Graduate/Professional School Interviews

• An interview may or may not be required by the program.
• Remember, it's an information exchange. This is a great time to find out more about the campus, program, your potential faculty advisor, and other students currently in the program. You want to be certain that the program is a good fit for you.
• Treat your graduate school interview like a professional job interview; dress and act professionally and be prepared.
• Bring along a list of questions to ask, copies of your GRE scores and transcripts, interview confirmation letter, and any course catalogues, brochures, directions, or maps that the school has sent you.
• Prepare by thoroughly reading the university's literature, anticipating questions you are likely to be asked, and practicing your responses.
• Send a thank-you note to each interviewer within 24 hours.

Sample Graduate/Professional School Interview Questions

In general, graduate and professional schools will ask questions about you, their program, and their faculty members.

Questions About You:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your career goals? How will this program help you achieve these goals?
• Why do you want to pursue a graduate degree in ____?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What are you plans if you are not accepted? Do you have a Plan B?
• What unique qualities and contributions would you bring to this program that other candidates would not?
• How do you feel about the many ethical issues that face the profession?
• How do you motivate yourself?
• How do you deal with stress?
• Explain a situation in which you had a conflict and how you resolved it? What did you learn?
• Describe a group project you've worked on and what role you took.
• Why did you decide to become a ____?

Questions About Their Program and Faculty:

• Why did you apply to our program?
• What appeals to you most about our program?
• How do you see yourself fitting in?
• What do you think will be the biggest challenge as a graduate student in our program?

Sample Questions For You to Ask the Interviewer(s):

• What do you consider the greatest strength of this program? Greatest challenge/weakness?
• What makes a student successful in your program?
• Where do graduates of your program typically find employment?
• How would you describe the culture/environment of your program?
• What career services, counseling, medical, and housing facilities are available for graduate students?
• What assistantships and scholarships are available and what proportion of graduate students in the program receive one?

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