Graduate School Admissions Interview
Taking a trip to the schools under consideration can be a
valuable experience in your application process. Flexible in their
aims, these visits can be completed to good effect either before,
during, or after the application season. Whether your intent is to
learn more about the "feel" of the school, speak with current
students, or discuss your qualifications with program
administrators, a school visit aids your admissions process
immeasurably.
One of these immeasurable gains is in learning more about the
school. By doing so, of course, you will be helping to improve the
focus and specificity of your application, but more importantly you
will get a sense on how you might fit in with this program and this
campus. Sitting in the library stacks, watching interactions across
the quadrangle, reading the school newspaper, and overhearing
student conversations are all nonobtrusive means to gauging the
ephemeral "quality of social life." Less timid graduate school
hopefuls might also attempt something known as "actually talking
with someone" for the same effect. In any event, you should leave
the school with a much better sense of the school's intellectual and
social climate.
If you decide to interview (these are generally optional), follow
all those standard rules about eye contact, conservative dress,
self-confident presentation, and so forth. Know the specifics about
the program in which you are interested, read the school paper for
up-to-date news, and be prepared with intelligent questions to ask.
Interviews which are not mandatory for the admissions process are
generally quite less rigorous than ordinary, and often turn into a
sort of mutual question-and-answer session. Regardless of this
informality, your interpersonal skills, maturity, professionalism,
and ability to communicate effectively should permeate the
interview. If you are terrible at interviewing, don't be afraid to
shy away from such meetings (sickness and travel costs are two
perennial excuses that work), or to practice your skills with some
lower ranked schools before approaching your top choices. If you are
great in person, greet the opportunity to interview with open arms
and a ready smile. It's usually not a deciding factor, but every
little bit counts. |
