I applied with the essay application in mid-October and heard back near Christmas that I had been selected for an interview. My interview took place in late January, and I received notice of moving on to the hiring committee shortly after. I heard back on the results two weeks later.

(PS: They require your transcript. When I read that, I thought I was done for, but I guess it depends more on your interview.)

The interviewers were so nice and passionate about the program, which is totally different from other interview experiences I've had. They made me feel calm and relaxed because I believe they truly want you to succeed and will help you when you get stuck. I think the most important thing is to explain your thought process. I did not arrive at the "best" answer immediately, but I explained what I was thinking.

Also, be prepared for them to ask more questions on different aspects of the same question or how you can optimize your solution.

Just stay calm, be yourself, and know that you can do it, because you can!

Signed an NDA, but know your data structures!