Interview Writing Samples...

[473912]

I've been selected to interview at my first choice school! I'm extremely excited!

I've been in touch with a friend who says that the interview processes are mostly the sales pitch for recruitment and less about you interviewing. That sounds plausible since the majority of it is seems to be the sales pitch. There are short interview portions by professors and students already in the program. I'm not too worried by those, I imagine they'd be standard questions and not a grilling on Piaget or somatosensation or something. I'm curious about the writing sample. What does this typically entail? What type of prompts are given?

Please advise.

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[CleverUsername15]

I've heard of some schools giving you an article and asking you to write a quick critical review of it.

 

[EekVonBlergh]

What the what?! This is a thing that happens at interviews? Eek. Do they typically notify you about this portion ahead of time, or should we just be prepared?

 

[modestmousktr]

I've been selected to interview at my first choice school! I'm extremely excited!

I've been in touch with a friend who says that the interview processes are mostly the sales pitch for recruitment and less about you interviewing. That sounds plausible since the majority of it is seems to be the sales pitch. There are short interview portions by professors and students already in the program. I'm not too worried by those, I imagine they'd be standard questions and not a grilling on Piaget or somatosensation or something. I'm curious about the writing sample. What does this typically entail? What type of prompts are given?

Please advise.

this was for my M.A. program and not Ph.D., but we did have to give a writing sample and weren't told in advance. It was after the interview was completed, it was pretty much just rewriting our statement more specifically now that we had interviewed and learned more about the program.

 

[473912]

What the what?! This is a thing that happens at interviews? Eek. Do they typically notify you about this portion ahead of time, or should we just be prepared?

I was told in my invitation email. "Writing Sample" seems kinda ominous. heh

 

[mcvcm92]

I also had to do a writing sample at one of my Ph.D interviews. And I'm not sure if I was given advanced notice, too many emails occurring at one time

 

[EekVonBlergh]

I also had to do a writing sample at one of my Ph.D interviews. And I'm not sure if I was given advanced notice, too many emails occurring at one time

Guess I better keep it in mind! Thanks for starting this thread OP, or I would've never known!

 

[clip.clop]

I've never had this happen and never hard of a colleague having it happen to them, but I kinda hope it happens to me. I'd rather do this than sit in on a case conference, which I've had to do several times.