Grauate & Professional School Interview Questions
Before answering the following questions, it is important to remember that most interviewers will be looking for three things when you answer questions:
- Your answer
- How well you can organize your thinking
- How well you express yourself
Interviews will vary among programs an the iniviuals conucting the interviews. Questions may be irect, inirect, hypothetical or behavior-base. Below is a sampling of questions you might be aske uring an interview:
Personal Characteristics / Skills / Strengths:
• Tell me about yourself
• What is your strongest personal asset?
• What are your strengths an weaknesses as a stuent?
• Name 3 strengths that you have an why you consier these strengths.
• What woul one of your friens/teachers/supervisors say about you?
• What woul a supervisor or professor tell me are your strengths?
Acaemic Experiences/Performance:
• Why i you major in ?
• Why i you choose to atten College/University ?
• When i you choose to enter this occupational fiel an why?
• How i you make the ecision to apply to our program? What other programs i you consier?
• How has your unergrauate backgroun prepare you for our program?
• What courses have you enjoye the most?
• What courses have been most ifficult for you?
• What satisfaction have you gaine from your stuies?
• Tell me about the research project you complete with Professor ?
• Do you feel your acaemic recor accurately reflects your abilities an potential?
• Do you feel you have worke to your full potential?
• How woul you rate yourself in the following areas?
1. Reaing an Comprehension
2. Analytical Skills
3. Communication – oral an written, listening
• What in’t you like about your college/university?
• Tell me about a professor or supervisor that you in’t like an why.
• Why woul you be an asset to our epartment? How woul you be able to contribute to our program?
• What skills an experiences o you feel have prepare you for amission to this program?
• Why shoul we consier you for our program instea of several other equally qualifie caniates?
• How many programs have you applie to besies our institution/program?
• What will you o if you are not accepte into our program?
Extracurricular Activities:
• What extracurricular activity has been most satisfying to you?
• What is the most significant contribution you have mae to your school?
• What activities o you enjoy most outsie of the classroom?
• Do you have any hobbies or outsie interests?
• Tell me about any volunteer experiences in which you have participate.
Weaknesses:
• What challenges o you think you might face in the grauate program?
• What woul you say is an area in which you nee improvement?
• What woul you change about yourself an why?
• What skills or abilities o you hope to strengthen through our program?
Goals:
• What has motivate you to pursue this acaemic fiel?
• What are your short-term an long-term goals?
• Why o you want a grauate egree in ?
• How o you see this program fitting into your career goals?
• Tell me about a goal you have set for yourself an how you have achieve it or inten to achieve it.
Leaership/Teamwork/Problem Solving Skills, etc.:
• Tell me about a major accomplishment an how you achieve it.
• Tell me about a situation in which you showe initiative.
• Tell me about a group in which you were involve. How i you contribute to make this group achieve a goal?
• Tell me about a time you assume a leaership role.
• Tell me about a recent significant problem you face an how you hanle it.
• Tell me how you hanle stress.
• Tell me about a time you ha a number of assignments ue. How i you make sure you complete all of them on time an i a goo job?
• Tell me about a time when you were confronte by a fellow stuent, co-worker or a customer. How i you hanle it to resolve the conflict?
• Tell me about a time you were face with a ifficult situation an how you hanle it.
• Tell me about a mistake you mae an how you hanle it.
• Define teamwork (or success… quality… fairness)
• What was the last book you rea or movie you saw?
• How will you make the worl a better place?
• If you coul have inner with someone (living or ea), who woul that person be?
Fiel Specific Questions & Current Events:
You will unoubtely encounter questions that relate specifically to your chosen fiel of stuy. Be certain that you are aware of current trens, issues an controversy in your fiel so that you will be able to answer questions intelligibly. Below are a few examples:
• What o you believe to be the major trens in your intene career fiel at this time?
• What o you think about ___ (current event)?
• What problem in the worl troubles you most? What woul you o about it?
• What is the most important evelopment in this fiel over the past 25 years, an why?
Questions Applicants Might Ask an Interviewer:
Asking questions not only helps you as a caniate etermine the “fit” of the program with your esire acaemic an career objectives, but it also communicates to the selection committee the extent of your interest in their program:
• What characteristics istinguish this program from others in the same acaemic fiel?
• How long oes it take typically to complete the program?
• Where are recent alumni employe? What o most grauates o after grauation?
• What types of financial ai are offere? What criteria are use for choosing recipients?
• What opportunities are available through the program to gain practical work experience? Are there opportunities such as assistantships, fellowships or internships available? What are the ealines to apply for these opportunities?
• Are there any scholarships or fellowships available? How o I apply?
• Do most stuents publish an article/conuct research prior to grauation?
• I've rea articles written by an . To what extent are stuents involve in assisting these faculty members with relate research projects?
• What types of research projects are current stuents pursuing?
• How are grauate test scores, graes, letters of recommenations, an personal statements evaluate for the amissions process?
• What is the selection timeline? When will caniates be notifie about their acceptance into the program?
