I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) in Jan 2018
Interview
Flawless, by the book interview. Got asked specific questions about why I wanted to study what I study and my long term career goals. Very straight forward. The interviewers helped me understand the process and left almost no ambiguity.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why this field? Why a PhD? Why MSU? What are your career goals?