AWishinAndAHopin

I had been refreshing my email and checking my phone every 5 minutes that day because I knew that the committee was supposed to meet that morning. After being waitlisted at 4 other schools, I figured I should get out of the house, so I went to the store. After just arriving at the store, I noticed that I missed a phone call from someone in the area code of the school. I thought about leaving my grocery cart and running out to my car to return the phone call, but I tried to keep some control. I tried to return the call when I got home, but no answer. My POI didn't end up calling me back until the next day. This time, I had been waiting around all day, glued to my phone, but I had to take a shower. Of course, that is when I get a phone call. Luckily, I jumped out of the shower on time to hear the good news!

Worrying about making the wrong choice shows how seriously you are taking this decision. Having access to many close practicum sites is a major plus. It may help to even out the funding issue since you won't have to pay as much for travel. Funding and the fancy R1 school label may not be as big of deals down the road. While it cannot be easy to imagine too far in the future, try to think of where you want to be when you receive your doctorate. Which school will get you to where you want to be? Also, having visited them both, which program did you feel the most welcome?

I am anxiously waiting to hear back from my dream school. Does anyone else find themselves daydreaming about what your POI is doing at that very moment?! Creepy....I know. The faculty told us on interview day about their plans to make final decisions last week. The result page for that school has been very silent. I am finding myself very tempted to email my POI so I can stop obsessively checking my email and Grad Cafe. Do you think it would be okay to send a short email asking about my status even though it has only been a week since they met to decide? I don't want to come across too desperate or annoying.

Congratulations on your acceptances! I agree with decclynn in all of the things they mentioned to consider. A flashy R1 school may sound good on a CV, but if you aren't happy with the faculty/ location/ general atmosphere, then you may regret choosing the R1 school. Don't be afraid to ask the students or your POIs more questions. Were you able to visit the schools in person?

Has anyone heard from the University of South Alabama Combined Clinical and Counseling program post-interview? I know they have Spring Break next week so I am hoping to hear back (good news, preferably!) before then.

I think when this happens, they might be trying to give you an opportunity to defend yourself. It may seem a little harsh for them to ask about an embarrassing GPA or GRE score, but it may help you in the end to give an honest explanation. If they invited you to interview, they can probably look past a low score.

I find myself getting very anxious about the unexpected questions and how to reply when I am experiencing the "deer in the headlights" feeling. During an interview with a graduate student, I was asked specifically what I wanted to do my dissertation on. When I gave a general response about my interests and where I'd hope to go, they replied that I should already have my dissertation planned. In their eyes, I was not a serious applicant because I did not know exactly what I was going to do. I wasn't bothered by their opinion until the informal party after the interview when I could hear that student talking to faculty and other graduate students about me. The graduate student's rude demeanor helped ease the pain of the rejection letter. I don't mean to ask this sarcastically, but is it terrible that I don't know what exactly my dissertation will be?

I have seen a few other forums related to interview questions, both what people had been asked and what they should ask. However, it might be helpful for a forum to be specifically related to psychology program interviews. Would anyone like to comment on surprising, unexpected interview questions they have been asked? Also, feel free to add questions that you plan on asking graduate students, POIs, and faculty. It can be awkward to ask graduate students or faculty the same ten questions (although it's nice to have different perspectives). I was quizzed on my knowledge of statistical analyses in an interview. I was not expecting to be grilled on this which made for a very uncomfortable conversation.