Questions About Interviewing & Related Topics

[Jeina]

So I'm currently in contact with a couple of professors that emailed me after I received an interview offer/after they learned that im attending the interview.

What are some good questions to ask the professor prior to interviewing?

Building on this, I've seen lots of discussion about what questions people asked you as the applicant at interviews, but I'd love to hear a bit about what types of questions you asked your interviewers. Anyone care to share?

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[IvoryTower2013]

Building on this, I've seen lots of discussion about what questions people asked you as the applicant at interviews, but I'd love to hear a bit about what types of questions you asked your interviewers. Anyone care to share?

For POI's, I think I asked a lot about the lab, i.e., what projects were they working on/planning to work on, what I would be able to be involved in, what other students were working on, how often mentors meet with their students, etc. One "recommended" question I saw was to ask about mentoring style, though that question backfired on me. I also asked the POI and/or other interviewers what types of internships students from that program typically attend, how long students take to complete their degree, what types of clinical practica is available, whether there's collaboration across labs, etc. I asked students all of the questions I would really want to know about attending the program: living in that city, stipends, what there is to do, faculty/student dynamics, etc.

When I was preparing for interviews, I had come across this on a professor's webpage, which gives advice for "what to do once you get the interview" and includes a couple of pages of example questions you might ask: http://www.unc.edu/~mjp1970/I Just Got an Interview for a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.pdf

I would just think about what you would truly want/need to know about a program to make a decision about attending and ask questions that would help you with that! Good luck!

 

[icarusflew]

For POI's, I think I asked a lot about the lab, i.e., what projects were they working on/planning to work on, what I would be able to be involved in, what other students were working on, how often mentors meet with their students, etc. One "recommended" question I saw was to ask about mentoring style, though that question backfired on me. I also asked the POI and/or other interviewers what types of internships students from that program typically attend, how long students take to complete their degree, what types of clinical practica is available, whether there's collaboration across labs, etc. I asked students all of the questions I would really want to know about attending the program: living in that city, stipends, what there is to do, faculty/student dynamics, etc.

When I was preparing for interviews, I had come across this on a professor's webpage, which gives advice for "what to do once you get the interview" and includes a couple of pages of example questions you might ask: http://www.unc.edu/~mjp1970/I%20Just%20Got%20an%20Interview%20for%20a%20Clinical%20Psychology%20Doctoral%20Program.pdf

I would just think about what you would truly want/need to know about a program to make a decision about attending and ask questions that would help you with that! Good luck!

How did the working style Q backfire?

 

[Jeina]

For POI's, I think I asked a lot about the lab, i.e., what projects were they working on/planning to work on, what I would be able to be involved in, what other students were working on, how often mentors meet with their students, etc. One "recommended" question I saw was to ask about mentoring style, though that question backfired on me. I also asked the POI and/or other interviewers what types of internships students from that program typically attend, how long students take to complete their degree, what types of clinical practica is available, whether there's collaboration across labs, etc. I asked students all of the questions I would really want to know about attending the program: living in that city, stipends, what there is to do, faculty/student dynamics, etc.

When I was preparing for interviews, I had come across this on a professor's webpage, which gives advice for "what to do once you get the interview" and includes a couple of pages of example questions you might ask: http://www.unc.edu/~mjp1970/I Just Got an Interview for a Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.pdf

I would just think about what you would truly want/need to know about a program to make a decision about attending and ask questions that would help you with that! Good luck!

Thanks for your response; it was very helpful!

 

[IvoryTower2013]

How did the working style Q backfire?

The POI said something along the lines of "students must be told to ask that question because I hear it a lot"--though I guess a professor could say that about any question they hear a lot!

 

[cheeze]

any one have good sites and articles for interview prepping to share?

 

[PsychDreams]

Seems like I may not be able to fly in for an interview . Has this happened to anyone here before? Generally what is the school's policy?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Seems like I may not be able to fly in for an interview . Has this happened to anyone here before? Generally what is the school's policy?

Is this due to the snow storms in the northeast, or to some other reason?

If the former, I would imagine the program would attempt to be as understanding as possible, and may offer a second (unofficial) date for you to visit, or at the very least a phone interview.

If the latter, then in general, I would say not attending the interview would likely significantly reduce your chances of being ranked highly by the school. It wouldn't be unheard of for them to make you an offer, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say you'd likely be wait-listed at best. This is assuming the interview is "strongly encouraged," and not completely optional.

 

[PsychDreams]

Is this due to the snow storms in the northeast, or to some other reason?

If the former, I would imagine the program would attempt to be as understanding as possible, and may offer a second (unofficial) date for you to visit, or at the very least a phone interview.

If the latter, then in general, I would say not attending the interview would likely significantly reduce your chances of being ranked highly by the school. It wouldn't be unheard of for them to make you an offer, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say you'd likely be wait-listed at best. This is assuming the interview is "strongly encouraged," and not completely optional.

Ahh! I'm so stressed I forgot to complete my thought ! Yes, I did mean due to snow storms.

Thanks for the response -- I'm just worried about the financial and additional time commitment of having to fly out another day in the future.

 

[nibu]

to all those stressing out over interviews, at least you aren't interviewing here:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkdt2Sygew0[/YOUTUBE]

unless you're interviewing for adelphi, in which case, this is apparently how it goes, from what i've heard

 

[cheeze]

does anyone know how research assistantships work? I know you do research for the assistantship but do you typically do it in your advisors lab or does it not really matter?

 

[teebee]

delete

 

[Venny]

Hi all! I just had a clinical psych PhD interview and it was nothing like I expected. Six people "interviewed" me and none of them asked me any questions! I was only asked one - my research interests - which I talked about for a couple minutes. I ended my response with a question, and then the rest of the interview was me asking questions. My other five started off with "Do you have any questions about the program?" I'm glad I was able to think fast enough to ask plenty of questions, but this format concerns me. Is this normal? I feel like no one got a chance to get to know me because I ended up interviewing them. I don't want this to happen again, but I'm not sure what to do about it. How can I shift the focus back to my qualifications and personality? Or am I worrying over nothing?

 

[twilson]

Hi all! I just had a clinical psych PhD interview and it was nothing like I expected. Six people "interviewed" me and none of them asked me any questions! I was only asked one - my research interests - which I talked about for a couple minutes. I ended my response with a question, and then the rest of the interview was me asking questions. My other five started off with "Do you have any questions about the program?" I'm glad I was able to think fast enough to ask plenty of questions, but this format concerns me. Is this normal? I feel like no one got a chance to get to know me because I ended up interviewing them. I don't want this to happen again, but I'm not sure what to do about it. How can I shift the focus back to my qualifications and personality? Or am I worrying over nothing?

I'm in developemental but that is how my interviews went last year. They mostly want to hear your questions to see if your prepared and know about the program. If you are really hard up for questions and they are sitting there expecting some thing, I asked questions that I already knew about the program. Which I actually found helpful because some professors answered them differently or added some thing that you didn't know.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi all! I just had a clinical psych PhD interview and it was nothing like I expected. Six people "interviewed" me and none of them asked me any questions! I was only asked one - my research interests - which I talked about for a couple minutes. I ended my response with a question, and then the rest of the interview was me asking questions. My other five started off with "Do you have any questions about the program?" I'm glad I was able to think fast enough to ask plenty of questions, but this format concerns me. Is this normal? I feel like no one got a chance to get to know me because I ended up interviewing them. I don't want this to happen again, but I'm not sure what to do about it. How can I shift the focus back to my qualifications and personality? Or am I worrying over nothing?

Our program tends to fall on the other side of the spectrum (i.e., the interviewers ask most of the questions), but there are many sites where the interviews are structured similarly to what you've experienced. Try not to worry about it; if the interviewer has questions about your credentials, past experiences, etc., he/she will ask them. As another poster mentioned, part of what they might be trying to ascertain is your level of preperation, ability to generate appropriate inquiries, and ability to handle yourself in a less-structred and slightly more stressful situation (which is essentially what the entirety of grad school entails).

 

[PsychScience]

Try not to worry about it; if the interviewer has questions about your credentials, past experiences, etc., he/she will ask them. As another poster mentioned, part of what they might be trying to ascertain is your level of preperation, ability to generate appropriate inquiries, and ability to handle yourself in a less-structred and slightly more stressful situation (which is essentially what the entirety of grad school entails).

Yep! This is definitely the way my program operates on interview day. The faculty you interview with give you a ton of time for questions, and the grad students actually ask more questions in their interviews. Indeed, it is a way to figure out how prepared you are for the interview. If you can ask questions that actually speak to your knowledge of the program, or your own experiences, you are doing pretty well (i.e. I see that in the past you did this kind of work, something I'm also interested in, is this something you are likely to work on in the future?). Additionally, a lot of times the interviewer is also trying to create a more conversational interview than a straight "grilling" interview. Which, at first, can actually be kind of unnerving. If you go to another interview and experience the same thing, I would suggest embracing the style and seeing if you can get into a decent conversational rhythm, which would also allow you to highlight some of the ways that you are also awesome. The trick is to both ask questions that talk about your own interests/experiences or to tie them into whatever the faculty is talking about, while also sounding knowledgeable about the program and the faculty. I know this sounds complicated, but I swear it gets easier!

But to answer your question, don't worry about the program not knowing you too much! This structure of interviewing is pretty typical, and remember they have your CV and PS, so they already have a sense of your interests. If you are still worried about the interviewers not sufficiently knowing how interested you are in the program, I would strongly encourage you to send a follow-up note, which echos what information you talked about in the interview and why you think that is a good fit for you. Good luck with your next interviews Hopefully, they will be less stress inducing!

 

[starsinnight]

Not sure if this was asked already since I am still on page 3 of this thread, as well as reading the Insider's Guide chapter on Interviewing & trying to squeeze in as many journal articles of my POI as I get ready to board a plane this evening for my 1st interview ever....

and with so much to remember and learn....

I was wondering....

Have any of you done those "mock" interviews before your real interviews and did they help much? I know its too late for me to do before tonight but maybe a friend or before my 2nd or 3rd interview. How important and helpful do you think that could be?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Not sure if this was asked already since I am still on page 3 of this thread, as well as reading the Insider's Guide chapter on Interviewing & trying to squeeze in as many journal articles of my POI as I get ready to board a plane this evening for my 1st interview ever....

and with so much to remember and learn....

I was wondering....

Have any of you done those "mock" interviews before your real interviews and did they help much? I know its too late for me to do before tonight but maybe a friend or before my 2nd or 3rd interview. How important and helpful do you think that could be?

I'd say they can be quite helpful in much the same way as practicing a speech or presentation aloud (alone or with a friendly audience). Just by "going through the motions" and having to cogently and coherently voice your responses, you'll likely improve the ease and fluency with which you speak, increase your confidence, and possibly notice key areas you might've forgotten to talk about otherwise.

It's definitely something you could still do in your hotel room tonight. Imagine the interviewer asking a typical interview question, and then speak your answer aloud to yourself.

 

[teebee]

Hi all, I didn't get any input last time I posted this question, so I'll try again .

Background: I have applied to 11 clinical psych PhD programs. I have several years of research experience in Topic A, but more recently, like the last 6-8 months, I have become very interested in Topic B, through a graduate psych class (I am not a master's student, I just took a graduate class through the university I work as an RA for), literature reviews (articles, books), and just personal inclination. I would be more interested in studying Topic B than Topic A in graduate school and beyond. I applied to PhD programs in both areas, thinking I did not have much of a chance at the places where I wanted to study Topic B, but I wanted to give it a shot. Well, I was luckier than I thought, and I have 3 interviews coming up at universities where my POIs are studying Topic B.

Question: With no research or clinical experience at all in this area, and when other students interviewing with me most likely WILL have experience in this area.... what is the best way to portray that I am as interested/capable as them? Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice?

Thanks

 

[starsinnight]

I don't think you should assume that others will definitely have research experience already in that area of interest... I think students come from all different areas and backgrounds and that it will vary immensely.

My research pertains NOTHING to what I want to do. My clinical experience does however. But not my research experience of 4 years, so instead, the way I'll approach it is that it is something I have recently in the last year or so explored and found fascinating and would love the opportunity to get more experience doing so in a research manner, blah blah blah

You can't enter feeling defeated already. You have valuable research experience and while it may not be in that particular area, you have learned (hopefully) many things that can be transferred and many skills (data entering, grant writing, assessments, interpersonal skills, etc. etc. ) that can be useful for this other area B. Right?

Hi all, I didn't get any input last time I posted this question, so I'll try again .

Background: I have applied to 11 clinical psych PhD programs. I have several years of research experience in Topic A, but more recently, like the last 6-8 months, I have become very interested in Topic B, through a graduate psych class (I am not a master's student, I just took a graduate class through the university I work as an RA for), literature reviews (articles, books), and just personal inclination. I would be more interested in studying Topic B than Topic A in graduate school and beyond. I applied to PhD programs in both areas, thinking I did not have much of a chance at the places where I wanted to study Topic B, but I wanted to give it a shot. Well, I was luckier than I thought, and I have 3 interviews coming up at universities where my POIs are studying Topic B.

Question: With no research or clinical experience at all in this area, and when other students interviewing with me most likely WILL have experience in this area.... what is the best way to portray that I am as interested/capable as them? Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice?

Thanks

 

[psychphd4me]

Not sure if this was asked already since I am still on page 3 of this thread, as well as reading the Insider's Guide chapter on Interviewing & trying to squeeze in as many journal articles of my POI as I get ready to board a plane this evening for my 1st interview ever....

and with so much to remember and learn....

I was wondering....

Have any of you done those "mock" interviews before your real interviews and did they help much? I know its too late for me to do before tonight but maybe a friend or before my 2nd or 3rd interview. How important and helpful do you think that could be?

Obviously, too late for today, but my university does mock, recorded interviews for students and alumni. Of course, I am offering this advice, but have not heeded this advice as of yet.

Has anyone engaged in a mock interview (recorded or not) through a professional organization? I figure it can't hurt, and plan on contacting them to see if there are openings before my first interview next week.

 

[paramour]

does anyone know how research assistantships work? I know you do research for the assistantship but do you typically do it in your advisors lab or does it not really matter?

I don't believe that I saw anyone respond to this one yet. In our program, most of the time, you would RA for your advisor. However, there have been occasions when someone would RA for an advisor other than their own b/c the other advisor had grant funding to pay for additional RAs. It all depends. Of course, RA positions are usually few & far between in our program anyway, especially for 1st years, as many of them end up as TAs for an intro psych class. Again, all depends on your program. They'll let you know what you end up doing.

Hi all, I didn't get any input last time I posted this question, so I'll try again .

<snip>

Question: With no research or clinical experience at all in this area, and when other students interviewing with me most likely WILL have experience in this area.... what is the best way to portray that I am as interested/capable as them? Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice?

Thanks

I don't think you should assume that others will definitely have research experience already in that area of interest... I think students come from all different areas and backgrounds and that it will vary immensely.

My research pertains NOTHING to what I want to do. My clinical experience does however. But not my research experience of 4 years, so instead, the way I'll approach it is that it is something I have recently in the last year or so explored and found fascinating and would love the opportunity to get more experience doing so in a research manner, blah blah blah

You can't enter feeling defeated already. You have valuable research experience and while it may not be in that particular area, you have learned (hopefully) many things that can be transferred and many skills (data entering, grant writing, assessments, interpersonal skills, etc. etc. ) that can be useful for this other area B. Right?

+1. I actually had some relevant experience to a POI's research during an interview (although not directly relevant, and most of my research was not at all related). Yet, during the interview itself, I was asked something along the lines of, "I don't know why I invited you. We have nothing in common. I have no interest in you and don't know why you're even here. So why should I bother considering you?" This is after he told an applicant in the hallway that we'd be done quickly. (The POI ran over and completely through my time with the previous applicant, and it was time for the next applicant's interview.) I could have choked up and told him "I don't know," that I really didn't have any evidence that I could work with him in his area of research. Instead, I sucked it up and chose to outline the various reasons why my experience would make me a valuable asset for his lab. Be prepared to discuss why your experience is valuable, and why you find the area of research exciting, etc. If you can talk about it, then they're more likely to believe you when you say that you're interested in it.

G'luck!

 

[bluebluesky]

I know this must look weird to someone. But I have made a "mistake"? by asking the POI my chance of getting in during interview in the past. Is this something I must avoid? Does it show my lack of confidence or being too nosy?
It's strange but I could not resist it at the time seeing so many competitors. Is this a no-no to do?
And before the interview, should/can I find out how many students the POI is interviewing?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I know this must look weird to someone. But I have made a "mistake"? by asking the POI my chance of getting in during interview in the past. Is this something I must avoid? Does it show my lack of confidence or being too nosy?
It's strange but I could resist it at the time seeing so many competitors. Is this a no-no to do?
And before the interview, should/can I find out how many students the POI is interviewing?

Personally, I wouldn't ask either of those questions at any of my interviews. It's actually forbidden during the internship interviewing process, and while I don't know that it's explicitly "outlawed" during grad school interviews, it's likely not a good habit to get into. As you've said, it could potentially come across as nosy, unprofessional and/or showing a lack of confidence.

 

[bluebluesky]

Personally, I wouldn't ask either of those questions at any of my interviews. It's actually forbidden during the internship interviewing process, and while I don't know that it's explicitly "outlawed" during grad school interviews, it's likely not a good habit to get into. As you've said, it could potentially come across as nosy, unprofessional and/or showing a lack of confidence.

Thanks. But how does it relate to professionalism? As an international student, I am a little surprised to find out how gigantic the umbrella is for being "professional".

 

[bunderj]

I think that sort of question can make you come across as anxious and with poor social skills. It kinda puts a PI on the spot to be asked that kind of question before they have interviewed everyone and gotten feedback on their applicants from others in the department and in the lab.

I agree, I wouldn't ask that question either (even though I'm DYING to know, of course). I've had a couple interviewers who actually brought it up themselves. Both of these individuals said something to the effect of "So from this point this is how it works at X University. We interview X people and you can expect to hear by X." It's WONDERFUL when they bring it up. These people aren't idiots though, they know it's on our minds, and if they feel it is appropriate to discuss at that time, they'll usually offer it up.

 

[Phipps]

I am about to start preparing for my first interviews, starting with Psy.D. programs. So, I am a novice and thus, I wonder whether they are going to be different from Ph.D. program interviews? Specifically, does anybody have had Psy.D. interviews?? How about talking about research interests if there is no POI etc., and in general, I would very much appreciate any thoughts, tips, etc. I have null experience with interviews...soooo, a lot to learn and a lot to consider

Thanks a bunch

Ms. Phipps

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I think that sort of question can make you come across as anxious and with poor social skills. It kinda puts a PI on the spot to be asked that kind of question before they have interviewed everyone and gotten feedback on their applicants from others in the department and in the lab.

Exactly. In all honesty, it isn't your place or role to have access to that information. If the POI wishes to share it with you, that's great; if not, you shouldn't ask. As psycscientist mentioned, it puts the POI on the spot to provide some sort of answer even if they honestly haven't given it much thought. It's one of those "professional etiquette" things, sort of like how it's generally frowned upon to walk up and ask your boss how much money he/she makes.

 

[bluebluesky]

Exactly. In all honesty, it isn't your place or role to have access to that information. If the POI wishes to share it with you, that's great; if not, you shouldn't ask. As psycscientist mentioned, it puts the POI on the spot to provide some sort of answer even if they honestly haven't given it much thought. It's one of those "professional etiquette" things, sort of like how it's generally frowned upon to walk up and ask your boss how much money he/she makes.

Thanks.
Even before the actual onsite interviews I feel that I have already committed little errors here and there (through emails or short phone calls) and begin to be a little obsessed with it. Can a person be error free for 24-48 hours then? I'd try though.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Thanks.
Even before the actual onsite interviews I feel that I have already committed little errors here and there (through emails or short phone calls) and begin to be a little obsessed with it. Can a person be error free for 24-48 hours then? I'd try though.

Honestly, the best thing you can (try to) do is simply relax. If you've made it to the interview stage, then they already feel you would be qualified to attend the program. Now they're just looking to see who's the best "fit" with them. As hard as it might be, try not to worry too much about where they'll rank you, or how many other students you're "competing" against. Instead, focus on learning as much as you can about each school, finding out from students and professors what types of work they're doing, asking questions about what it's like to live in the area, etc.

 

[bluebluesky]

Thanks AcronymAllergy for your suggestions, which are very helpful.

I just read that it's important to show that you have creative, or at least your own research ideas and you need to present them on the table. It's the most challenging part I think for me during interview as it's a hard balance as to how broad or narrow your topics are and the topics also need to fit well with the theme of the lab. I said some areas during phone interview and the POI said it's a bit too broad. Shall I present a specific research idea instead of areas?

 

[PsychDreams]

Honestly, the best thing you can (try to) do is simply relax. If you've made it to the interview stage, then they already feel you would be qualified to attend the program. Now they're just looking to see who's the best "fit" with them. As hard as it might be, try not to worry too much about where they'll rank you, or how many other students you're "competing" against. Instead, focus on learning as much as you can about each school, finding out from students and professors what types of work they're doing, asking questions about what it's like to live in the area, etc.

+1

From my experience, at the interview stage it really is all about fit from their end -- do they like you, do you fit into their lab, etc. Secondly, it's about trying to convince you to come to the program. Remember, you got to that stage for a reason and should be asking a ton of questions because you are also trying to figure out if the program is a right one for you!

Interviews can be much less nerve-wracking when you stop thinking about "competition" and realize that you have some power as well!

 

[psychmama]

I am about to start preparing for my first interviews, starting with Psy.D. programs. So, I am a novice and thus, I wonder whether they are going to be different from Ph.D. program interviews? Specifically, does anybody have had Psy.D. interviews?? How about talking about research interests if there is no POI etc., and in general, I would very much appreciate any thoughts, tips, etc. I have null experience with interviews...soooo, a lot to learn and a lot to consider

Thanks a bunch

Ms. Phipps

I can't speak for all PsyD programs, but at my school the PsyD interview placed about equal emphasis on research interests/fit of the applicant and clinical skills/potential. Clinical skills/potential was "Does this person want to be a clinician at least in part? And "Does this person have good interpersonal skills that lend themselves to working collaboratively with peers and sensitively with clients? Of course I don't know if this is true of all PsyD interviews at all schools, but it's probably a good guideline in terms of the difference in emphasis between PhD and PsyD.

 

[psydtobe]

i had my psyd interview and it wasn't AS scary as i anticipated. i admitted that i was nervous and one thing i noticed in general is that they were interested in me as a WHOLE person, not just clinical/research skills. they made sure to highlight various points in my application that i felt would make me stand out. i felt nervous at time as i they don't give immediate feedback on how they feel about your responses or if you answered their question "right". i had an individual interview with a faculty & current student, as well as a group interview. overall the day went by very quickly and i ended up really liking the faculty! *fingers crossed i am admitted*

 

[Phipps]

I can't speak for all PsyD programs, but at my school the PsyD interview placed about equal emphasis on research interests/fit of the applicant and clinical skills/potential. Clinical skills/potential was "Does this person want to be a clinician at least in part? And "Does this person have good interpersonal skills that lend themselves to working collaboratively with peers and sensitively with clients? Of course I don't know if this is true of all PsyD interviews at all schools, but it's probably a good guideline in terms of the difference in emphasis between PhD and PsyD.

Thanks, psychmama, very helpful. That's what I hope for, i.e., some balance in terms of nature of q, and a conversation as opposed to them asking mostly or wanting me to ask for the most part. I so very much want to get in!! I am already exhausted and cannot imagine going through all this prep stuff another time! I better be prepared this year!

 

[Phipps]

i had my psyd interview and it wasn't AS scary as i anticipated. i admitted that i was nervous and one thing i noticed in general is that they were interested in me as a WHOLE person, not just clinical/research skills. they made sure to highlight various points in my application that i felt would make me stand out. i felt nervous at time as i they don't give immediate feedback on how they feel about your responses or if you answered their question "right". i had an individual interview with a faculty & current student, as well as a group interview. overall the day went by very quickly and i ended up really liking the faculty! *fingers crossed i am admitted*

psydtobe, I like that your nervousness became an issue or so. I think most are nervous and it is great when it gets addressed. That's a strength. I hope I will be able to show my being human

 

[bluebluesky]

I just read that it's important to show that you have creative, or at least your own research ideas and you need to present them on the table. It's the most challenging part I think for me during interview as it's a hard balance as to how broad or narrow your topics are and the topics also need to fit well with the theme of the lab. I said some areas during phone interview and the POI said it's a bit too broad. Shall I present a specific research idea instead of areas?

I didn't get replies to this question above and I am trying it again. In short, when we talk about our research interests, does it matter if we go for broader areas or specific research questions?

Another quick question. I agree that we should have open mind for each interview and try not to pre-rank them. However, if a professor asks, which I am not sure if they will or not, how likely you will accept the offer if you are provided one? What do you say when you may have other interviews? Do you say that you have to decide after all interviews? It's a delicate issue I think as you also want to show enthusiasm but you don't want to have commitment yet.

 

[psychapp2011]

Are other people generally going into interviews with specific questions they want to research, or broad research areas? I know I'm kinda freaking myself out about being prepared, but I'm nervous that someone is going to ask me for a possible thesis idea and will be expecting me to know all the research about that possible idea.

 

[hopeful8]

Does anyone have any general advice on how to respond if an interviewer/POI at a school asks you about what other schools at which you've been invited to interview? Should you tell them all of your other schools?

On one hand, I think this could be beneficial because it could show your POI that you're a desirable candidate to several other schools. But my worry is, if you have a lot of interviews, that the POI might get the impression that their school is just "one of many" and you're not very interested in their program, since you've got so many other potential options.

I've already been asked this twice by faculty members at different schools, and I have several more interviews to go so I'm sure it will come up again... if anyone has dealt with this situation and found a tactful and appropriate way to respond, I'd love to hear your insights!

 

[Girl1985]

Does anyone have any general advice on how to respond if an interviewer/POI at a school asks you about what other schools at which you've been invited to interview? Should you tell them all of your other schools?

On one hand, I think this could be beneficial because it could show your POI that you're a desirable candidate to several other schools. But my worry is, if you have a lot of interviews, that the POI might get the impression that their school is just "one of many" and you're not very interested in their program, since you've got so many other potential options.

I've already been asked this twice by faculty members at different schools, and I have several more interviews to go so I'm sure it will come up again... if anyone has dealt with this situation and found a tactful and appropriate way to respond, I'd love to hear your insights!

I said 2 names of other schools from my list (didn't specify on all), the schools I picked are pretty much at the same level and vision as the school who interviewed me.
What happened next was that the interviwer asked me which one would I choose if I'll get accepted to more then one.

 

[bluebluesky]

I said 2 names of other schools from my list (didn't specify on all), the schools I picked are pretty much at the same level and vision as the school who interviewed me.
What happened next was that the interviwer asked me which one would I choose if I'll get accepted to more then one.

This question is really tough. How did you answer it? I think it's very awkward question, similar to asking which applicant would the POI choose?

Can I say, if you tell me which applicant you like better I will then answer your question. ...just kidding.

 

[jexa]

Does anyone have any general advice on how to respond if an interviewer/POI at a school asks you about what other schools at which you've been invited to interview? Should you tell them all of your other schools?

I actually planned an answer to this one which mainly goes like,

"I've been invited to a few other places, you could probably name them off yourself since I've made sure to apply to programs where I can research XX, and I know I can do that in your lab. You know, there are a lot of labs out there where I can research XX, but I am actually a big fan of your work in particular because..."

So sort of sidestepping the question.

If I got asked the question above about which school I would pick, I would say, "There are actually a lot of dynamics to a program that aren't always clear until interview weekend, so I can't really say. I've only applied and interviewed at programs where I'll get to research what I love; now I'm looking for a school where I am a good fit for the lab environment and style."

 

[LM02]

I actually planned an answer to this one which mainly goes like,

"I've been invited to a few other places, you could probably name them off yourself since I've made sure to apply to programs where I can research XX, and I know I can do that in your lab. You know, there are a lot of labs out there where I can research XX, but I am actually a big fan of your work in particular because..."

So sort of sidestepping the question.

Honestly, this comes across as evasive and a bit too coy. As a faculty member (which I am), this would rub me the wrong way (especially the "you could probably name them yourself" bit). I would try to come up with another way to handle this. And in all honesty, I don't think there's anything wrong with just being honest... if you have interviews at strong programs, it will make you look like a candidate who is in high demand!

 

[bluebluesky]

Honestly, this comes across as evasive and a bit too coy. As a faculty member (which I am), this would rub me the wrong way (especially the "you could probably name them yourself" bit). I would try to come up with another way to handle this. And in all honesty, I don't think there's anything wrong with just being honest... if you have interviews at strong programs, it will make you look like a candidate who is in high demand!

I think it can go both ways though. They may think that you will choose the other program and they may not even issue you an offer. This question seems to have come up quite a bit this year and it's one of the challenging questions.

 

[LM02]

I think it can go both ways though. They may think that you will choose the other program and they may not even issue you an offer. This question seems to have come up quite a bit this year and it's one of the challenging questions.

Yes, but I still think that the "you can probably name them yourself" part is off-putting.

If you want to answer with a non-answer, you could say something like, "I'm interviewing at some other programs with [anxiety disorders] laboratories, like your own, but am especially excited about your opportunities to use [laboratory challenges to evaluate anxiety sensitivity]."

The problem with that response is that the faculty member could just as easily follow-up with, "...and which other programs would those be?"

In which case, you're stuck with the same question you started with. This is also an indirect way to gauge your fit - if you're interviewing at programs that are similar in orientation and research scope, at least they know you're committed to what you say you're committed to. For example, if I am saying that I want to study anxiety disorders, and am also interviewing at UCLA, BU, and University of Washington, at least there is some coherent story there.

All things being equal, most faculty members know that they cannot predict where else you will be accepted and where you will ultimately choose to go. If they want you badly enough, they're going to offer you admission regardless of whether or not you're also interviewing at, say, UCLA...

 

[krisrox]

I've answered the question. Straight up. I also applied at X, Y, and Z to work with A, B, and C researchers. It shows you know your stuff and are serious about the field.

 

[cheeze]

I can't see programs writing u off the list just because you have interviews elsewhere. now if you didn't have any other interviews then i'd see the program wondering if they made the wrong choice with invites. i'd say just be honest but don't offer the information and answer only as much as you are asked.

now i have different question. how the heck do you dress warm for an interview in a city that has been snowing without looking utterly silly? stockings under dress pants?

 

[IvoryTower2013]

I was actually just talking about this topic with my advisor, as we have our interview weekend coming up. As someone earlier also suggested, my advisor said a student's answer to the question of where else you are applying can indicate whether you really are focused and know your stuff, or if you have kind of been just applying anywhere. In the past, my advisor has given an offer to a student who said they were very interested in our lab, to later find that student went to work with someone else who does something completely unrelated to the work our lab does! When I went through interviews, I never received the follow up question of "which would you choose"-that would be a difficult question to answer! By the time I was asked where else I had applied, I was in the later stages of the interviews and was able to say something like "at this point, I'm only seriously considering X and Y", instead of giving a laundry list of everywhere I applied or interviewed. And in fact, that question came from my now-advisor, so giving specific examples did not hurt in my case.

With regard to dressing for the cold weather (ugh, I'm somewhere where it's not even 10 degrees today ), I would suggest you bring warm boots to wear for campus tours if possible, and to have warm gloves, and a warm jacket! If it's going to be snowing, a hat will prevent you having to sit with wet hair all day if you do go on a tour or are outside for whatever reason.

 

[IvoryTower2013]

Oh--and one more note on the dressing warmly for an interview in a cold place--you asked how to not look silly. Don't worry, in cold places everyone will be used to being bundled up in ridiculous layers/hats/gloves/scarves, etc., so you will fit right in if you bring your winter gear! You would probably feel siller if you didn't dress for the weather (as I did during one of my interviews, and then had to sit with cold feet the rest of the day because I insisted on wearing my heels instead of boots...)

 

[bluebluesky]

I was actually just talking about this topic with my advisor, as we have our interview weekend coming up. As someone earlier also suggested, my advisor said a student's answer to the question of where else you are applying can indicate whether you really are focused and know your stuff, or if you have kind of been just applying anywhere. In the past, my advisor has given an offer to a student who said they were very interested in our lab, to later find that student went to work with someone else who does something completely unrelated to the work our lab does! When I went through interviews, I never received the follow up question of "which would you choose"-that would be a difficult question to answer! By the time I was asked where else I had applied, I was in the later stages of the interviews and was able to say something like "at this point, I'm only seriously considering X and Y", instead of giving a laundry list of everywhere I applied or interviewed. And in fact, that question came from my now-advisor, so giving specific examples did not hurt in my case.

With regard to dressing for the cold weather (ugh, I'm somewhere where it's not even 10 degrees today ), I would suggest you bring warm boots to wear for campus tours if possible, and to have warm gloves, and a warm jacket! If it's going to be snowing, a hat will prevent you having to sit with wet hair all day if you do go on a tour or are outside for whatever reason.

Thanks I think that's a good answer.
However, I wonder if it will backfire if the other option (Y) seems to be more competitive than X.