be difficult for me to come, especially if it's not at a top school. Just ask the department politely if you can interview by skype or by phone - I'd go the honest route and just tell them it'd be difficult for you to travel without reimbursement.

Edited January 30, 2011 by newms

[jynx]

Like newms said, asking for a phone or Skype interview should be fine. But I'd definitely tell them the reason is that you can't afford it; if you tell them you can't make it because you live 8-10 hours away, it may come off sounding like you don't feel like the program is worth the time it would take to go to an interview.