Travel for Interviews

by Kimberly Barchard

Most people move when they go to graduate school, because there are only a few universities and programs where they grew up. Going to another city for graduate school will expand your horizons. You’ll meet people you would not have otherwise met. You’ll be exposed to the culture of a different university and a different city. You may take up new hobbies. For most people, going to graduate school is the first time they will live in the city of their choice (instead of the city their parents chose).

But to go to a university that is in a different city, you need to get into that university. And to get into that university, you will probably need to complete an interview. Some interviews are done over the phone or by Skype,but most of them are done in person.

Traveling for interviews can be expensive. You will usually be expected to pay for your own transportation. To get cheaper airfares, book your flights at least two weeks in advance. Also, book your flights midweek. Even if you are flying in on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you can still save money by buying your ticket on Tuesday or Wednesday.

When you are booking your flight, keep in mind that the ticket cost is not the full cost. There will also be taxes and fees, which can range from $20 to several hundred dollars. In addition, most airlines charge passengers for luggage. The first bag is typically $25 or $30, and additional bags often cost the same or more. You can keep costs down by not checking any bags. Most but not all airlines will let you take a small suitcase and a personal item (like a laptop) as free carry-on. See the individual airlines for the costs of carry-on and checked baggage and the exact allowable dimensions for each.

If you suffer from motion sickness, you may want to take an anti-nausea medication just before your flight. Many such medications cause drowsiness. Drowsiness can be helpful if you want to sleep on the flight. However, drowsiness can be inconvenient when you arrive, if you have to navigate a strange city or, worse yet, if your scheduled activities will start right away. For example, at UNLV, the graduate students take the Experimental applicants out for dinner the night before the interviews. It would be bad to be sleepy during that dinner, since it’s a valuable opportunity to demonstrate your intelligence and social skills while getting the students’ perspective on the program and the faculty. Some anti-nausea medications are labeled “non-drowsy” and should avoid that problem. You may need to try a few medications before finding the one that works best for you.

If your interview location is in a different time zone, be sure to take jetlag into account. Jetlag is particularly difficult if you are traveling east, because you will lose sleep. When interviewing in an east-coast city, some students talk to their doctors to get sleeping pills, so that they can go to bed early. However, sleeping pills sometimes make you sleep so long and so soundly that you will sleep through your alarm clock. 

If the location is nearby, consider driving there. This will also give you greater flexibility to check out the city on your own, either before or after the formal interview. Allow extra time for the drive so that you will still arrive in good time for the interview (or to get a good night’s sleep) if there is bad traffic or if you get a flat tire. Also, clean up your car a little bit in case you end up giving someone a ride. For example, at UNLV, applicants go for dinner with current graduate students and go to a party with the whole department. If you have your car with you, you might end up giving someone a ride to or from one of those events. You will want to make a good impression, especially if you give a ride to one of the current graduate students.

Half the cost of travel is usually the accommodation. Sometimes the university will let you stay in the university dorm or will put you up with one of their current graduate students. These are both great ways to save money. Remember though, if you are staying with a current graduate student, you must be on good behavior the entire time. If you do anything strange or unprofessional, students will report this to the faculty. The graduate students have as much stake in admitting good graduate students as the faculty, since they will be working alongside you in the classroom and the research lab.

If you are interviewing at several universities, the costs of travel can really add up. Consider asking the universities if they can pay for some or all of your travel costs. If necessary, convert some of the interviews into phone or Skype calls.  A phone or Skype interview is better than no interview at all. If you turn down an invitation for an interview, the faculty will no longer consider your application. They will interpret this as you saying you aren’t interested in their university anymore. If you are considering a Skype interview, keep in mind that your chance of admission may be lower. It’s harder to make a great impression and you will meet fewer faculty and students, and so fewer people will speak up for you during meetings.

In all, traveling to an interview is both exciting and exhausting. The interview itself will likely be a full day of back-to-back activities, where you are always on good behavior, trying to convince students, staff, and faculty that you are the ideal fit for that program. But it’s also an opportunity – an opportunity for you to glimpse the city, get a feel for the university setting and the department culture, and – most important of all – get to meet the people that may be the source of your greatest stresses and triumphs in the years ahead. If you can, take every interview offer you receive, and use each one to help you learn and grow.

Kimberly A. Barchard is the Director of the Interactive Measurement Group. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNLV. She joined UNLV in 2001 after obtaining her MA and PhD in Psychometrics. She works to empower students and colleagues to accomplish their personal and professional goals, particularly through the development of leadership, communication, and research skills.