Interview Process???

[duffy0387]

I just wanted to see if anybody else was a bit anxious about getting accepted to Physical Therapy school. I have gotten turned down from CMU, University of Toledo, and CUNY-The Graduate Center. I have a 3.16 GPA, over 100 hours of observational hours in many different fields of PT, and a rather low GRE score of 930 (verbal: 380, quantitative: 550, writing: 4.5).

I was asked for interviews to CMU and The Graduate Center but was turned down both times. I just got an interview to Ohio University, which is my top choice. I am extremely nervous as to what, if anything, I am doing wrong either during the interview process or with the GPA/GRE scores.

I have also applied to Stony Brook, Oakland University, and Long Island University.

Any pointers? Anybody else in the same boat? Did this happen to anybody in the past?

Thanks.

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[myr11]

I am in the process of interviewing/applying and waiting to hear back from interviews. Many people are in the same boat as this is a very competitive application process. I think the most important thing in the interview process is to somehow portray a huge genuine interest in the field and program with a sense of confidence. How do you feel your interviews went with the programs at which you weren't accepted. Did you leave with a sense that you didn't do well or were you surprised?

 

[duffy0387]

My interview at CMU went well...I thought. At Hunter, I felt more nervous for some reason. Maybe the interviewer picked up on that, I don't know. I asked them good questions that were specific to their program and I didn't really stumble on any of the questions they asked me. I was a bit surprised because I didn't know that Hunter was such a competitive school. I felt pretty confident (dressed nice, went over a lot of practice questions).

Have you had any interviews? How did they go? How did you prepare for them?

Should I be worried about not getting in? I mean...three out of seven school saying No isn't that good.

 

[marathoner04]

Hi,
The interview's purpose is for the professors (or whoever is interviewing you) to see if a) you'll be a good match at their school and b) if you have the potential to be a great clinician once you graduate. And opposed to some professions, it's really important that you want to make PT your life. You have to show that enthusiasm and excitement at your interview because if your scores are comparable to everyone else's, it's your interview that will make you shine because PT is a people-based profession, not a desk job.

During the interviews that I had (I've had many in my life, and it's part of my dad's job to teach people good interviewing tactics), they will almost always ask you why you are here. What do you want to accomplish by coming here. What do you plan to accomplish with your life. What makes you tick. Answer straightforwardly, but not one-worded. If it's like (ie.) what kind of setting do you see yourself in, you can answer and then ask your interviewer what setting he/she is in. If there's one thing you take from this, you want your interview to go more conversationally than q+a because then your interviewer will want to know more about you. During the interview, feed off of what your interviewer is saying; be curious! Be respectful and humble but don't appear dumb. I find being curious, enthusiastic, and being honest and genuine the best tactics for an interview.

Prepare yourself for the interview; think why you want to be a PT, why you want to go to that particular school (what's special about that school opposed to another one), questions that you might have about the school/program.

And if it's nerves, I always think to myself, I may never meet these people again, so rock it and give the best first impression I can possibly give. It's like if you're a girl and you go to a bar to meet people, you want to give off that "pick me" vibe. That's how I prepared myself for my interviews/how my interviews went (I had two and got accepted into both).

If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

[duffy0387]

Hi,
The interview's purpose is for the professors (or whoever is interviewing you) to see if a) you'll be a good match at their school and b) if you have the potential to be a great clinician once you graduate. And opposed to some professions, it's really important that you want to make PT your life. You have to show that enthusiasm and excitement at your interview because if your scores are comparable to everyone else's, it's your interview that will make you shine because PT is a people-based profession, not a desk job.

During the interviews that I had (I've had many in my life, and it's part of my dad's job to teach people good interviewing tactics), they will almost always ask you why you are here. What do you want to accomplish by coming here. What do you plan to accomplish with your life. What makes you tick. Answer straightforwardly, but not one-worded. If it's like (ie.) what kind of setting do you see yourself in, you can answer and then ask your interviewer what setting he/she is in. If there's one thing you take from this, you want your interview to go more conversationally than q+a because then your interviewer will want to know more about you. During the interview, feed off of what your interviewer is saying; be curious! Be respectful and humble but don't appear dumb. I find being curious, enthusiastic, and being honest and genuine the best tactics for an interview.

Prepare yourself for the interview; think why you want to be a PT, why you want to go to that particular school (what's special about that school opposed to another one), questions that you might have about the school/program.

And if it's nerves, I always think to myself, I may never meet these people again, so rock it and give the best first impression I can possibly give. It's like if you're a girl and you go to a bar to meet people, you want to give off that "pick me" vibe. That's how I prepared myself for my interviews/how my interviews went (I had two and got accepted into both).

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Thanks a lot for the information, this helps out a lot. I'll put it to good use for my next interview. Are you a PT? If so, what school did you get accepted into? I'll contact you if I need to pick your brain anymore . Thanks again.

 

[marathoner04]

I really hope it helps I'm not a PT yet, but I got into the DPT programs at USC, NYU, and Columbia for this coming school year. Let me know if you need anything else!