I have an interview coming up soon for a fully funded PhD studentship, but I'm just slightly perplexed. I am a final year undergraduate student, and I filled their online form in, and an automated message asked me to email them my transcript. However, I got busy with university work and I totally forgot to do so. Two weeks later I received an email with them offering me an interview. Now they didn't have my references and neither a transcript, and they called me for an interview? I do have good grades etc but it just got me wondering and I thought maybe they already have a internal candidate in mind, and now they are just interviewing for the sake of it, and should I really waste my time preparing and go all the way up there (Its a couple of hours away) or am I just looking too deep into it? :) .. Also they advertised the same position in November too (I found an old advert online!) ... Strange.

It's possible that they have an internal candidate (certainly does happen) but it's also possible that they're willing to get your transcript at a later stage (some ask you to bring it with you so they can take an official copy). As for it being advertised before, they may not have found a suitable student, funding may have fallen through.....any number of reasons, that alone wouldn't worry me.

If you want to do a phd and are remotely interested in this one I would go. Even if you don't get it the experience is valuable and you may make useful contacts that could get you something later. My approach would be to send them any missing documentation along with my apologies, then do my best on the day.

Teek,

Thanks. Yes I am definetly interested. I think I will take a copy of my transcript with me. I'm just suprised they haven't asked for it and have made a decision on interviewing without looking at it ...

When I did both my masters and PhD interviews I was never asked for transcripts in advance. They knew what I was predicted to get (as this was asked on the forms). The PhD came with a conditional offer for my masters overall and my masters, well, I got accepted before my interview (weird, I know!). But I don't think either saw a transcript of grades.

Most of my applications required all references and documents before they'd even consider them. However one just asked for a cv/cover letter, and it was only after the interview that they asked me to submit a formal university application form, with references, transcripts etc. That was also the one where I finally got an offer :) so I wouldn't see it as a worrying thing. Good luck!