Interview Experiences of Current Grad Students

[kyril]

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Hello All!
So I've been on 3 interviews so far -- one was "meh" in terms of my impression and perhaps my fit as well, one was amazing, loved the program, better than i hoped and the interviewer told me "you are the type of applicant we are looking for", and a third was very positive, but I can't help but think "i should have clarified this! i didn't make clearer my commitment to x aspect of practice!". sigh.

so i'm wondering, successful applicants (aka current students) how did you feel about the interviews you had to programs you were later admitted to? were they all love at first sight? did any of you get into programs where you were sure you bombed? and of course all the unique and strange interviews in between...

 

[psychwanabe]

I had four interviews. My first was a program that was not one of my top choices going in. I LOVED it there and felt really good about it. The interview there was weird for me...there were no real questions, I didn't feel challenged at all. It was just a chat. This became my second choice post-interview and I was accepted. My second interview was at my top choice and I LOVED it there also. But I realized after I left that I did not present myself well in terms of fitting in with my POIs research. I was first alternate waitlisted and didn't get in. My third was at my 3rd choice school post-interview and I was waitlisted there (did not get in) also. I had 4 interviews there (counting the grad student) and most of them felt okay. I had a feeling I would not get in though and was actually glad I didn't because it would've been a bad fit. My last one was the hardest, I rocked the interview and got accepted.

 

[empathiosis]

I had four interviews. My first was a program that was not one of my top choices going in. I LOVED it there and felt really good about it. The interview there was weird for me...there were no real questions, I didn't feel challenged at all. It was just a chat. This became my second choice post-interview and I was accepted. My second interview was at my top choice and I LOVED it there also. But I realized after I left that I did not present myself well in terms of fitting in with my POIs research. I was first alternate waitlisted and didn't get in. My third was at my 3rd choice school post-interview and I was waitlisted there (did not get in) also. I had 4 interviews there (counting the grad student) and most of them felt okay. I had a feeling I would not get in though and was actually glad I didn't because it would've been a bad fit. My last one was the hardest, I rocked the interview and got accepted.

How was it hard? How many places did you apply to to get those four interviews?

 

[psychwanabe]

How was it hard? How many places did you apply to to get those four interviews?

It was hard because the guy was a jerk and spent the entire 1/2 hour being argumentative. No matter what I said or how I answered the question, he kind of got in my face about it.

I applied to 11 schools total.

 

[psybee]

i recently got accepted at a program where i could not tell AT ALL how it went. i had several other interviews and they all felt more obviously positive than this interview. i was pretty sure that that was not a good sign, but what do you know, i will be a doctoral student come fall!

 

[empathiosis]

It was hard because the guy was a jerk and spent the entire 1/2 hour being argumentative. No matter what I said or how I answered the question, he kind of got in my face about it.

I applied to 11 schools total.

That sounds truly awful! Well, at least you got through it and had positive experiences at the other schools. I wonder what the awful interviewer was trying to do, if there was a reason for his behavior.

 

[xlittlemissalix]

I would also be interested to know how many current grad students on here only had one interview and got into that school. I only have one interview and everyone keeps telling me that "it only takes one," but I'm obviously discouraged by it.

 

[empathiosis]

I would also be interested to know how many current grad students on here only had one interview and got into that school. I only have one interview and everyone keeps telling me that "it only takes one," but I'm obviously discouraged by it.

Have you gone on the interview yet? Or is it next week?

 

[psychwanabe]

That sounds truly awful! Well, at least you got through it and had positive experiences at the other schools. I wonder what the awful interviewer was trying to do, if there was a reason for his behavior.

He was a former military psychologist and I think he came from the old school "see if you can scare the truth out of them" mentality. He came across as trying to see how well I could handle myself under pressure. I can only assume that was his motivation: it had the effect of turning me completely off of the school.