I've also noticed that usually during the "orientation" (lunch or something), the faculty usually go around and introduce themselves/their research. That bit of information ought to give you enough to talk about.
How to Survive Interview Day
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I've also noticed that usually during the "orientation" (lunch or something), the faculty usually go around and introduce themselves/their research. That bit of information ought to give you enough to talk about.
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Has anyone ever had a two-on-one interview, where you had two interviewers? I'm wondering how to approach that.
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I had a number of interviews with two people (usually when I was interviewing with grad students). I treated it just like I did every other interview....waited for them to ask me questions (etc). When I was answering or asking questions, I made sure to give them both roughly equal amounts of eye contact.
In my program, we do have two student x one applicant interviews. As intimidating as they may sound, they're really benign. I think it is just a way for more people to have exposure to the applicants...so they can weigh in on what they thought of them. (There was one applicant for my lab that I didn't get to interview, so I had to go searching for information.)
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Thanks. Also, it sounds like we interview with two ad comm people and then have the chance to request individual meetings later. If one of the two people is the person I would want to meet with, do you think I should try to meet with her individually as well?
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Absolutely! You don't want to be "forgettable," so make sure to get as much face time as possible.
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Great, that's what I was thinking. Again, thanks so much for the input! I'm a little nervous about two-on-one because I feel like I'll be outnumbered. 
I had a weird experience during interview weekend last week and thought I'd share since it might(?) help people in the future.
(I'm a student in a clinical PhD scientist-practitioner program.)
We hosted 2 social events where everyone could mingle casually. The people interviewing for my lab just hung out with each other both times and completely ignored the students in the lab they were trying to get into. From what I could tell, they were sharing stories about all the interviews they've been on and how many they have left to go.
A few reactions:
1. If I'm going out of my way to engage you in a conversation and you just ignore me... I'm going to feel weird. It only follows that if you make me feel weird, I'm going to have a hard time seeing how you could ever in a million years be a great addition to the lab. If you're so busy complaining to everyone about how tired you are of interviewing, how will you get to know what our program is about? I'll assume you aren't that interested and I'll be sure to let your POI know.
Just remember - all those current students standing around you (that you're ignoring) went through the same exact interview process and were just as exhausted and yet somehow, we managed to show our interest in the program.
2. If you got an invite to interview, it means you're impressive on paper - but at a certain point, due to the ceiling effect, you all look similar, which is why the interview weekend is key - you get to show us who you are in real life so we can get a sense of what you'd be like to work with. What I'm saying is: the thing that's going to separate you from the competition isn't the fact that you got a 1500 on your GRE's and someone else got a 1480. You're all smart and we know this (because we're smart too). What we don't know is what inspires you, what you do in your free time, what makes you who you are. If I ask you why you want to go into X area of psych and you tell me "It's all so fascinating," I'm going to walk away without having a sense of what makes you special. In fact, I'm going to think you aren't that special, but rather just a smart person without a clue.
10 out of 10 times, I'd rather work with the 1480 GRE person who shows some personality and thoughtfulness rather than the 1500 person who seemed to be devoid of a personality.
3. If a student is hosting you, we definitely want to hear from you beforehand. It puts us at ease. We're letting you into our homes and we like to know who we're hosting instead of feeling like a total stranger is using us for a few days and then leaving. It would be nice to get a 'thank you' email afterwards, too.
We aren't your POI, but I think we still deserve some sort of recognition for going out of our way to shuttle you around, make sure you get your beauty rest before the interview, and reminding you to grab your toothpaste when you pack up.
Stuff to think about.
(I'm a student in a clinical PhD scientist-practitioner program.)
We hosted 2 social events where everyone could mingle casually. The people interviewing for my lab just hung out with each other both times and completely ignored the students in the lab they were trying to get into. From what I could tell, they were sharing stories about all the interviews they've been on and how many they have left to go.
A few reactions:
1. If I'm going out of my way to engage you in a conversation and you just ignore me... I'm going to feel weird. It only follows that if you make me feel weird, I'm going to have a hard time seeing how you could ever in a million years be a great addition to the lab. If you're so busy complaining to everyone about how tired you are of interviewing, how will you get to know what our program is about? I'll assume you aren't that interested and I'll be sure to let your POI know.
Just remember - all those current students standing around you (that you're ignoring) went through the same exact interview process and were just as exhausted and yet somehow, we managed to show our interest in the program.
2. If you got an invite to interview, it means you're impressive on paper - but at a certain point, due to the ceiling effect, you all look similar, which is why the interview weekend is key - you get to show us who you are in real life so we can get a sense of what you'd be like to work with. What I'm saying is: the thing that's going to separate you from the competition isn't the fact that you got a 1500 on your GRE's and someone else got a 1480. You're all smart and we know this (because we're smart too). What we don't know is what inspires you, what you do in your free time, what makes you who you are. If I ask you why you want to go into X area of psych and you tell me "It's all so fascinating," I'm going to walk away without having a sense of what makes you special. In fact, I'm going to think you aren't that special, but rather just a smart person without a clue.
10 out of 10 times, I'd rather work with the 1480 GRE person who shows some personality and thoughtfulness rather than the 1500 person who seemed to be devoid of a personality.
3. If a student is hosting you, we definitely want to hear from you beforehand. It puts us at ease. We're letting you into our homes and we like to know who we're hosting instead of feeling like a total stranger is using us for a few days and then leaving. It would be nice to get a 'thank you' email afterwards, too.
We aren't your POI, but I think we still deserve some sort of recognition for going out of our way to shuttle you around, make sure you get your beauty rest before the interview, and reminding you to grab your toothpaste when you pack up.
Stuff to think about.
Hey everybody,
Thanks so much for the advice thus far! I have a somewhat different question... I'm interviewing at Saint Louis University on Friday, and the school is Jesuit (Catholic). I'm Catholic/Christian too, so I'm excited about learning more about how spirituality intersects with psychological research. I want to ask about that in my interviews, but at the same time I don't want to sound like I'm "playing the religion card" as if I'm hoping it will get me in as a last-ditch effort. Any advice on how much I should bring it up?
On the opposite side of that, I'm wondering how likely it is that they ask me about my spirituality..? I know they can't reject me based on that, but I'm just wondering what to expect if they bring it up. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Thanks so much for the advice thus far! I have a somewhat different question... I'm interviewing at Saint Louis University on Friday, and the school is Jesuit (Catholic). I'm Catholic/Christian too, so I'm excited about learning more about how spirituality intersects with psychological research. I want to ask about that in my interviews, but at the same time I don't want to sound like I'm "playing the religion card" as if I'm hoping it will get me in as a last-ditch effort. Any advice on how much I should bring it up?
On the opposite side of that, I'm wondering how likely it is that they ask me about my spirituality..? I know they can't reject me based on that, but I'm just wondering what to expect if they bring it up. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
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I interviewed at Baylor--another Christian school. The faculty mentioned that while the school itself was Christian, and many of the undergrads were Christian, the Psych dept. abides by the APA guidelines and did not factor in religion when choosing grad students. That was all I heard about religion; no one asked me about spirituality in any of the interviews. However, my research interests have nothing to do with religion. If yours do, it would probably be easier to work that into the conversation.
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just wanted to bump this thread! i found it helpful
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Thanks for bumping! This is a very helpful thread.
I have some questions. The day before the interview is a dinner to hang out with grad students (no faculty should be there) at a pizza place. Do I really have to wear business casual for this? It seems weird to me to wear clothes like that at a cheap pizza place (seriously, they told us to bring $8). I was just thinking really nice, dark wash jeans and a nice blouse would do. Am I wrong?
Also, there is a dinner with everyone, faculty included, and then a party with the grad students afterward on interview day. They say this in the info, "You may also want to consider something more casual for Saturday evening." This was in comparison to a suit and the whole nine yards. Again I was thinking an outfit like I described above would be okay. Is this too casual? The school is in Oklahoma if that gives any perspective of what the fashion culture is there. Where I come from nice jeans/blouse combos are still in the business casual spectrum, but I am more than sure this isn't the norm for most places.
Thanks for any help.
I have some questions. The day before the interview is a dinner to hang out with grad students (no faculty should be there) at a pizza place. Do I really have to wear business casual for this? It seems weird to me to wear clothes like that at a cheap pizza place (seriously, they told us to bring $8). I was just thinking really nice, dark wash jeans and a nice blouse would do. Am I wrong?
Also, there is a dinner with everyone, faculty included, and then a party with the grad students afterward on interview day. They say this in the info, "You may also want to consider something more casual for Saturday evening." This was in comparison to a suit and the whole nine yards. Again I was thinking an outfit like I described above would be okay. Is this too casual? The school is in Oklahoma if that gives any perspective of what the fashion culture is there. Where I come from nice jeans/blouse combos are still in the business casual spectrum, but I am more than sure this isn't the norm for most places.
Thanks for any help.
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I am admittedly a little frightened after reading this. There was a social event the evening before my interview at a very tiny and crowded bar. I am very outgoing and friendly, but not pushy. I spoke briefly with members from the lab I'm applying to, but when they went to get drinks I decided to mingle with my fellow applicants and grad students NOT in the lab I'm applying to, just to be friendly and get a diverse and broad sense of the program. About an hour later, I spoke briefly with the lab members again.
I realized at the end of the night that an applicant to the lab had spent literally her entire evening with them. I felt so rude and so foolish for not engaging them more, but I wanted to hear from ALL the students, and I didn't want to monopolize their time. Now I'm questioning myself and wondering if I came off as the applicants you're describing.
Also, I have no where else to vent this, so I need to just get it out. Thanks you guys. I loved the school I interviewed at so much- it's above and beyond my top choice. Top tier, amazing research fit, friendly students, great POI attitude, perfect mentorship style... EVERYTHING! Immediately after my interview I was riding high on adrenaline and all smiles... I rocked it! Or so I thought. As soon as I flew back home panic sunk in my gut. I love the program so much, especially after my interview, that I think back to the mistakes I made and questions I fumbled. I'm just hoping my knowledge and true enthusiasm was enough to account for my missteps. Maybe my gut feeling was right? I will find out end of February.
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I'm a current grad student and I can tell you that during interview weekend we are all evaluating potential candidates for our lab. From the minute you meet one of us til the minute you leave, we're engaging you and interacting with you. Our input is given to your POI and he/she does take that input seriously. Our input has impacted the outcome for candidates in the past.
That said, the cloying, annoying, hanger on who is clearly "sucking up", is usally seen as such. There is a fine line between showing too much "fake" interest and not showing enough interest in a program. Ultimately the decision is not made by the grad students even though our input is valued.
However, my own interview weekend experiences made me also question myself. I ended up with two interviews on the same weekend. One was a Friday interview with a Friday evening social event. The other was a Saturday interview with a social event the evening before, Friday. I had a 4 hour drive between schools so had to skip out on both social events in order to make it to both interviews. I felt that this hurt my chances and nervously second guessed myself at the end of the weekend. Both schools ended up wait listing me. I was hitting myself in the head over that, honestly feeling that if I would have gone to the social events then I may not have been waitlisted. Ended up being accepted off of the wait list at one of the programs, so it all ended well. But, I think it's totally normal to second guess yourself. Do your best, and leave the rest up to the powers that be. It's out of your hands. Good luck.
For the dinner before the interview, dark jeans and a nice blouse is completely acceptable, in my opinion. The fact that the dinner after the interview is with faculty and students makes me a little less certain there, but if they said consider something more casual, then it's probably fine. So interview day is interviews->dinner with everyone ->party with just grad students? That seems like an incredibly long day. When do you even get to change?Thanks for bumping! This is a very helpful thread.
I have some questions. The day before the interview is a dinner to hang out with grad students (no faculty should be there) at a pizza place. Do I really have to wear business casual for this? It seems weird to me to wear clothes like that at a cheap pizza place (seriously, they told us to bring $8). I was just thinking really nice, dark wash jeans and a nice blouse would do. Am I wrong?
Also, there is a dinner with everyone, faculty included, and then a party with the grad students afterward on interview day. They say this in the info, "You may also want to consider something more casual for Saturday evening." This was in comparison to a suit and the whole nine yards. Again I was thinking an outfit like I described above would be okay. Is this too casual? The school is in Oklahoma if that gives any perspective of what the fashion culture is there. Where I come from nice jeans/blouse combos are still in the business casual spectrum, but I am more than sure this isn't the norm for most places.
Thanks for any help.
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I am wondering how to prioritize questions for faculty/POI....
I have a document that is 4 pages long full of possible questions to ask.
Is it OK to refer to my list of questions during the interview? I am afraid that I may look dumb/obsessive when they see how many questions I have...!!
I am having difficulty narrowing it down. Obviously, I wont be able to ask EVERYTHING but I also want to make sure that I don't forget anything important.
What is the best way to handle this?
Thanks guys!
I have a document that is 4 pages long full of possible questions to ask.
Is it OK to refer to my list of questions during the interview? I am afraid that I may look dumb/obsessive when they see how many questions I have...!!
I am having difficulty narrowing it down. Obviously, I wont be able to ask EVERYTHING but I also want to make sure that I don't forget anything important.
What is the best way to handle this?
Thanks guys!
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It starts at 7:45 AM and isn't supposed to end until around 9 or 10 PM! I don't even know when we'll have time to change, but if they told us to bring casual clothes for that I'd assume they'll give us some breaks? At least I hope they will.
Also, add in lunch with POI and lab in there somewhere. @__@ I guess I'll just have to wait and see when I get the blow by blow when I get there.Thanks for helping. Glad to know I'm not totally off base at least.
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It starts at 7:45 AM and isn't supposed to end until around 9 or 10 PM! I don't even know when we'll have time to change, but if they told us to bring casual clothes for that I'd assume they'll give us some breaks? At least I hope they will.
Thanks for helping. Glad to know I'm not totally off base at least.
Our interview days typically look like that. However, there's usually a break of at least a few hours between the end of interviews (which usually occurs a bit after lunch) and the start of any dinner/get-together (which typically happens in the early evening). Remember, grad students and POIs are probably going to want to change and have some down time as well, so odds are they'll work something like that in.
I agree. In my program the interviews are lengthy but there were tons of breaks. Bring water, healthy protein rich snacks (energy bars), and an extra pair of hose if you are wearing a skirt.
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Since you were accepted, I wonder if you can do a little reconnaissance and see if it factored in.
FWIW, I never attened the social events and never felt pressured to. Ended up just fine.
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I just finished my first interview day, and it was way less stressful than I anticipated. They did a nice job of easing us into the day and it was a very friendly atmosphere. We had various interviews throughout the day with both faculty members and grad students, both from the lab we want to work in and from other labs. Most of the questions were very typical, and by the last couple of interviews you felt sort of like a broken record. However, here are two questions that required some quick thinking:
If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?
What is something about you that would annoy the students in your cohort?
The second one came after the generic "what are some of your strengths" question. I was expecting them to followup with a question about weaknesses like everyone else had done, so this caught me off guard. Fortunately, I was quick on my feet.
My advice to other applicants, just relax and be yourself. Once you get to the interviews, they know you have what it takes on paper... they just want to see who they'd rather put up with for the next 5-7 years. Same could be said about the applicant's evaluation of the schools they visit.
If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?
What is something about you that would annoy the students in your cohort?
The second one came after the generic "what are some of your strengths" question. I was expecting them to followup with a question about weaknesses like everyone else had done, so this caught me off guard. Fortunately, I was quick on my feet.
My advice to other applicants, just relax and be yourself. Once you get to the interviews, they know you have what it takes on paper... they just want to see who they'd rather put up with for the next 5-7 years. Same could be said about the applicant's evaluation of the schools they visit.
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Having questions written down wouldn't freak me out, but four pages of them would. I'd pick the ones that seem the most important to you, then try to figure out who to ask which questions. You'll only have a little time with the POI, so saving some for graduate students and some for informational sessions is advised.
Also, be sure that you never ask anything that you could find out from the website. Makes you look very unprepared or lazy. Asking a few good questions is all you really need to do. If you really have 4 pages of them that you want answered, you might have to accept that not all of them will be addressed at interview day. Which ones are the dealbreakers for you? That's how I would narrow it.
I actually bought a carry on that includes a section for a suit http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Ba...brid-Upright-Garment-Bag/4313510/product.html
So far with no problems!
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Extremely unlikely, as in I've never heard of it.
Also, extremely unlikely. And if it does, in fact, accept the committee's decision (which you'll probably never learn in the first place how they came to it), then I can assure you that you don't want to attend that program anyways.
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I would recommend a suit that doesnt wrinkle, however, I assume it's too late for that so I would just get a travel iron that doesn't take up a lot of space. I would avoid checking luggage whenever possible.
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I am wondering if what I am planning on wearing to the following events is appropriate (female):
-interview day: Grey dress pants, white shirt, blazer
-the next day there are some events with the current grad students such as tours and a lunch- could I wear jeans and a casual blouse?
then after that there is a dinner and a social...what do people wear to these? Would black pants and a nice shirt be okay?
Thanks in advance!
-interview day: Grey dress pants, white shirt, blazer
-the next day there are some events with the current grad students such as tours and a lunch- could I wear jeans and a casual blouse?
then after that there is a dinner and a social...what do people wear to these? Would black pants and a nice shirt be okay?
Thanks in advance!
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I might not do jeans for the tour, maybe just one level nicer. for the interview day, what you have is fine, but a full suit would be better. you cannot go wrong with a suit. the social sounds good--are you sure you'll have time to go home and change before it?
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don't check it. bring a carry on iron or know that hotels have irons included, even cheap hotels.
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+1
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I have maroon pants that are nice. I wear them to work- they are not dress pants but they are not really jeans either. The tour is of the city I will be in- it's a trolley tour and we will be walking around. For the suit, should I get pants or a skirt? I have no idea if I will have time to change before. Should I bring my outfit in case?
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That actually happened to me. The interview day was scheduled to end at 5PM, and around 4PM they told us that they are having a get together at the DCT's house to allow everyone to get to know each other in a more relaxed setting (I definitely felt a little awkward being served beer by the DCT of the program I was applying to). This was in addition to the social event they had the night before the interview (which I knew about ahead of time, and also involved alcohol for whatever reason). Luckily that interview was only a 45-minute drive away from my parents' house, so it was easy for me to change my travel plans. Not sure what other applicants did if they had already booked a flight, but I don't think it would have affected their chances of getting an offer (at least I hope not--that would be extremely unfair).
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Alcohol at these events is common and I recommend either not drinking or just having 1-2 tops. Alcohol at graduate student/faculty events is really common and you'll get used to it - part of the whole transitioning from "student" to "professional" concept.
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And after you are a grad student, you will most certainly want to be able to have a glass of wine when being forced to socialize with faculty.
Dr. E
And after you are a grad student, you will most certainly want to be able to have a glass of wine when being forced to socialize with faculty.
Dr. E
Good point. Even though I really liked most of my program's faculty, its hard to imagine that some of them work with patients!
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And after you are a grad student, you will most certainly want to be able to have a glass of wine when being forced to socialize with faculty.
Dr. E
I can definitely speak to that now that I'm a graduate student
I think I just struggled with that during interviews because I thought it was some sort of test--are they expecting me to refuse the drink in order to maintain appropriateness, or is this a test to see if I can relax during a stressful situation? I definitely over-analyzed it when I was interviewing, but I guess that's only natural
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And after you are a grad student, you will most certainly want to be able to have a glass of wine when being forced to socialize with faculty.
Dr. E
Sometimes, you may even see faculty go overboard - loved that!
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I think your interview day outfit is likely fine, but be aware that probably everyone else there will be wearing a suit. Personally I wouldn't want to stand out in that way, but I've never heard of a faculty member not taking a student because they weren't dressed in a full suit.
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Personally I would opt for black pants for the lunch as well (but a casual blouse would work with that)--just to be safe (if everyone else wears slacks, it would look weird if you're wearing jeans).
D
deleted176373
I had a similar situation, which I chocked up to funniest interview moments:
Me and the other prospective graduate student aiming for admission to one of the top clinical psych programs in the country were toured around all day with nary a word from our POI regarding ANYTHING of substance. Nothing. Naturally, that night we had the "social" before we wrapped up to go home. The other prospective student and I were chit chatting both unsure of when the "interview" happened, because we both missed it. At this point it was getting later and we were both on our second planned beer.
Sure enough, POI comes over, says "Hi, let's go talk"... We sit down on the floor and the conversation devolved into what could only be best described as "celebrity death match meets interview week". As the POI put questions out for discussion between me and the other interviewee, it was clear that she was an admirable foe. "Interviewee death match" continued for about 45 minutes, and I knew that I was bested by this young woman. We went back to socializing shortly thereafter and commented on how strange the whole event was, about 30 minutes later she was informed that she was the victor and had won the coveted spot, which she rightly deserved. I was outgunned, but actually very happy to see the best person get the slot, she deserved it!
Fun times! I had several humorous moments during interviews, even at the school I ended up attending!
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Hi guys,
When there is a social gathering at a grad student's apartment, is it OK to bring a gift--like munchies, drinks, other food?
I always bring something when I am invited to someone's home, however, I am not sure if in these cases it will look like I'm trying to curry favor if it is not the norm/if no one else brings anything....
When there is a social gathering at a grad student's apartment, is it OK to bring a gift--like munchies, drinks, other food?
I always bring something when I am invited to someone's home, however, I am not sure if in these cases it will look like I'm trying to curry favor if it is not the norm/if no one else brings anything....
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I'd say bringing something perishable like that would be fine (and likely appreciated). So long as you don't go over the top (e.g., show up with four fruit trays and some caviar), my take is that it wouldn't be seen as attempting to curry favor.
You can always check with the grad student host just to be sure, though.
For current grad students or those who already interviewed:
How much of the interview is preparation and how much is thinking on your feet?
I'm struggling with how much planning, preparing, and rehearsing I need/should do. I have questions, especially about specific papers, but how much will I even have a chance to ask about these questions?
How much of the interview is preparation and how much is thinking on your feet?
I'm struggling with how much planning, preparing, and rehearsing I need/should do. I have questions, especially about specific papers, but how much will I even have a chance to ask about these questions?
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I've only had one interview so far, and most of the questions were typical ones I prepared for. I just had an outline in my head of the points I wanted to hit. I didn't rehearse before I went because I wanted to sound conversational, but by the end of the day (5 different interviews with faculty and/or grad students) some of my answers felt scripted because I had already answered them so many times. As far as questions go, they gave us all plenty of time to ask questions and encouraged it. At the end of the day I had a hard time coming up with new questions since I had already exhausted the ones I prepared after the first few interviews.
Good Luck!
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That's the way I'd go about it as well--I'd focus more on knowing what were the major points I wanted to be sure to mention/address in response to some of the more common and/or important questions (e.g., what are your research/clinical interests, tell me about yourself, what's something interesting about you I should know/remember, why our program, etc.) than on memorizing scripted responses.
Absolutely. I'm not memorizing scripted responses, of course. This really helps! I guess I'm imagining my interviews to be grilled on every piece of work I have on my CV, and grilled on what they are working on. But seems to be pretty relaxed (hopefully).
So...if most interviews are pretty standard, how do they separate the various candidates? If everyone comes in well-dressed, polite, and have set answers, how does one stand out? :/
So...if most interviews are pretty standard, how do they separate the various candidates? If everyone comes in well-dressed, polite, and have set answers, how does one stand out? :/
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In general, the quality of the answers really can set people apart. It's pretty easy to pick up on "fluff" or "filler" responses that may not have been given much thought/substance versus those that are insightful and well-reasoned.
Also, you'd likely be surprised by the number of people that fairly blatantly come across as cocky, disinterested, rude, and/or impersonal.
And I think interviewers would be fudging the truth if they didn't say that "gut reaction" in terms of just general likability didn't also factor into things somewhat. It's not very objective, but eh, that's life.
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I wasn't asked any questions about my application (CV, GRE/GPA, SOP, etc.). Though I brought updated copies of my CV, no one ever asked for one and there really wasn't an opportunity to hand it out (I guess I could have just gave each interviewer one, but that seems over the top and cocky).
One thing to keep in mind, this was for a counseling psych program. I imagine my clinical interview will be different.
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One of the things that always stands out to me is the people who seem truly passionate about what they are currently doing and about what they would like to do in graduate school (and longer term), and people who seem more ambivalent. Nothing is more exciting to me as a colleague than someone who gets as pumped as I do about my field.
