Grad school interview

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The next step it turns out is that I have to do an interview with the Professors before they decide to accept me in to grad school, the interview is the 12th in the afternoon.

Tips?

Anyway wish me luck!

Be superficially amiable. Shake the interviewers hand, make eye contact.

Make sure you exhibit your knowledge of the subject matter, and express enthusiasm for it.

Dress formally. They like to see smartness.
Good luck.

Yep....dress in something like a pants suit or a button-down blouse and pants.

Certainly don't come in with ragged jeans or sweats....

It's a Zoom interview... But yeah I'll dress nice for it.

I knew you would

You're a smart gal

And I found out this program gives two students a year a "diversity and inclusion" scholarship worth $14,000... I asked for more information and I'm in four categories out of the ones they consider for it, female, first generation college student, low economic status and person with a disability... I followed the instructions and wrote a brief statement about all those categories.

And AmeriCorps is giving me a $1,400 dollar scholarship and if I get to be with them in the summer that amount doubles...

I hope you get all the money!

If you know who will be in the interview, and you can ask BTW, do look up what research and work the panelists have done. That will give you clues to subject areas that motivate them. It also becomes really great if they ask why you want to attend the university: I am very interested in the photo-dynamic-electro-multiplier effect that Prof X has been doing research in because...

I tend to go in with no expectation, but simply to look forward to an interesting conversation. Naturally, I study possible questions to ask as well--another reason to look at the research at the university.

Good luck.

My mood has dipped a little.... I just have a general sense of feeling bad... Not severe but now I'm nervous about this stuff...

It's "normal" to be "nervous about this stuff."

I hope everything goes well with you getting the grad school slot.

I can't tell the difference among being nervous, excited, and hungry. It is an autism thing.

Trying thinking of your feeling as excited. Put a positive spin on it and start preparing. I find acting and doing things get me from ruminating, which is negative.

And remember, they are not looking for your to fail. They want you to succeed--why ask you to an interview to simply fail you? They are on your side.

BTW, I have one thing I do. I decide that I am going to the interview with no expectation. I just focus on the opportunity to speak with people in an area I like, regardless of the outcome.

Also, if this a video interview, you can also prepare for that. I use a laptop, but I put it on a platform so the camera is a about eye level. If the camera is looking up at you, your face can look less natural. I also think about the background and quality of the lighting. Basically, I am trying to project a good picture of me.

I think a little of this might go a long way. For example, the idea that, in art, often less is more, this kind of thing.

Or, I personally tend to overdo this type of approach, and I might need to tail back, hopefully toward that wide middle ground.

Of course, YMMV , meaning Your Mileage May Vary.