Graduate School Support

How to Ace Your Grad School Interview (USA Today, 2020) 

• Research your chosen profession and schools of interest. The more you know about your chosen field, the more you can demonstrate your passion.  

• Collect information about the interview structure. Each school is different, so review any information they provide carefully. In particular, assess the following: Who will I meet with and how will the conversations take place? Will interviewers have access to my application? 

• Be ready to break the ice. Interviews often begin by asking, “Tell me about yourself.” Summarize important aspects of your background that are relevant to your field of interest. Practice your response aloud to help it flow naturally.  

• Rehearse commonly asked questions. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Review your past achievements to identify evidence you can provide about your qualifications and educational background, including feedback you have received from others, improvements you have made or challenges you have overcome.  

• Articulate your reasons for pursuing an advanced degree. Emphasize the activities you have engaged in to confirm your desire to enter the field. It's not enough to say that you're applying because you have a family member who works in the profession or because you want to “help people.” Take some time to reflect so you can address the specific aspects that appeal to you compared to other occupations. Reread your personal statement.  

• Put your best face forward. Practice in front of a mirror to assess your nonverbal communication. Are you smiling and maintaining eye contact? Do both your posture and gestures communicate confidence? You are interviewing for admittance into graduate school, not a rock band. Dress professionally, remove any body piercings, cover any tattoos and pull your hair back so it's out of your eyes. 

• Remember that you're always being interviewed. If you happen to meet with current students, continue to behave professionally. Students often make recommendations regarding admission, so avoid any causal conversations that you might have with your peers in other settings. 

• Manage any nervousness. Get a good night sleep and give yourself extra time to get to the interview. If you find yourself jittery, simply acknowledge it and move forward. Most people relax after the first few questions. 

• Close with class. Thank the interviewers for their time and convey your appreciation for their consideration. Reinforce this message by sending a written thank you shortly thereafter. 

• Don’t do it alone. Meet with a professor, speak with your advisor or visit The Exchange to practice your answers.  

PRACTICE VIRTUALLY

• The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is a multiple-choice, computer-based, standardized exam.  The GRE® General Test features question types. that closely reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do — and the skills you need to succeed — in today's demanding graduate school programs. It measures your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. 

• The overall testing time for the GRE® General Test is about three hours and 45 minutes. There are six sections with a 10-minute break following the third section. Fees are subject to change and are currently $205 for the test. There are free practice sites that can assist in your test prep. and additional prep for a cost. Use this link for further information on scoring. Fee waiver information and eligibility can be found here. 

Competitive Score: 159-163 

Good Score: 152-158 

• The Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), developed and administered by the AAMC, is a standardized, multiple-choice examination created to help medical school admissions offices assess your problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. Fees are subject to change and are currently $320 for the test. There is a free MCAT Essentials Information Book, and Free Planning & Study Guides. A competitive overall score for the MCAT is 508 or higher. Fee waiver information and eligibility can be found here. 

There are five separate subtests on the PCAT: 

1. Writing: Subtest includes a prompt involves a health issue, a science issue, or a social, cultural or political issue. Examinees are asked to present a solution to the problem in their original essay and are scored on how well they write an essay that is a sufficient length to adequately explain a solution to the problem. 

2. Biological Processes: Items are presented either in a set accompanying a short passage or as stand-alone items that can be answered independently. 

3. Chemical Processes: Items are presented in the same way as the Biological subtest. 

4. Critical Reading: All items are in sets that accompany reading passages. 

5. Quantitative Reasoning: Subtest consists entirely of standalone items with many of the items presented in a word-problem or problem-solving scenario.