Share Interview Questions You've Been Asked

[Therapist4Chnge]

"What do you want from supervision?" <--may or may not come up, since you may not know at this point
"How do you handle feedback?" <--much more likely

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[phillydave]

New one I got on Friday: "How do you feel about the direction this profession is heading in?"

Also, "What's a population you would have a difficult time working with?"

And, "Tell me about a case where you were faced with an ethical dilemma..."

 

[notfullyfathomd]

New one I got on Friday: "How do you feel about the direction this profession is heading in?"

I got some form of this question a couple of times with regards to neuropsychology, and it always led to a great conversation. It's also a good thing to ask an interviewer if you have some extra time -- just have an answer ready, because they will probably ask you in return.

 

[adler3]

"How do you feel about the clinical part of clinical psychology?" Or a similar variation, "Since you're so interested in research, why aren't you pursuing a pure research degree?"

"What's the difference between a mediator and a moderator?"

"Do you have a history of mental illness?" (Yes, I seriously got that question--from a professor on the admissions committee, no less.)

"Aside from things like a good research match, what characteristics are you looking for in a mentor? What types of people do you interact best with?"

"How do you respond to stressful situations?"

"Which theoretical orientations tend to guide your research and clinical pursuits?"

"You studied an unusual combination of subjects in undergrad. How did that happen?"

"So you're interested in ___. If you had unlimited resources, what studies would you conduct to investigate that?"

Some non-questions that have popped up:
- "Tell me about yourself."
- "Ask me a question that you feel somewhat uncomfortable asking."
...and there was the non-questioning interviewer who basically stared at you until you started talking. (I'm guessing he was into projective techniques.)

And the question I've probably been asked the most: "Why?" Basically, be ready to back up everything you say. 🙂

 

[prettikittibaby]

The most random one I was asked: If the world's best scientist and and the world's best artist were drowning and you could only save one, which would you save and why?

In the same interview: If you could have a dinner party and invite any three people you wanted, who would they be and why?

Aside from these, all the other questions were normal (what are you research interests, why this program, etc...).

Good luck to everyone interviewing right now!

Where was this?

 

[prettikittibaby]

My POI asked me (and ppl not applying to work with her whom she also interviewed): "What would it take to get you to come here?" My initial instinct was to yell, "an offer! Duh!"

 

[kapinkkidowski]

I'm interested in researching emotion regulation, and my POI asked me, "why emotion regulation? What does that term mean to you?"

"Why haven't you published anything?" - phone interview last year.

"If you had all the money in the world and no practical limitations on sample or anything, how would you design a study and why?"

"What would it take to get you here?"

similarly, "If we give you an offer, how likely are you to come here?"

"Why would you want to come here when we have X theoretical clinical orientation, and your responses have sounded like your coming from Y perspective?"

"Strengths/weaknesses"

The very general "so tell me about yourself"

"Why this program?"

"Tell me about the path that brought you to clinical psychology, not your research, but how you came to the personal decision that this was what you wanted to do"


I also had a POI just stare until I said something or asked a question, like someone else said. He answered all of my questions in less than one sentence and continued to stare....eek (someone else inthis thread had that experience too, maybe it was the same guy, lol)

 

[savethedrama]

I've been mostly asked the general "why this school?" and "why this field?" questions.

The other day, I got "What do you think needs reform in education?" (I'm school psych).

 

[lamorena]

i was asked "what was one class that you loved?" and "what was once class you hated?"

it was easy to think of one class i loved. and then i blanked on one class i hated. i couldn't think of ANYTHING! of course, after the interview, i remembered some very scientific psych classes i took as an undergrad that i certainly didn't love! huge lecture hall classes which basically regurgitated studies done on cognition and memory. nothing that i was really passionate about, but of course later helped me on my psych gre 😛

 

[ILGirl]

I also had a POI just stare until I said something or asked a question, like someone else said. He answered all of my questions in less than one sentence and continued to stare....eek (someone else inthis thread had that experience too, maybe it was the same guy, lol)

I believe that interviewing is a two-way street. With a interviewer like him, I would not have come away from the interview with much new information.

II he had interviewed me, I probably would have said something about interviews being a two-way street and then said, "What do I have to do to get you to answer my questions in greater detail?"

I wouldn't have been hostile, just straightforward.

That type of interview would have been irksome for me. As an interviewee, I also want to get answers to my questions.

 

[Waiting4Change]

What do you think about?

I had this one too! At CSPP? I forgot the professor, it was last year.

 

[jetergirl]

At my interview at LIU Brooklyn, the guy practically psychoanalyzed me and wanted me to analyze myself for 45 minutes. He wanted to know about my childhood and growing up and then kept asking me to delve deeper and deeper. Then I was asked to describe someone I knew well and keep going deeper and deeper into him. It was odd to say the least, but an interesting way at testing insight (I assume)

 

[phdpsych]

At my interview at LIU Brooklyn, the guy practically psychoanalyzed me and wanted me to analyze myself for 45 minutes. He wanted to know about my childhood and growing up and then kept asking me to delve deeper and deeper. Then I was asked to describe someone I knew well and keep going deeper and deeper into him. It was odd to say the least, but an interesting way at testing insight (I assume)

Hiii I have my interview at LIU this wednesday...do you remember any specific questions he asked you? Did you feel like he was interrogating you or was it more laid back? Also did the student interviewer participate as well?

 

[psychadelics]

I found my experience at LIU completely different. More typical questions, very intense however.

 

[phdpsych]

I found my experience at LIU completely different. More typical questions, very intense however.

Intense in what way?

 

[deleted315242]

A few that I got from CUNY:

1. What do you foresee would be the most difficult aspect of being a doctoral student in psychology?

2. How do you believe your bachelor's degree in (insert non-psychology major here) will help you be a better clinician?

3. Are there any questions I haven't asked you yet that you think I should ask? (This one threw me for a few seconds).

 

[Psygresse]

Beyond general "why clinical psychology/this program/this lab" questions, I was asked:

What specific research projects would you like to undertake in this lab?
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
What do you think it would be like for you to work with clients in distress?
What factors do you think account for change in psychotherapy? (I'm interested in psychotherapy research.)
Describe a situation where you were in conflict with a supervisor, and what you did to resolve the conflict.
How would someone who knows you well describe you?

 

[UnLurked]

I thought I'd post it because I haven't seen it in here yet but I had an interview with one POI where they just wanted me to ask questions. Luckily they were a talker so it didn't take too many questions to fill the time but it's good to be prepared for it.

 

[Alacrity]

At one school the application asked for a scoring of my interest in individual faculty members as a percentage. The lower ranked POI asked me:

"So why did you rate me as only 25% interesting and give the other 75% to Dr. xxxxx?"

 

[ILGirl]

At one school the application asked for a scoring of my interest in individual faculty members as a percentage. The lower ranked POI asked me:

"So why did you rate me as only 25% interesting and give the other 75% to Dr. xxxxx?"

Aren't you glad that you didn't rate your interest in this professor as 0%? 🙂

 

[Alacrity]

Aren't you glad that you didn't rate your interest in this professor as 0%? 🙂

Haha, good point! I gave an answer about not being able to fully assess an interest match based on the information I had. It was one of the few questions that caught me off-guard. Looking back, I should have been fully prepared for it.

 

[krisrox]

Haha, good point! I gave an answer about not being able to fully assess an interest match based on the information I had. It was one of the few questions that caught me off-guard. Looking back, I should have been fully prepared for it.

Sounds like a good enough answer to me!

 

[max3000]

Why do you think you can come in straight from bachelor's?

Why have you applied to such different programs...are you sure this is for you?

What would somone who dislikes you say that they specifically didn't like about you?

We have ratings of each semester on each student's personality strengths and weaknesses...would you be comfortable with that? what are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

One of the best things you can do during an interview is ask questions that show your understanding of concepts related to the program. Professors want to know that you are seriously considering the school and making an informed decision. One interviewer even asked me what my questions were as his first question because he said he would base all of his subsequent interview questions on my response!

 

[Jezebel09]

Haha, good point! I gave an answer about not being able to fully assess an interest match based on the information I had. It was one of the few questions that caught me off-guard. Looking back, I should have been fully prepared for it.

Like krisrox, I agree that you gave a good answer.

Out of curiosity, is the research that you've done in the past more in line with this professor's interests, or do you think this professor just wanted to see how you would tactfully handle this question?

 

[Alacrity]

Like krisrox, I agree that you gave a good answer.

Out of curiosity, is the research that you've done in the past more in line with this professor's interests, or do you think this professor just wanted to see how you would tactfully handle this question?

I think the answer was good because I was surprised and I was just honest, although I listed at least two faculty members at each school in hopes of increasing my odds.
I think she was actually wondering if I wanted to work with her. When she asked she seemed a bit uncomfortable asking, almost shy. Her work was interesting too and I would have probably applied to work primarily with her if I had known more about her interests and that she had a huge grant. Ultimately, I was rejected at this school, but got in at my #1 so its cool.

 

[buzzworm]

Some of the tougher questions I've been asked:

1. It's great that you have a lot of experience working on other people's studies, but have you done any independent research? (This one felt sort of antagonistic; there was clearly one answer that would make me look much better in her eyes.)

2. What non-scientific articles or books have you read recently that relate to psychology?

3. What's the one thing you want me to remember about you? When I'm going over all the applicants later, I'll say, "Oh, buzzworm. She's the one who ________."

4. Where else have you applied? (This wouldn't be difficult for everyone, but personally I had applied to work with people doing fairly different research from each other; so I needed to make sure that the schools I listed didn't seem totally out of left field in the context of what I was telling this POI I wanted to study.)

5. What is a challenge you expect to face as a clinician?

 

[PsychDreams]

Wanted to bump this thread to help this year's applicants.

Also, would those who have previously interviewed say that most of their interviews with POIs were more stress interviews with hardball questions? Reading over this thread I can't help but imagine the most stressful interview with every question that I am wholly unprepared for being thrown my way!!!😱

 

[jexa]

Yesterday I asked one of my friends who is currently in a quality (top 25), research-oriented, clinical program about interviews and "stress questions" and how she handled her interviews. She interviewed at some top programs and is currently working with a somewhat famous researcher.

She said that SHE took control of the interviews, so she was almost never asked the stress questions. She said she did not prepare ANY canned answers to ANY interview questions. Instead, she read a few of each POI's most recent publications. She planned questions and thought critically about their work. She went in to interviews with these questions in mind and avoided the stress questions completely. She said that only one, socially awkward, POI insisted on asking his questions. She said that's not the kind of person she would want to work with, someone who would insist on asking awkward and unnecessary questions.

She advised me that you look smarter and more prepared if YOU lead the interview by asking pertinent questions about each person's work. And then the interview is less stressful and more like a conversation.

 

[Mauricia]

jexa, I appreciate this advice. I don't know how often you talk to your friend, but could you ask her what she would do if the professor says "I'm going to start off asking you questions then you can ask me questions" I've only had one (phone) interview so far and that is what happened. Or I'd certainly appreciate thoughts from anyone on the forums. The idea sounds nice but how do you eloquently take charge if they clearly have a plan and a list of questions they are going through.

 

[StrangeVision]

jexa, I appreciate this advice. I don't know how often you talk to your friend, but could you ask her what she would do if the professor says "I'm going to start off asking you questions then you can ask me questions" I've only had one (phone) interview so far and that is what happened. Or I'd certainly appreciate thoughts from anyone on the forums. The idea sounds nice but how do you eloquently take charge if they clearly have a plan and a list of questions they are going through.

If you don't mind clarifying, Mauricia, what types of questions were asked in the phone interview (i.e. general vs. personalized based on your statement/c.v.) and how much time passed answering them before you were invited to ask any questions of your own? It's a bit hard to give an opinion without knowing a bit more about the tone & nature of the conversation. Congrats, by the way!

 

[Mauricia]

Sure. The questions were about my research projects, it seemed like the goal of the questions was to see if I understood my own research. The questions then shifted to more generic questions such as What makes a good grad student? or Why do you want a Clinical PhD? There were not really any questions that I thought were intended to cause stress, they were all fair questions. I was also told not to ask too many questions, so thinking back I don't know if there was any way I could have taken control. Is this common? I'm trying to plan for my next interview, so I'm thinking if jexa's friend said you should take control of the interview, it must not be that common to be told to wait to ask questions for another interview.

 

[AgapeBlue]

I know stress levels run high during interviews and we often try to say the right thing, and/or worry we're going to do something wrong...but here are a few things to keep in mind while interviewing:

1. Your application impressed them and they want to get to know you. If you try to answer like someone else would..or you try to be anyone other than yourself (i.e., taking control or trying to be domineering if this isn't your normal mode of operation), you run the risk of seeming pushy/unprofessional/silly/immature/scatter-brained/uber stressed. Be yourself and trust in who you are. It's what got you this far. You deserve to be there or you wouldn't have gotten the invitation.

2. The people that are interviewing you are experts in their field. Show them the respect they deserve...they've also done this dozens of times so they know what they are looking for in a grad student. They are not the enemy nor are they a TV journalist trying to catch you in a slip-up. Do your homework (know their research, your research..etc) and you'll do fine. You are sitting in that interview for a reason...you obviously have what it takes to do this.

3. If they are trying to stress you out, then they probably know exactly what to do/say to get a reaction from you. It's OK to not be perfect. They want to know how you are going to react under stress so just act natural. If there is a question you do not know how to respond to, tell them that their question is one you haven't considered and would like a moment to think about it. This isn't a game show...there is no clock ticking down the time remaining before you lose the $64 million question. If you want to control the situation, then retain control of yourself.

You can do this and you will rock it. That's why they wanted to meet you! 🙂

AB

 

[Mauricia]

Haha, I suppose trying to control the interview is really not me. I am still curious as to how it's done in a tactful way though! 🙂

I know stress levels run high during interviews and we often try to say the right thing, and/or worry we're going to do something wrong...but here are a few things to keep in mind while interviewing:

1. Your application impressed them and they want to get to know you. If you try to answer like someone else would..or you try to be anyone other than yourself (i.e., taking control or trying to be domineering if this isn't your normal mode of operation), you run the risk of seeming pushy/unprofessional/silly/immature/scatter-brained/uber stressed. Be yourself and trust in who you are. It's what got you this far. You deserve to be there or you wouldn't have gotten the invitation.

2. The people that are interviewing you are experts in their field. Show them the respect they deserve...they've also done this dozens of times so they know what they are looking for in a grad student. They are not the enemy nor are they a TV journalist trying to catch you in a slip-up. Do your homework (know their research, your research..etc) and you'll do fine. You are sitting in that interview for a reason...you obviously have what it takes to do this.

3. If they are trying to stress you out, then they probably know exactly what to do/say to get a reaction from you. It's OK to not be perfect. They want to know how you are going to react under stress so just act natural. If there is a question you do not know how to respond to, tell them that their question is one you haven't considered and would like a moment to think about it. This isn't a game show...there is no clock ticking down the time remaining before you lose the $64 million question. If you want to control the situation, then retain control of yourself.

You can do this and you will rock it. That's why they wanted to meet you! 🙂

AB

 

[AgapeBlue]

Haha, I suppose trying to control the interview is really not me. I am still curious as to how it's done in a tactful way though! 🙂

Can't help ya there 🙂

It's an interview..a chance for them to get to know you and to make sure you match up with how you appear on paper...not a tug-of-war.

Having respect for those conducting the interview and acting like a professional goes a long way to showing that you are mature enough to handle all that you will face in a Ph.D. program.

Best wishes on your interviews. You got this!

AB

 

[StrangeVision]

Sure. The questions were about my research projects, it seemed like the goal of the questions was to see if I understood my own research. The questions then shifted to more generic questions such as What makes a good grad student? or Why do you want a Clinical PhD? There were not really any questions that I thought were intended to cause stress, they were all fair questions. I was also told not to ask too many questions, so thinking back I don't know if there was any way I could have taken control. Is this common? I'm trying to plan for my next interview, so I'm thinking if jexa's friend said you should take control of the interview, it must not be that common to be told to wait to ask questions for another interview.

In a preliminary phone interview like the one you had, especially with being instructed about the process and told not to ask too many questions, there wouldn't be any need for you to direct the conversation. I'm sure you handled it fine. The key is just to be confident. As long as you truly know yourself, your goals, and your research, you'll exude that confidence and come across well. For in-person interviews, where you'll have more time to interact and ask questions, I'd worry more about preparing to your personal level of comfort than anything else. My guess is that maybe 'taking control' wasn't intended to mean literally that, but is more about showing your confidence, energy, and comfort in your own skin. A couple of the professors accepting students in the doctoral program at my current school have stressed this as being really important when evaluating candidates. Just be confident and be yourself, and things will flow naturally. If an awkward silence happens, and you aren't sure what the interviewer is expecting from you, don't hesitate to jump in with questions and comments. As long as you have energy, confidence, and passion about your work, the other little details will work themselves out naturally.
Good luck!

 

[psychinnola]

Thank you for this post! My heart was racing reading all of these interview questions I wouldn't have come up with in my life! Now I feel at least a little better.. Now I just need an invite!

I know stress levels run high during interviews and we often try to say the right thing, and/or worry we're going to do something wrong...but here are a few things to keep in mind while interviewing:

1. Your application impressed them and they want to get to know you. If you try to answer like someone else would..or you try to be anyone other than yourself (i.e., taking control or trying to be domineering if this isn't your normal mode of operation), you run the risk of seeming pushy/unprofessional/silly/immature/scatter-brained/uber stressed. Be yourself and trust in who you are. It's what got you this far. You deserve to be there or you wouldn't have gotten the invitation.

2. The people that are interviewing you are experts in their field. Show them the respect they deserve...they've also done this dozens of times so they know what they are looking for in a grad student. They are not the enemy nor are they a TV journalist trying to catch you in a slip-up. Do your homework (know their research, your research..etc) and you'll do fine. You are sitting in that interview for a reason...you obviously have what it takes to do this.

3. If they are trying to stress you out, then they probably know exactly what to do/say to get a reaction from you. It's OK to not be perfect. They want to know how you are going to react under stress so just act natural. If there is a question you do not know how to respond to, tell them that their question is one you haven't considered and would like a moment to think about it. This isn't a game show...there is no clock ticking down the time remaining before you lose the $64 million question. If you want to control the situation, then retain control of yourself.

You can do this and you will rock it. That's why they wanted to meet you! 🙂

AB

 

[Student4Life0]

Has anybody else heard from Univ of Vermont, and did anyone else apply to Lehigh University's PhD Counseling program? I have not heard anyone else mention Lehigh, and it seems like a solid program. I have no clue when I should be expecting to hear from them.

 

[AgapeBlue]

Thank you for this post! My heart was racing reading all of these interview questions I wouldn't have come up with in my life! Now I feel at least a little better.. Now I just need an invite!

😀 Good!

A lot of us are waiting for those invites...but they will come, and you will be awesome!

Has anybody else heard from Univ of Vermont, and did anyone else apply to Lehigh University's PhD Counseling program? I have not heard anyone else mention Lehigh, and it seems like a solid program. I have no clue when I should be expecting to hear from them.

I have also applied to Lehigh's PhD Counseling program. The deadline just passed, so we still have some time to wait. Should I hear anything, I will post on the interview thread. I hope you'll do the same and we can wait together 🙂

AB

 

[Student4Life0]

😀 Good!

A lot of us are waiting for those invites...but they will come, and you will be awesome!



I have also applied to Lehigh's PhD Counseling program. The deadline just passed, so we still have some time to wait. Should I hear anything, I will post on the interview thread. I hope you'll do the same and we can wait together 🙂

AB

Oops! I meant to post this under the invite thread. But anyways, thank you Agape! I will also post as soon as I hear (if I hear anything!) Did you specifically apply to a POI at Lehigh? I did not. I am wondering if perhaps that would have been a better idea.

 

[Eyeapple]

We have a lot of applicants for this position. When I go talk to the faculty, I want something to remember each of you by. If you had to tell me one thing that would make me pick you over them, what would it be?

 

[masscrash]

If your child hits it's finger with a hammer and doesn't stop crying what do you do?

You find out a 40 year old woman has terminal cancer, how do you tell her?

 

[nibu]

hey everyone,

currently prepping for interviews and i am so grateful this thread exists! it has been really helpful in seeing the kind of real questions people are being asked.

i am applying for clinical psych ph.d. programs at the moment. i was reading a bit about "behavioral based" interview questions, such as "tell me about an instance when you were asked to do some ethically questionable. what was your response?" or "describe a situation where you had to persuade someone to accept an idea." has anyone gotten questions like these during interviews? i'm wondering how prevalent such questions are?

i'm not very good at recalling specific instances like these - how do you go about preparing your answers for such questions?

 

[Yammie]

i'm not very good at recalling specific instances like these - how do you go about preparing your answers for such questions?

I'm not very good at remembering situations like these, either. I figured I would just tell my interviewer that episodic memory is not optimal for me, and that I can't think of an example. Perhaps I will offer an explanation of what I would do if confronted with an ethical dilemma. Hopefully, it will suffice, but if I'm lucky, I won't get that type of question....

 

[jexa]

I'm not very good at remembering situations like these, either. I figured I would just tell my interviewer that episodic memory is not optimal for me, and that I can't think of an example. Perhaps I will offer an explanation of what I would do if confronted with an ethical dilemma. Hopefully, it will suffice, but if I'm lucky, I won't get that type of question....

Oooh yeah I am not good with episodic memory either but I would probably make up something on the spot rather than admit that in an interview, or at least pull something somewhat related and embellish it according to the needs of the interview question.

 

[Jegg]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ7HViSvKN8&feature=autoplay&list=PLCDB39ABE3DDAB6C4&index=77&playnext=2[/YOUTUBE]

 

[IvoryTower2013]

I didn't get many behavioral-based questions such as the ones you listed, but I definitely hear you on having trouble with remembering! With regard to trying to remember past situations or examples one way I prepared for my interviews was to make a list of the relevant/important experiences I had had related to academic work, research, clinical-related work, personal accomplishments, etc., and write out the important aspects of those situations, what I did, what I learned, what role I played, etc. That helped solidify in my mind the components of the situations and why I thought they were important. Reviewing my list before interviews made the details more readily available to me on the spot. Good luck!

 

[kapinkkidowski]

I dont think that most places ask "stress questions". Some ask hard questions, but I dont know how many have the exact intention of stressing you out. Plus you have to ask yourself if they are TRYING to slip you up, do you want to be there?

I wouldnt have canned answers, but you should definitely prepare some talking points for all these sorts of questions. I dont think "I don't know" or " I cant think of one" is something you should reply with.

I also think this thread lends itself to people thinking of the absolute hardest questions they were asked. I would say the majority of questions I was asked were not too tough. Maybe 10% were a little on the trough side. "Tell me about yourself/your resarch" and "why this lab/program" are the ones that you hear almost every time.

 

[bunderj]

I've only gone to one interview so far, but I had several faculty members there ask me where else I had applied, and even what professors at these schools I had applied to. My guess is that this being a very research-heavy program, they wanted to see if I had applied to other research-oriented programs (and thus am truly interested in research) or if I just applied to every program in my geographic area, etc...Luckily I did apply to other research institutions, and had a quick mental list ready to go.🙂

 

[phillydave]

At a CBT oriented PsyD program, "What would you say in response to a person who told you that CBT is just a band-aid?"

 

[ModGirl]

Sorry I'm posting a month later, but I had my first interview yesterday and my second tomorrow. I was definitely taken off guard by some of the questions I was asked and therefore didn't have those polished answers we all think of. As a result, my answers were really honest. I'm afraid they were maybe too honest.

Do you think faculty members want to hear those polished, perfect answers or do you think having honest answers that maybe reveal some of your flaws are better?