Questions to Expect During a Grad School Interview
|
Posted By: How May I Help You NC on April 28, 2017 Being Prepared Is Extremely Important to Success by Tara Kuther, Ph.D. Getting an interview is a significant step toward winning acceptance to the graduate program of your dreams. However, in some competitive fields as many as three-fourths of applicants who are interviewed are rejected. The interview is your opportunity to show the admissions committee that you're a person beyond the GRE scores, GPA and so on. Professors want to determine which students best fit the school and who will be good collaborators and mentees. Help them (and yourself) by anticipating questions and considering responses beforehand. Here are some of the questions you can expect. Questions About Your Personal Characteristics Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you believe your greatest challenge will be if you are accepted into this program? How would your professors describe you? Describe your greatest accomplishment. Why should we take you and not someone else? Are you motivated? Explain and provide examples. What would you change about yourself and why? If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Why? Questions About Your Academic Experiences and Skills In college, what courses did you enjoy the most? The least? Why? Describe any research project you've worked on. What was the purpose of the project and what was your role in the project? In what ways have your previous experiences prepared you for graduate study in our program? Tell me about your experience in this field. What was challenging? What was your contribution? What skills do you bring to the program? How will you help your mentor in his or her research? Why did you choose to apply to our program? What do you know about our program and how does it fit with your goals? What other schools are you considering? Why? What don't you like about your college? Tell me about a professor who you don't like. Why? Questions About Extracurricular Activities What do you do in your spare time? What are your hobbies? What volunteer experiences do you have? What contribution have you made to your department or school? What was the last movie that you saw? What was the last book that you read? Questions About Your Goals If you're not accepted into graduate school, what are your plans? Why did you choose this career? How will you be able to make a contribution to this field? What are your career goals? How will this program help you achieve your goals? How do you intend to finance your education? What do you plan to specialize in? Problem Solving and Leadership Skills Explain a situation in which you had a conflict and how you resolved it. What would you do differently? Why? What can be determined about an applicant at an interview? Define success. How well do you handle stress? Discuss a situation in which you showed leadership ability. Do you think one person can make the world a better place? Why or why not? How will you make the world a better place? Explain an ethical dilemma that you faced and how you dealt with it. These are a few ideas of what you can expect. You'll interact with many people -- professors, current students and other applicants. Try to remember that everyone wants the same thing: successful applicants who best fit the program. Be honest and be yourself. https://www.thoughtco.com/ If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
How May I Help You NC
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Graduate School Info
 |
Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunity!We, at www.stemuscenter.org, just completed our first two informational sessions on Research Fellowship opportunity for STEM and Social Science doctoral students.
The mission of our center is to te ...more
Manisha Maurya • 1,369 Views • October 23rd, 2024 |
 |
4 Habits for Success in Online SchoolOnline education has become an increasingly popular option for students over the years, especially due to the current global pandemic. However, succeeding in online school takes more than just a good ...more
Anica Oaks • 1,667 Views • February 1st, 2024 |
Popular Graduate School Info
 |
People Judge Your Intelligence Based on the Tone of Your Voice and How Fast You Speak
Do you want people to think you are intelligent? Has someone ever told you “You’re much smarter than you look.”?
No doubt it can sting to be perceived as less intelligent, particularly when you ...more
How May I Help You NC • 30,524 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
How to Improve Your Reading Comprehension If youd like to improve your reading comprehension, try the SQ3R method. This is an acronym that means: Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.
Heres how it works:
Survey Your Text
Prior t ...more
How May I Help You NC • 24,073 Views • June 12th, 2017 |
 |
Never procrastinate and always free time…..One blog I read regularly is by Leo Babauta, called zen habits. Essentially, he writes all about simplifying your life. A while ago, Scott Young was a guest blogger for Babuata’s website and wrote a p ...more
How May I Help You NC • 13,813 Views • April 19th, 2018 |
 |
MVSU to host Graduate Expo March 1Why should you consider an advanced degree? How will you finance your graduate education? What program of study is the best fit for you?
For the answer to these questions and many more, attend Mis ...more
How May I Help You NC • 12,722 Views • February 27th, 2018 |
 |
How Academic Parents Can Find Time to ExerciseA question that often comes up when I do campus workshops on work/life balance is how and when busy academic parents can find time to exercise. As we get older, it becomes increasingly important for u ...more
How May I Help You NC • 12,393 Views • April 19th, 2018 |
