Grad school interviews?

[Tacori E-ring]

Has anyone had one? Seems like most my friends have not. My sister had one for her PhD program so that helped a bit. I have done some research on the common questions but would love to hear some real life experience. The interview is on Friday. Eeek!

 

[smiles]

Hi Tacori! I did have an interview for a Master''s program a few weeks ago. I would imagine the questions would vary quite a bit depending on what you''re studying. Some of the general ones I was asked:
- why do you want your master''s degree in this field?
- given an example of a case/scenario or asked to provide one from my experience and discuss what was skills were used in it and what i would do differently looking back
- questions about ability to focus, be driven and work extremely hard
- why do you want to come to this school?
- i was asked if i had any questions for them

thats all the general i can think of for now....

 

[kama_s]

Good luck Tacori! I didn''t have an interview either, but a few friends have and the questions they asked were similar to ones I would be asked for an academic position. Here are a few examples:

- Why this field - what made you choose it
- What skills do you bring: i.e., do you have experience analyzing statistical data or operating an HCLP etc
- Be prepared for any technical question: In my case, I have been asked: to layout the pathway of a certain drug''s metabolism, how to analyze a certain type of data (as in, what test would you use for say, dichotomous data), name some ethical issues with certain kind of studies/trials, how I would conduct a background lit search from start to finish etc
- Grades
- Given any thought to what you''d like to do interms of your project (now, often you are assigned a topic in grad school, but you should have an idea of what you enjoy and why)

If I think of more, I''ll post. Good luck!

 

[yssie]

I did med school interviews, not sure how similar they are but two things I found:


1. They do look for off grades, and be prepared to explain that C - even if there's only 1! (I think you've been out of school for a few years though? So it's likely less of an issue - I interviewed during ugrad)
2. Technical questions like Kama said - lots of people asked for the intimate details of my labwork, how I would apply those concepts to problems or questions they had IRL


Good luck Tacori!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks smiles and Kama! I forgot to mention it is a group interview. Not sure how many professors will be there (I believe there are 12) or how many of us there will be. I believe there are two days of interviews (I am in the last group). It is 4 hours long so I have no idea what they have planned. They already have my essay, transcripts, recommendations and GRE scores. Hopefully I can think quick on my feet on friday.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Yessie, yes I have been out of school for awhile and this is a COMPLETE departure from my undergrad degree. I am sure they will be curious why the change of heart but luckily I can spin it (think art therapy) so it won''t seem as random as it might on paper. It is not a technical program so I don''t think I will have to worry about that. I could see them doing some sort of social experiment though. That and the thought of squeezing into a suit makes me want to get it over with NOW! I hate the build up.

 

[Lilac]

I applied to three grad school programs for occupational therapy and went for one interview (the other two school don''t do interviews at all). My interview was about 2 months ago, but I''ll try and remember some of the questions. I would imagine the questions would be very different based on the field you are interested in, but I''ll share the questions I was asked and maybe you can apply them to yourself to help you prepare

1. Why did you choose this field?
2. What is your strongest quality?
3. What do you think your biggest challenge will be as an occupational therapist? What will be hardest for you?
4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
5. What area of occupational therapy would you like to go into? What type of therapy would you like to practice?
6. Give an example of a time when you had to be a leader and take on a leadership role.
7. How will you manage your time? How will you can handle the pressure and hard work of this program (especially if you are married, have kids, etc.)?
8. Why would you like to come to this school in particular?

I know some people get technical questions - personally I did not, but definitely be prepared for it. Know your essay, resume, personal statement, and transcripts like the back of your hand. If they ask you anything about it you should be able to answer their questions. DH helped me go over it all the few days before my interview and he "tested" me on practice questions until I felt comfortable with my answers and felt prepared.

Good luck!! I know how scary it can be (I was SO unbelievably nervous for mine). I''m sure you''ll do well - let us know how it goes!

 

[onvacation]

I''m sure this is different for each field, but I recommend reading up on basic, seminal literature, and a couple recent issues of the top journals in the area you''re interested in. For me, it really sets a student apart. Oh, and I''m sure you''ve done this already when you wrote your essay and looked into what schools to apply, but if you haven''t, do look up faculty members of the school you''re applying to and read some of their papers too, to familiarize yourself with their work. This will come in handy when you talk about the subfield you want to specialize in and talk about possible advisors, if it''s applicable.

My brother was also asked the "do you have any questions" question. Have one ready! Best of luck to you, Tacori

Sending lots of cyber dust!!

 

[Kaleigh]

No advice for you Tacori. But wanted to wish you good luck for the interview. You can do this!!!

 

[PumpkinPie]

I wanted to wish you good luck as well. I had an interview (but over the phone as it was for a school 4,000km away) and it was a few years ago and I don''t remember the details well. Come back and tell us how it went on Friday!

 

[Indylady]

I had an interview two weeks ago for a competitive law school, and it was so tough!

My interviewer was the a local district attorney, and the interview lasted an hour and forty minutes. He didn''t ask me anything about my grades or transcript, or essay; I think the interview was meant to provide a different focus from all of information already available in my application. He asked me some of the typicals, including why I want to go to law school, what do I think lawyers do, why that particular school, my strengths and weaknesses. However, he also asked me about a few current events that could be linked to my interests which were totally unrelated to law school, so that was a surprise. Good luck!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I did three when I was applying for clinical PhD programs, and I have interviewed a number of graduate students to work with me now that I am a prof. You are looking into counselling, right? The interview is less about what you say and more about them getting a feel for who you are. In clinical programs they call it the "Hair on the back of the neck test". If the person makes the hair on the bakkc of your neck stand up, they are too creepy to be a therapist

So be yourself! Have fun. I think you will do great.

By the way, it is not a test of your knowledge. You are going to graduate school to learn how to be a therapist, so other than life experience and your undergraduate degree, you should not be expected to know the things you will learn. Do not be afraid to say you don''t know about something but want to learn. I persoally do not like it when potentual students try to know all the answers when *I* know they shouldn''t know a single thing yet.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/2/2010 4:46:11 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Thanks smiles and Kama! I forgot to mention it is a group interview. Not sure how many professors will be there (I believe there are 12) or how many of us there will be. I believe there are two days of interviews (I am in the last group). It is 4 hours long so I have no idea what they have planned. They already have my essay, transcripts, recommendations and GRE scores. Hopefully I can think quick on my feet on friday.

Yup, confirms my previous suspicion. The interview is to assess your social skills. Relax and be yourself. My guess is they will give you group tasks to do, they will asign you to interview one another, basically things that will allow them to observe your interpersonal style.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thank you for all of your replies!

Lilac, that really helps! Thank you for your list of questions. I was not required to summit a resume so I was not planning on bringing one. I am going into a COMPLETELY different field so it wouldn''t help my case.

Onvacation, I actually have read a few papers from the faculty. They were nice and gave us a faculty list (at an info session I went to) with the areas they teach and their research areas. My sister told me about Google scholar which is awesome. I do want to go into a specialized field and there are only 3 professors with the background/training I am interested in. Hope they are there on Friday.

Thanks Lisa!!!

Maevie, thanks! I think a phone interview would make me more nervous. At least I can gauge their reactions/faces. I''ll let you know how it goes.

Indy, I am sure your interview was much more difficult than mine will be! My interview is 4 hours but it is a group interview and I believe they are having a Q&A session for part of the time. I hope they don''t ask about current events b/c I am pretty out of the loop.

DD, thanks that does help. My sister basically told me the same thing. She said they want to make sure I am not drooling or acting crazy. Haha. I just hope I don''t get shy which sometimes happens in a large of people I don''t know. This is a competitive program so I wish I knew how many people are invited for an interview (I believe they pick 40-50 students). So hopefully I will see 20 (b/c they had two interview dates) and then I''ll feel more confident.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Ooh - good luck!

What I remember from mine was that the very best thing possible to do was to get the professors talking about their own research. They are usually thrilled to have an opportunity to discuss it with someone, and if you can manage to ask even 1-2 thoughtful and insightful questions they are super impressed.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

AG, thanks! I never heard of Google Scholar before. It''s pretty cool.

So the plan is to wear a black suit. Does everyone still agree with that or is it too formal?

 

[sbde]

i think a black suit would absolutely be the right choice for the interview. good luck!

 

[snlee]

Date: 3/4/2010 10:46:22 AM
Author: sbde
i think a black suit would absolutely be the right choice for the interview. good luck!

ditto! good luck!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I think you should wear what makes you feel good about yourself. If a black suit feels good, go for it. But in my experience, I am my best when I feel like I am presenting myself in an honest and authentic way. So this year on the job market I wore business separates that allowed me to express my personality a little more. You know, dress pants and a blazer that were not matchy, had some pattern.

And don''t worry about being shy. Being outgoing is not necessarily what they are looking for. I think you will find the whole thing really interesting because it is amazing how much of people''s personalities will be revealed in the session, and some people will be complete tools

 

[onvacation]

Date: 3/2/2010 10:28:06 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
I did three when I was applying for clinical PhD programs, and I have interviewed a number of graduate students to work with me now that I am a prof. You are looking into counselling, right? The interview is less about what you say and more about them getting a feel for who you are. In clinical programs they call it the ''Hair on the back of the neck test''. If the person makes the hair on the bakkc of your neck stand up, they are too creepy to be a therapist

So be yourself! Have fun. I think you will do great.

By the way, it is not a test of your knowledge. You are going to graduate school to learn how to be a therapist, so other than life experience and your undergraduate degree, you should not be expected to know the things you will learn. Do not be afraid to say you don''t know about something but want to learn. I persoally do not like it when potentual students try to know all the answers when *I* know they shouldn''t know a single thing yet.

ITA. Remember you''re going to school to learn! So many people seem to forget that. I only mentioned the papers as a way to look motivated and dedicated, NOT as a show of how much you know. And really, they will be helpful, sooner or later. I think it''s really good that you''ve read up on some of the faculty papers, so you know what their interests are and you can match them up to your own. Three''s a really decent number, and there will probably be more professors in other departments whose interests overlap. I''m sure you''ll find them when you start school. But there''s no way around reading papers, so get used to it STAT!

I think the black suit may be a little too formal, especially since it''s not really a job interview. I''ve seen lots of people wear suits for job talks, but not so much for grad school interviews. I would wear a dark pair of jeans with a shirt and a blazer, and dress it up a little. Not corporate dress up, but smart, neat, put together dress up. And I probably wouldn''t wear heels. Your interview''s tomorrow, right? Again, the best of luck. Just be yourself. Be nice. Be confident. When you don''t know something, fess up and ask questions. Be inquisitive, but not nosy. If you''ve gotten to the interview stage, you''re almost in!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 3/4/2010 5:43:10 PM
Author: onvacation

Date: 3/2/2010 10:28:06 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
I did three when I was applying for clinical PhD programs, and I have interviewed a number of graduate students to work with me now that I am a prof. You are looking into counselling, right? The interview is less about what you say and more about them getting a feel for who you are. In clinical programs they call it the ''Hair on the back of the neck test''. If the person makes the hair on the bakkc of your neck stand up, they are too creepy to be a therapist

So be yourself! Have fun. I think you will do great.

By the way, it is not a test of your knowledge. You are going to graduate school to learn how to be a therapist, so other than life experience and your undergraduate degree, you should not be expected to know the things you will learn. Do not be afraid to say you don''t know about something but want to learn. I persoally do not like it when potentual students try to know all the answers when *I* know they shouldn''t know a single thing yet.

ITA. Remember you''re going to school to learn! So many people seem to forget that. I only mentioned the papers as a way to look motivated and dedicated, NOT as a show of how much you know. And really, they will be helpful, sooner or later. I think it''s really good that you''ve read up on some of the faculty papers, so you know what their interests are and you can match them up to your own. Three''s a really decent number, and there will probably be more professors in other departments whose interests overlap. I''m sure you''ll find them when you start school. But there''s no way around reading papers, so get used to it STAT!

I think the black suit may be a little too formal, especially since it''s not really a job interview. I''ve seen lots of people wear suits for job talks, but not so much for grad school interviews. I would wear a dark pair of jeans with a shirt and a blazer, and dress it up a little. Not corporate dress up, but smart, neat, put together dress up. And I probably wouldn''t wear heels. Your interview''s tomorrow, right? Again, the best of luck. Just be yourself. Be nice. Be confident. When you don''t know something, fess up and ask questions. Be inquisitive, but not nosy. If you''ve gotten to the interview stage, you''re almost in!

Yes, do what makes you comfortable, but I also have not seen a student wear a suit for an interview.

 

[Haven]

Hi, Tacori!

I just wanted to let you know I''m thinking about you today and sending tons of interview dust your way!

 

[Indylady]

+1 Lots of dust!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Haven and Indy for the extra dust. I survived (obviously). Haha. I did at the last minute not to wear a suit. Instead I wore black dress pants, a gray top, a black sweater and had my purple B Mar bag. About 80% WERE in suits but I didn''t feel out of place and am glad I went with comfort. Some of the professors were wearing jeans so I don''t think they were too concerned about dress code. There were 80 applicants (I snuck a look at the sign in sheet) and the first half was the professors introducing themselves and telling us about their interests, research, etc. Then they left the room and two grad students came in to answer questions. After that we were divided into 10 groups of 8. My group was with the head of the program. Now I have to figure out what to say on my thank you card. Ideas? We were a variety of age ranges. The professor had us go around the table and introduce ourselves. Explain why we were there. Then we did some group activities. Nothing taxing. I just tried to be myself. Participate but not dominate. They said we should knew in a few weeks so fingers crossed! Thanks for the encouragement and advice. It actually was a very easy interview. I feel silly that I even got myself worked up.

 

[katamari]

Date: 3/5/2010 5:38:34 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Thanks Haven and Indy for the extra dust. I survived (obviously). Haha. I did at the last minute not to wear a suit. Instead I wore black dress pants, a gray top, a black sweater and had my purple B Mar bag. About 80% WERE in suits but I didn''t feel out of place and am glad I went with comfort. Some of the professors were wearing jeans so I don''t think they were too concerned about dress code. There were 80 applicants (I snuck a look at the sign in sheet) and the first half was the professors introducing themselves and telling us about their interests, research, etc. Then they left the room and two grad students came in to answer questions. After that we were divided into 10 groups of 8. My group was with the head of the program. Now I have to figure out what to say on my thank you card. Ideas? We were a variety of age ranges. The professor had us go around the table and introduce ourselves. Explain why we were there. Then we did some group activities. Nothing taxing. I just tried to be myself. Participate but not dominate. They said we should knew in a few weeks so fingers crossed! Thanks for the encouragement and advice. It actually was a very easy interview. I feel silly that I even got myself worked up.

Glad to hear it went well! And, if you didn''t get all worked up, you wouldn''t have what it takes to be a grad student

As for thank you notes, the convention in my field is to send a nice e-mail to the professors you spoke with and the Director of Graduate Studies/Admissions Chair. This was hard for me to get used to, since paper notes seem much more formal and genuine. However, the general consensus is that, since they make these types of decisions quickly(honestly probably this weekend), you want to make sure it gets to them before the final decision making happens. Campus mail systems run much slower than the USPS, so it might be a week before the note gets to them (on top of any time it has to travel to get to the location of the school).

Hope you hear good news soon!

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would send a nice personal e-mail to each of the people you met with or talked to personally. Perhaps one to the grade students together, and one to the prof who led your group asking him or her to pass on your thanks to the other profs. That is what I always did. Sending a message at all will put you ahead of many of the other applicants who will not think of it.

 

[kama_s]

Glad to hear the interview went well! Good luck!! I''m sure you''ll get through, you''re a smart cookie!

As for the TY note, send an individual e-mail this weekend to all those you spoke to. Mention that you enjoyed learning more about the profs/program/school and that you feel the program would be a great fit for you for x,y,z reason. But keep it brief.

 

[Haven]

YAY TACORI! I''m so glad to hear it went well!

I''m with you on the TY notes, I always feel like emails are too informal. However, it sounds like that is what people do, and if they are making their decisions quickly, definitely go for the emails. You could always write out a real thank you note and send it to the prof who led your group, as well.

Can''t wait to hear all about it when you get word from the school!

 

[yssie]

So glad to hear it went well!!!




Def. ditto on the thankyou emails

Good luck!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ify ou prefer a note, perhaps drop it off at the school if you can? Then it would get there quickly.