Soo... if you get asked at an interview for a PhD whether you have applied for other PhDs aside from the one you are being interviewed for what's the best answer?

I was honest and said I had applied for others. Should I have lied? Would you think this would be used against me?

Any feedback is welcome. Now just nervously waiting to hear back from this...

Personally, I would always be honest about that - if you lie, you never know how it will come back and bite you (what if you lie and then get two offers, and have to then tell one that you did actually apply elsewhere? The academics you have to explain that to might end up being important in your future career!) I think they expect people to apply in more than one place anyway, particularly if you're chasing funding - the important thing is to show that you are actually very interested in and committed to their project or particular interest through the way you talk about the subject, rather than by demonstrating they're the only people you've applied to. (I would, however, always tell them they were my first choice, even if they weren't!!)

I applied for two PhDs at the same time, at different universities. I told both that I had applied to the other. The first interview was with a different university to the one I did my Masters degree at, and knew I had a reasonable chance of being offered funding to stay at the university where I did my Masters; the second interview was with my Masters university, and they knew I had already been offered a place at the other one subject to a funding bid being accepted. Both sets of academics seemed fine with that situation - they're realistic enough to understand that you can't put all your eggs in one basket. In fact, I accepted the place at the university I didn't do my Masters at, but the person who offered me the PhD at my Master university is now collaborating with me on a journal paper, so it really did no harm at all!

Personally, I don't see what's wrong with applying to more than one project. How could they expect you to only apply to one place (if you need funding), especially during the recession...I always admitted that I have applied elsewhere, and actually had the interviewers telling me that they wouldn't expect you not to that.
I think you should never lie about having made other applications. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to emphasize how the project you're interviewing for is your hands down favourite...;-)

Thanks to both of you. I tend to get in trouble for being tooooo honest sometimes in the wrong situations so I thought I'd best ask! I guess being honest is normally the best way forward!

Thanks!

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I was told by my UG research supervisor, always be honest- lies have their way of bubbling up to the surface.

Plus the truth is the easiest to remember!

I've been led to believe that it was always best to mention other applications, interviews and especially offers. A candidate with offers elsewhere and insititutions competing to take them on will always look good, and making the supervisor aware of your other offers can give you a bit more bargaining power- a supervisor may make you an offer more quickly rather than dithering over their choice of candidate if they know another supervisor also has you in their sights.

That's what I was told by my MSc supervisor anyway, and he was on the PhD selection panel for my old department so he knew their selection criteria. When I got interviewed for that programme myself the interview panel asked me if I had applied elsewhere, and when I told them I had been invited to an interview week for a competitive international programme at an overseas institution they seemed impressed. Still only made the reserve list though, so I may have it all wrong here!

Right now I'm applying mainly to overseas institutions and I think that shows that I'm serious about emigrating for my PhD, and prepared to make the commitment. I've had three interviews so far, despite (or partly because of?) naming the other institutions on the application form.

Also saying "no" to the question "have you applied elsewhere?" would suggest a lack of flexibility and scope, while sounding frankly dishonest- surely you'd be expected to have applied elsewhere?

Remember that academia is also very gossipy and PIs can be surprisingly well-connected- a friend of mine is starting a PhD after her new PI phoned up her old one. I've applied for two PhDs in the same institute and both PIs are bound to know about this as they work together, but I think it just shows that I really want to go to that particular institute and that I feel the lab's focus is particularly close to my interests.

Any other thoughts? I'm not trying to be overly critical here, I'm just surprised to see people viewing applications elsewhere as something which could be seen in a bad light.