The Interview Process

At the outset, it should be realized that the interview is not just a brief exchange between yourself and one or more representatives of the school that has requested your appearance. The interview should not be looked upon as a one sided affair, but rather as an opportunity for a dialogue that has advantages for both the school and you.

THE INTERVIEW WILL PERMIT THE SCHOOL TO DETERMINE:

1. If your personal attributes are as appealing as your academic record (this goes, of course, for a student who is already academically acceptable), and if your personal attributes will enable you to overcome any deficiency that may appear;

2. If your personal attributes will place you in the overall acceptable range (if you are borderline);

3. If you are considered to have some obvious academic or physical deficiency, whether you have the personal attributes to overcome the deficiency.

THE INTERVIEW WILL PERMIT YOU TO:

1. Have an opportunity to sell yourself by projecting as favorable an image as possible, and thus overcoming any deficiencies in your record;

2. Familiarize yourself with the campus, its facilities, and with the members of its student body;

3. Obtain first hand answers to questions about the school that may not yet have been answered.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INTERVIEW

The receipt of the letter requesting that you come for an interview clearly indicates that the graduate school is seriously interested in you. The large volume of applications has meant that admissions officers have to be highly selective in granting interviews. Admissions officers have at their disposal only a limited number of interviewers, who are usually faculty members and whose time is obviously very valuable. Thus, obtaining an invitation to come for an interview means either that they wish to confirm a tentative decision that you are acceptable or they think that you deserve a chance to prove that you merit admission in spite of some possible weakness. The interviewer will endeavor to appraise such personal qualifications as responsiveness, warmth of personality, poise, ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely, and soundness of motivation.

What the Interviewer Is Really Assessing

The following criteria will usually be touched upon in the interviewer's written report:

1. Physical appearance: Grooming, bearing, and self-confident manner.

2. Personality: Friendliness, ability to establish rapport and charm, sense of humor.

3. Communication skills: Ability to express ideas clearly, fluently, and intelligently.

4. Motivation: Soundness of career choice, conviction of interests.

5. Maturity: Ability to undertake responsibility that the career entails.

6. Interests: What educational, social, and cultural interests do you have?

7. Level of concern: Do you have a genuine interest in people, their problems, and helping them solve them?

8. Emotional stability: Composure while under pressure.

9. Intellectual potential: Have you truly demonstrated superior intellectual abilities?

10. Overall subjective reaction of the interviewer to the applicant.

Evaluate yourself in terms of items 1 to 9 as honestly as possible and work to improve your weaknesses. By subjecting yourself to mock interviews by your peers, you can determine where your weaknesses are, and how well you are doing to overcome them. Allow your mock interviewers to be honest and candid (even if it hurts your feelings.)