I have recently been placed on the reserve list for an interview for a PhD, I assume that I will get called up for an interview if someone else drops out, is this correct? and if so do many people drop out?

My friend who started a PhD in 2010 was First Reserve for an MSc interview and got the interview after someone else on the shortlist was offered and accepted a place at another uni. She went for the interview and then withdrew after she was made an offer for a PhD place at another university. Her place went to someone from the same dept as it happens and now they are happily on the MSc.

In my experience of being a postgrad administrator I would say that interview shortlists are unpredictable and changeable because people change their minds and/or life circumstances means that they can't/don't want to attend etc. Sometimes it's even things like visas and living expenses for overseas candidates that makes them drop out (not that they'd want to). It's sad but true. We've also had people withdraw due to illness or because they'd become pregnant or had been offered jobs elsewhere and even because their spouse/sig.other had been relocated.

I was on a reserve list for one of the projects I was interviewed for. They told me that I was the 'First Reserve Candidate' meaning they had offered the project to another student provisionally on the basis that they achieved a certain score for their undergrad degree. If the primary candidate did not achieve the score in their provisional offer then I would be offered the place on the condition that I achieved a minimum of 2:1 for my undergrad degree.

I assumed that the first candidate would fulfil their offer and luckily I was offered a (better project) phd position elsewhere which I accepted.

To my GREAT surprise, after the degree results were published, I received a letter from the first university (which had made me first reserve) informing me that the PhD project had become available and if I had achieved a 2:1 I would be offered the position to start in Oct 2010. I wrote back to say that I had been offered, and had accepted, a place elsewhere and would no longer be able to take up that position although I was grateful for being given the opportunity. The admin office then rang me to discuss and I explained that I had accepted a place elsewhere. It turns out the first candidate was not able to fulfil their provisional offer and therefore the place was offered to me. Because I had turned it down, it would now be offered to the Second Reserve Candidate.

I am not going to lie, I was totally devastated to find out that I was First Reserve because I felt that it meant second best after someone else. I asked them for feedback on my performance (because I had another interview in the following week and I wanted to know if there was something REALLY wrong) and they told me that I had interviewed well but the only reason I had been made reserve is because the candidate ahead of me had had 12 months' clinical experience in the field and I didn't. That was the only difference. They told me that academically we had performed equally well in the interview. The following week I had an interview elsewhere and was offered that position the next day. Again, the uni where I am now had a reserve list and I was told that if I didn't meet my offer conditions or if I decided to withdraw or had been offered and accepted something else, the place would go to the Reserve. Happily this project was meant to be mine and I am now SO SO glad that I wasn't the primary candidate for the first interview because this project is exactly what I wanted whereas the first project would have been a 'well at least I would get a PhD' type experience.

I really hope you end up with the PhD place that you want. xx