The Interview

We can now assume that you submitted your applications on time and some of them were positively reviewed by the admissions committee. You made it past the first cut, the interview selection, at four places out of fifteen total applications. Although no one has gathered the data, that is probably the typical ratio. Since no program accepts people who are not interviewed, these four sites are now the four programs you might attend. That is, you might get into one of these programs if you successfully master the interview.

From the point of application up to the point of interview selection, your chances of acceptance was based on your record of grades, GRE scores and so on. From this point onward, your acceptance will depend 20% on your record and 80% on your interview performance. Since you are probably fresh out of undergraduate school, it is unlikely you have participated in any occupational or other selection interviews. There are some basic tips that will help you and some unique aspects of interviews in clinical psychology that you should know.

First, you must understand that impressions are formed very early in the interview. Some studies even suggest that interviewers decide in the first three minutes whether to select you or not. Following this, the interviewer then listens for evidence that confirms the previously formed decision to accept or reject you. Although the decision may not be constructed so definitively within such a short interval of time, this basic reasoning process is likely valid.

Most programs use a conventional schedule and format for the interview that is similar to a job interview process. Since programs must complete their selections by April 1, they conduct most of their interviews in February and March. Keep these months open in the year you apply. Don't plan a trip to Europe until May. You will likely receive a phone call from the clinical program requesting a day you can visit for an interview. Most programs have set interview days and you may be given only one or two possible days to visit. You cannot make the interview fit your schedule; you must accommodate the program's schedule for interviews.

Plan to travel on the day before the interview. Stay overnight, then attend the interview the following day. Dress well and arrive early. Convey a friendly, engaging attitude and appear interested in everything about the program.

There are a number of things to inquire about in the interview. The first is to convey your genuine interests in clinical psychology and find out if your interests are represented by training opportunities in the program. The second is to find out about the faculty. Which faculty members will you have primary contact? Does the program formally assign students to mentors? Do individual faculty members choose their own students with which to work? Many of these questions may also be asked before you attend the interview. Some may be answered at the program web site. Another general area of investigation concerns funding opportunities in the program and other financial details, such as tuition levels. You should also ask about the clinical settings available to the program. Finally, you need to find out about the town and community that surrounds the University. What is the cost of housing, auto insurance and other expenses? Here is a list of questions you should ask the program representatives:

• What is the general clinical orientation of the program and individual faculty members? Faculty members usually identify their orientations according to specialty areas in clinical psychology, such as child psychology, neuropsychology and forensic psychology, or by clinical therapy orientation, such as cognitive-behavioral, psychoanalytic or eclectic. Individual faculty members will usually have subspecialty interests within each major field.
  
  
• What is the general design of the curriculum? How many courses do students take in each semester? What is the balance of research vs. clinical training in the program?
  
  
• Find out about relevant courses in other departments. For example, Clinical Psychology programs set in medical schools usually have a number of educational opportunities available in the medical departments, such as grand rounds in Psychiatry and Neurology. Are there courses, workshops or other training opportunities in departments outside the program?
  
  
• In general, how does the faculty work with graduate students? Does each faculty member choose a group of students that only works with a single faculty member. Do the students have a primary advisor but may work with a number of faculty? What clinical or research collaborations are ongoing in the department?
  
  
• What are the research requirements of the program? What are the general resources and opportunities available for research?
  
  
• Which clinical settings are available for practica in the program? Does the program operate its own clinic?
  
  
• What is the cost of tuition? What is the support and funding situation for graduate students, across all year of the program?
  
  
• How much does it cost to live here? Where are the best places to live in the city on a small budget?
  
  
• What office space, computers and other resources are available for graduate students?

Of course, each program will differ in the specific questions you should ask the faculty. Taylor your questions to fit the program and your interests. What are the unique training experiences you offer that other programs do not usually have? What are the unique training experiences in my areas of interest?