Big Interview for School - Any Tips?

[Paul-Denton]

Title says it all. Doing an interview for a Master's program in Clinical Psychology and it's me and 3 or 4 of the program's directors/professors on fucking zoom. 3.5 GPA and 2 letters from professors from my previous degree. Any advice for it would put my mind at ease a bit while I wait. Any questions I should ask them so they know I'm serious? I'm pretty familiar with the program already through my fretting over it so I feel like I'll have little to ask, and I don't want it to be one sided or for me to basically be on defense for the entire interview.

 

[dick brain]

Get a job.

 

[FedPostalService]

That’s weird. That’s not common over here in the UK, unless it’s medicine.

Just find another university that is more commercially minded and lets you in without an interview.

 

[Kosher Dill]

They're doing all that interviewing for a master's student? Aren't the master's students typically just cash cows to support the "real work" of Ph.Ds in their eyes? Are you actually planning to continue on to a doctorate?

I mean, depending on how pushy you want to be, that itself could be a question right there - what is the relationship between MS students and professors there - are they expecting something more like a junior colleague than a customer? (And which side of that divide do you want to be on?)
If you're interested in research, it might not be a bad idea to ask what the prospects are for doing research in your particular specialty - and with a specific professor if there's someone there who shares your specialty. "I'm interested in phrenology, as a master's student will there be opportunities for me to work with Dr. Moon in his phrenology lab?"

 

[Squanto Airi]

If it's psychology, psychologically break them by calling them gay and outlifting them on bench, squat, and deadlift. They'll have to let you in due to Might is Right.

 

[Paul-Denton]

They're doing all that interviewing for a master's student? Aren't the master's students typically just cash cows to support the "real work" of Ph.Ds in their eyes? Are you actually planning to continue on to a doctorate?

I mean, depending on how pushy you want to be, that itself could be a question right there - what is the relationship between MS students and professors there - are they expecting something more like a junior colleague than a customer?

It's one of the most highly accredited programs in the country and it's the track to get a PhD (or PsyD). around 750 clinic hours required and almost guaranteed employment upon graduation as they supposedly always have employers inquiring about recent graduates. I'm not as concerned about research as I am just getting my foot in the door to begin counseling. I live in an area that is always in need of counselors and most places will take up your loans for you for a set amount of work years.

 

[SteinserGate]

It's one of the most highly accredited programs in the country and it's the track to get a PhD (or PsyD). around 750 clinic hours required and almost guaranteed employment upon graduation as they supposedly always have employers inquiring about recent graduates. I'm not as concerned about research as I am just getting my foot in the door to begin counseling. I live in an area that is always in need of counselors and most places will take up your loans for you for a set amount of work years.

Not in your shoes at all, but iirc I knew people in similar avenues.
If you have an undergrad capstone project, be prepared to talk about it for a bit. It'll prob be a major point of emphasis in your interview (it usually is the only "interesting" work an undergrad does anyway). The class material prob won't matter as much, unless you are missing a prerequisite for that program.
The more you can dive into it, prob the better. Throw in anything volunteer related when they ask you the standard personal questions.
Try to be charismatic, since professors tend to pick students based on feel/fit rather than raw qualifications.

 

[Poppavalyim Andropoff]

It's one of the most highly accredited programs in the country

Yet ur on kiwi farms asking for advice …

 

[Paul-Denton]

Interview was even more idiotic than I thought. It was a group zoom call with 3 department members and 12 applicants. Basically an orientation for the program as well as a group interview. Was placed in a subgroup with 1 department member and 3 other applicants where we took turns answering his questions. I was one of two guys in the whole pool, and one of the women in the call said that she worked as a teacher in a school with 60% ESL population. Had to swallow my chudliness for that one. Answered questions thoroughly, made the guy laugh and kind of took the wind out of other applicant's sails by answering so thoroughly that they could only say "I agree". 20 applicants in total and they have 10 spots available and I won't know if I'm in till next week.