International applicants - skype interviews

[berba9]

So, I have had an interview about a month ago and am about to have another one soon.

 

I had some questions:

 

1. I haven't heard for a month after the interview. Does it mean I'm rejected? I thought I answered the technical questions well but messed up where I was supposed to ask them questions about the program. The committee told me they will get back very soon, and my POI was among them. However, I do know that the interview weekend for domestic applicants is in February. Is that when I should expect to hear back?

 

 

2. If it's possible (especially for any students admitted through a skype interview), can you describe what you asked  the committee? The fact is, I knew about the university a fair bit since I had spent a summer there (in a different department), and thus knew about the city, so nothing to talk about on that front...I asked about lab size, but phrased it horribly, and about courses, which I could've found out online, but I thought one question seemed too little   and my mind went blank for better questions.

 

 

3. In general, do interviews follow this format? Asking about my research experience first, then talking about the univ and inviting me to ask questions. I heard from a friend (in an engineering department) that she had a very different type of interview, almost like a HR job interview. (how can you work as part of a team, etc)

 

 

4. Also, how do I put across that the program is very high on my priority list (though not 1st)? In my list, a few bigger name univs were below the univ where I was interviewing. The committee referred indirectly to the big names I was applying to, and all I did was laugh awkwardly.

 

 

5. Lastly, about what time do interview invites stop going out? I'm aware that some programs that I'm applying to review and interview all domestic applicants first and only then look at internationals. Any approximate timeframe?

 

 

Someone please reply and make me a little less of an uncertain nervous wreck!

[Chrischigta]

I'll have my skype interviews for UChicago and UPenn during the upcoming week and I'll be glad to share my experiences afterwards

 

So far, I just had a preliminary skype interview with Columbia, where I was asked about my research and why I applied to U.S. schools mainly. Only took about 15 min, and probably should not be compared with "full" skype interviews as I will have them next week, because it just was one to make sure if I should be invited for an on-site visit.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Chrischigta

[mmzee]

I had an interview earlier in Jan and will have another one in Feb.

This is how it went:

 

1. I haven't heard anything back yet, but he said at the end that they had until next week to get back to me, so I'm still hopeful that it will be a good response.

 

2. When it was time for me to ask questions, I asked about lab rotations (how it worked, and when I needed to commit to a lab), and how TA and RA worked at the school (he said that TA was for the first year and RA for the rest of the PhD). I also asked about lab size.

 

3. It was just me and the chair of admissions, he asked about my experience, what I wanted to gain from the PhD, why I was applying to a PhD, why I chose that particular school, and who I wanted to work with. 

 

4. He did not ask me about the other schools that I am applying to, if he did, I would list 2 or three that had similar research opportunities so that I did not contradict myself. I think I made sure he knew I wanted to go to his school when I explained what I liked about it and how the research done there was very similar to what I'm interested in. 

 

As I was talking to him, he was typing on the computer and told me that he was going to share all the information with the other members of the department. The interview was 30-40 min long.

I think I answered all questions fairly well, but at the same time I did not feel like he loved me either. So I'm waiting to see how things go, hopefully I hear their decision next week.

 

I think you should just relax a bit and maybe prepare some answers for the questions you don't think you did well.

 

Good luck!

[berba9]

Thanks a lot for the advice... at least I didn't repeat the same mistakes this time.

 

Again the bulk of the questioning was about my research experience so far. Then about my research interest in graduate studies, which maybe I could have answered better. Also why I want a PhD, why this univ, etc.

Thanks to gradcafe when it was my turn to ask about the program I didn't mess it up.

 

Then there were 2 random questions - my strengths (what you will bring to the program) and what you think the greatest challenge would be during your PhD. I sort of salvaged the strengths one but was clueless about challenges, and I think I ended up contradicting myself betweeen these 2 answers

Edited February 4, 2015 by berba9

[berba9]

Also, both places I have interviewed at have told me that I wil know the decision after ALL interviews (domestic student weekeneds and international students on skype) are done.

[AD]

great post will be great help for me :-) if i ever get an interview invites :-(