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Graduate Interview Workshop
Presented January 17, 2002 by
Dr. Michael Cancro, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Kenneth Dretchen, Georgetown University
Dr. Mary DeLong, National Institutes of Health
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Introduction | Before the Interview | During the Interview | After the Interview | When Several Offers are Received
The interview process for graduate school admission is from both sides - the program interviewing the student and the student interviewing the program. The interview is meant to determine if there is a "mutual fit" between the Ph.D. training program and the graduate school applicant. The applicant has already been selected from a large pool of applicants so at the beginning of the interview the odds of admission into the training program are in the students' favor.

One can organize the processes of the interview in a temporal paradigm - before, during, and after the interview. The listing below enumerates items involved in each of these categories.

Before the Interview
Students should prepare for the interview by:
  • Researching the contents and administration of the program
  • Researching and reading the latest journal papers of the faculty involved in the program
  • Preparing a description of present research focusing on the important questions asked not just on techniques
  • Think of three questions to be asked about the program
  • Students should thoughtfully consider answers to the following questions:
    • Why are you applying to graduate school?
    • Why did you apply to this particular school and program?
    • Why should the program accept you?
    • Are you comfortable about your decision to pursue a Ph.D. and not an M.D.?
    • Is there anything on your application you would like to explain?
During the Interview
Students should greet each administrator and faculty member involved in the interview with direct eye contact and a reasonably firm handshake.

Actions of students

  • Students should meet with program administrators, faculty, and graduate students involved in the program
  • When meeting with faculty, students should discuss the faculty member's research and if possible visit his/her laboratory
  • Students should investigate during the interview:
    • Support during the program including stipend, tuition, medical insurance, and other benefits
    • Research capabilities of the program - multidisciplinary or departmentally based, number of laboratories projected to be open in which to do dissertation research in one to two years
    • Number of students in the program
    • Student teaching requirements of the program
    • Ph.D. requirements for the program/structure of the program
    • Required courses and electives in the program
    • Future of program in next five to ten years
    • Attrition rate of students from the program
    • Student attendance at national science meetings

Actions of the program

The program administrators and faculty will be looking for a "Fire" within you and a true love of research. Do you have the strong commitment to research that is needed to complete a Ph.D.?

  • Program administrators / faculty may ask or investigate the following:
    • Why are you interviewing at this particular program?
    • Why are you interested in this discipline?
    • Why did you choose this university?
    • Are you serious about doing research?
    • Why should we take you over other applicants?
    • How well do you understand the meaning of the research you are now doing?
    • A part of your application that needs explaining
    • Questions listed previously and considered before the interview.
After the Interview
  • Send a thank you note to each person with whom you discussed the program within one week.
  • Write down immediately notes of items and persons you especially want to remember about this program
When Several Offers are Received, Compare the Following in Choosing a Program:
  1. The quality of faculty and research opportunities of the university/program
  2. The opportunities in the program for a good "fit" of your research interests
  3. The quality of the funding you will receive from the program
  4. The general satisfaction of graduate students presently in the program
  5. The geographical "fit" for your life style and goals
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December 31 2007