Cookiesn wrote:
Quick question to all. I recently got an invite for an interview after initially getting a waiver and was asked to call up admissions to schedule a ‘phone’ interview.
Personally, I would have preferred a face-to-face interview with an alum and at the time I called them, I specifically stated that I would be willing to travel to [●], [●], [●] etc. (12-15 countries in total), if there is availability.
The admissions personnel flatly dismissed the suggestion and said that a phone interview is my only option at this point in time. I was also asked to jot down the details of my interview (timing etc.) since they did not plan to send out an email or any other form of notification confirming the time of my interview. The last thing they said was that the interview will be conducted by a ‘part-time’ member of the admissions team.
At this point, I can’t help but feel (and maybe I am over analyzing this) that Kellogg is barely interested in further assessing my candidacy and the phone interview will primarily serve to tick off just one of the required items on their list (and perhaps also serves to satisfy their reputation for interviewing nearly everyone).
I would love to hear opinions to the contrary, especially from R1-ers. Is there anyone, who went through a similar situation i.e. an interview invite relatively late in the day, phone interview etc. and went on to gain an admit?
Well, I'm not R1-er, but I think that you are stressing over it unnecessarily. I don't think that they care specifically about their reputation in your eyes as one somewhat discontented applicant among the the thousands of dreamy-eyed Kellogg's fans.
To the contrary, I think that your invite is a good sign: they are taking your candidacy seriously, but at this point in time they don't have the availability of resources to interview you face to face. Maybe the alumni network is already stretched too thin, maybe an alumni in your area got overworked for his mega-salary and dropped dead, and maybe (G-d forbid!) you indeed were not a stellar candidate in their eyes when they first went over your file - but now, after some snob deserted to Columbia with scholarship, they are suddenly listening to you unique and compelling life story. Who knows, and more importantly, what does it matter?
Remember, there are many, many applicants who were not interviewed at all (a waiver was not waived). The schools don't owe us a thing, and are under no obligation to take us in. We are those coming pounding on their doors, in countless droves, measuring with each other our GMAT scores.
To sum up, I'd just seize the opportunity (it certainly beats the sans-interview dings I got from 2 schools, leaving me with the impression my painstakingly composed application was not read at all), prepare carefully with all the materials available on the net, and totally go for it, making the maximum out of the opportunity.
Overall, it's a good sign, not a bad one. You don't have to be the first person they admit. I'd sign for being the last one, even from the waitlist