Interview went well; can I divine a decision?

[Seatbelt Blue]

I'm told you don't get an interview unless you're a strong candidate. BC invited me for a skype interview last week, and told me it would be about 20 minutes long and mostly about what I wanted out of grad school and what I wanted to do with my education. That's exactly what it was.

 

Are interviews usually more intensive? I was expecting a bit more of a grilling, if you will. It felt pretty pro forma and I thought it went very well.

 

And at the end, I was told I'd have a decision in a couple of weeks.

 

Is it possible to tease out if this was a formality or what?

[WithDoubt88]

Hey Seatbelt: Thanks for the post. I have been curious myself! I was just asked to engage in a 20 minute skype interview as well. I'm Comp Lit, but I think all Humanities are tending toward this interview process a bit more. They complimented my writing, said they enjoyed reading me, but wanted to know more about me. Mine is scheduled for a couple weeks from now and it is my general impression that you can't learn a ton from 20 minutes, so clearly they think you are a qualified applicant prior to this conversation. My guess is that they use the call to gauge professionalism, ability to think on your feet a bit, and motivation/sincerity. Of course, I am not an expert, and I would be curious to hear about others' experiences!!

[soshy]

Thought I'd chip in though I'm from a completely different discipline. All my interviews so far are quite casual. I talked a bit about the projects I've done and I asked a few questions and that's it. I think those interviews are just for testing if you can communicate normally and clearing up any questions you might have about the school. A 20-minute "interview" is too tight to pack in challenging questions on the interviewer's part IMO.

[uromastyx]

Mine have all been somewhere between casual and downright enjoyable.

Some were more geared towards an actual interview, while some were more of an opportunity for them to describe how their program would suite me well and allow me to ask questions.

(And in my field most also want to speak a bit in the target language.)