Rescheduling interviews?

[MidwesternAloha]

Today, my ego was boosted because I received a second invitation for an interview. Unfortunately, it is the same exact weekend as the one I already RSVP'd to. Does anyone have advice on how to contact a program to ask about rescheduling? Is this common? Will it cast a bad light on me? Should I even accept it? Help! (first gen college student/navigating this whole grad school thing alone)

[ilovelab]

Email admissons asking if there is an alternate weekend. Let them know you already are committed the week they offered you. Worse comes to worse, ask if you could do skype interviews with the faculty if you cannot make it in person.

[MidwesternAloha]

Good suggestion! Thanks!

[oranger]

I have the same problem but the school that I already committed to visiting is one of my lower choices and the one I just heard back from that overlaps is one of my top choices.  My flights are already booked for the first interview, but would it be okay to cancel or ask to reschedule?  Does anyone have advice on what to tell them?

[bsharpe269]

I have the same problem but the school that I already committed to visiting is one of my lower choices and the one I just heard back from that overlaps is one of my top choices. My flights are already booked for the first interview, but would it be okay to cancel or ask to reschedule? Does anyone have advice on what to tell them?

This is definitely not ok.

[eeee1923]

I have the same problem but the school that I already committed to visiting is one of my lower choices and the one I just heard back from that overlaps is one of my top choices.  My flights are already booked for the first interview, but would it be okay to cancel or ask to reschedule?  Does anyone have advice on what to tell them?

 

Unfortunately as soon as they paid for your flight they locked you into a contract that would be very ill advised for you to break. Basically if you choose to not go, you are legally bound to reimburse the program the price of the flight and whatever else they stated in the document you signed when you agreed to come to the interview weekend. 

[Vene]

Unfortunately as soon as they paid for your flight they locked you into a contract that would be very ill advised for you to break. Basically if you choose to not go, you are legally bound to reimburse the program the price of the flight and whatever else they stated in the document you signed when you agreed to come to the interview weekend. 

You signed a document?

[notsaxophones]

What I've found is some people are very flexible in rescheduling you.

 

I had initially told U Washington's MCB program that I would attend their first interview weekend, and we booked a flight. then U Washington's micro program invited me to interview and if I switched to the MCB's second weekend, i could attend the Micro program's first weekend and only have to fly to Seattle once.

 

I felt really awkward calling to ask if there was any chance they could move me, and they were more than happy to do it. This could be a special scenario, however, as the MCB program now only has to pay for half of the flight 

[gliaful]

Unfortunately as soon as they paid for your flight they locked you into a contract that would be very ill advised for you to break. Basically if you choose to not go, you are legally bound to reimburse the program the price of the flight and whatever else they stated in the document you signed when you agreed to come to the interview weekend. 

I didn't sign any documents...unless "Thanks for inviting me, yeah I'll be there!" is somehow legally binding. If so, I'm suing all the flakes I know.

 

I could see this -- maybe -- with the programs that make you arrange your own flight through a travel agent. The travel agents all warned me about the flights being nonrefundable.

 

It's still ill-advised to not show up when they've made these accommodations for you, out of courtesy (or out of care for your future connections in your field).

[TakeruK]

I have the same problem but the school that I already committed to visiting is one of my lower choices and the one I just heard back from that overlaps is one of my top choices.  My flights are already booked for the first interview, but would it be okay to cancel or ask to reschedule?  Does anyone have advice on what to tell them?

 

Don't do this. The ethical / generally accepted practice is first come, first served. Your top choice school will just have to reschedule your interview for another date. This is why schools often fight each other to be the first one giving offers, so that they have the easiest time scheduling visits/interviews, which is good for applicants all around. 

 

You won't look bad if you ask your top/higher choice school to reschedule because you already committed to another interview. In fact, this is the ethical and responsible thing to do. Your top school doesn't want another person doing the same thing to them so they will respect and understand that you need a different interview date.

 

You will definitely look bad to the lower choice school (and whoever else hears of it) if you cancel after already committing. 

[rising_star]

You know, what? Don't be a dick. If anything, call up the lower choice school and tell them that you've had a conflict come up, you'll need to cancel your interview, and you're happy to pay any fees that may result from this change in schedule. And then, hope like hell you get into the higher choice school because the lower choice school won't be an option for you after you cancel in all likelihood.

[mademoiselle2308]

A few weeks ago I cancelled an interview that would have been next week. I cancelled nearly a month ahead of time and the school was very grateful I called so far in advance. My guess is that these schools spend so much money on airline tickets that they probably have a deal with the airline companies allowing them to cancel the ticket and use the $ for another flight. Flights are only a fraction of the visit cost. Don't forget about  hotel room, meals, transportation from the airport, etc. Even if they do lose some on the plane ticket, it is better than wasting additional money interviewing a candidate who has no intention or interest of attending their institution. Hopefully I cancelled early enough for them to recoup their loss or find another student to interview.

 

That being said, it is best to cancel early and not last minute.

[MidwesternAloha]

Good news, I called my grad program and they said due to their deadline extension mid-application cycle, they didn't realize their interview weekend conflicted with several other schools' and I was about the millionth interviewee to call and ask for an alternate date. I guess they're going to likely reschedule the whole affair.