wnk4242

Seconded, and maybe try to find an interest you both share so that you can steer the conversation into comfortable territory. Or, if there isn't much overlap, try to focus on aspects of your research that might be really intriguing to someone outside of your specific field. 

I recently received a rejection letter immediately following an exhausting but positive day-long interview. Because of that weird juxtaposition, I just wanted to send everyone words of encouragement and support through this long, emotional, seemingly never ending process. There are a lot of ups and downs, excitement and disappointment, and it can be a lot to balance and just let it roll off of you. Reminder to myself (and everyone!) to not be fatalistic about your accomplishments and the hard work everyone's put into their applications and career trajectory. The admissions process is a strange beast for sure. Trying to remind myself that resilience just makes way for growth. 
Good luck everyone! We got this, even when we think we don't. 

I recommend familiarizing yourself with their work, but don't worry about getting too in-depth (unless it's super interesting!). Most of the people you are interviewing with aren't going to discuss their own research; they want to hear about you! That said, if you choose to go in-depth, it definitely gives you something to talk about

Ahh, got it. Not necessarily giving up hope, more like the department sent out a mass email earlier this week saying they wouldn't be notifying until late feb, and I was going to be a little peeved. Congrats on the acceptance though!

I've got four acceptances so far: FSU, UIowa, UCincinnati, and UC Merced. My hard work finally paid off. Very happy

I had an on-site interview at a university this week. 
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

LOL!!!!

I had an on-site interview at a university this week. 
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

I'll share the narratives of my two campus visits, which were on opposite ends of the spectrum, and which might help you in planning your visit.
School A: I was admitted and attended a "Recruitment Weekend" with every other admitted student. In groups we met with one faculty member for lunch, who may or may not have been in your area (mine was not). The planned itinerary consisted primarily of events with grad students, apart from a party which was attended by grads and faculty.  It was only after I arrived that I discovered that it was incumbent upon me, beforehand, to have set up appointments with professors of interest if I wanted to meet with any faculty individually!  Since I had not made arrangements ahead of time, and at the time I was quite shy and nervous, I had very little interaction with faculty.
School B: Prior to my visit I was issued a (pretty much) to the minute itinerary for a two full day visit which included scheduled appointments with professors I'd mentioned in my statement, and even some professors I was unaware of who happened to be interested in my application, a brief meeting with the department chair, as well as some seminars to attend, lunch and dinner with grad students, etc.  I didn't really need to prepare at all.
It would be worthwhile, once you start talking to the DGS of programs you were admitted to about your visit, to ask if the visit will be more like School A or more like School B!  Keep in mind that everything may not be taken care of, and you may be in charge of planning your own visit to some degree.
My other advice would be: if you attend you'll have 5-8 years to sit with these folks and show off how much Lacan you've read, but you may only have a day or two to decide whether you like these people, this environment, this city.  You've already been admitted, so you don't need to prove how smart or well read you are, focus on getting to know whether or not you want to live and work in this place.  Likewise, your future colleagues are more likely to want to find out who you are as a person; while research interests are a good conversation starter, yours are likely to change a half-dozen times in the next few years anyway!
By the way, I attend School B now.  While School A is a fine program, B definitely made me feel more like they were invested in me, and cared about who I was, which was an important factor in my final decision. These are things to think about as you visit a campus, as I'm sure you've heard enough tales about grad students who feel adrift, neglected, or abandoned by their programs (and if you haven't, believe me, it happens).
   

I'm going U of M the first week in March, and I have so many questions!

I'm am an OBSESSIVE over planner. I looked through all of the requirements and made a rough sketch of what my semesters could look like. I want to see if it's possible to double minor in Early Modern Studies and Conservation Science without extending my time there. I told them in my SOP that I wanted to compare these two subjects, but I want to make sure it will work out in practice.
I'm also going to ask about neighborhoods, clothing recommendations, and if they have any advice for my husband when he looks for a job.
Frankly, I'm a little worried about overwhelming them when they see my spreadsheet for the next 5 years.

I was amazed at how difficult it was to turn down an offer. It really twisted me up inside. I think the better the program and faculty are, the harder it is to let go, even when you have selected what you believe to be the program for you. I never thought about this while selecting programs to apply to. 
What made it a little easier was seeing the person who got the spot I released express their excitement on the results board. That was awesome!

I'm sorry to hear that. What other programs did you apply to? PM me if you want.

Has anyone gone to an interview and developed a major crush on another applicant? Or is it just me? lol

I love Boston  My sister lives there so I get to visit pretty regularly. Did you meet any other Quant people there last year? One of my advisors has offed to put me in contact with some quant people she knows who are going this year. I'm super excited about that. 
I had no idea what quant was until early 2017. I'd always been drawn to data analysis, statistics, and measurement and all of my independent projects have centered around those themes but I had no idea you could actually get a Ph.D. in quant until I started working with a new faculty member. And then things just took off  

I made the mistake of telling my family about my interview and now they're acting like I got accepted and they're so happy. When I told them it was just an interview they kept acting like it was just a formality and I will still get in.  now I'm extra anxious because I don't want to disappoint them! What do I do? *face palm* 

Guys please don't despair - this is my second time applying and I am honestly shocked to have heard so early from any school. As a frame of reference, I heard from the same school for two application cycles, last time they reached out early/mid January..this time they reached out yesterday. Of the 14 clinical psych programs I've applied to, I've only seen 3 pop up on the grad cafe survey and they were all due Dec 1st. Easier said than done, but it ain't over til the fat lady sings (I.e. rejection). This process is awful and I spent the first time hyperventilating from about...november to march. Dont do that to yourself! Try to focus on the holiday and getting through this month. It'll be OK! And you'll see more streamlined activity in January.

I just copy-pasted my answer from another thread regarding interview.
I had an on-site interview with four POIs at a university last week and a skype interview with 3 POIs this afternoon (3 hours after this skype session, I got an enthusiastic email from one of my POIs that said they were all very impressed with me and I got accepted...they usually extend offers in Feb...Also, English is not my native language, so, if I can do it, you can do it!)
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personality trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics than a substantive area; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.

I just copy-pasted my answer from another thread regarding interview.
I had an on-site interview with four POIs at a university last week and a skype interview with 3 POIs this afternoon (3 hours after this skype session, I got an enthusiastic email from one of my POIs that said they were all very impressed with me and I got accepted...they usually extend offers in Feb...Also, English is not my native language, so, if I can do it, you can do it!)
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personality trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics than a substantive area; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.

I just copy-pasted my answer from another thread regarding interview.
I had an on-site interview with four POIs at a university last week and a skype interview with 3 POIs this afternoon (3 hours after this skype session, I got an enthusiastic email from one of my POIs that said they were all very impressed with me and I got accepted...they usually extend offers in Feb...Also, English is not my native language, so, if I can do it, you can do it!)
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personality trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics than a substantive area; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.

I've had two so far (this year), a few more during my masters, and a lot of job interviews will try my best to give you some tips. 
A majority of the time you will sense the formality. Most faculty will present an overview of the program, process, etc. You'll pick up on how they present themselves. If you don't get a good estimate I like to lead with: 
"How do you like to be addressed?" 
My personal goal is to be unique. I tend to pick at least one question that isn't the traditional "what is the funding like", "how is research", "how strong is the advisor structure"....yet not nebulous.
Some examples:
1. How do you support students emotionally and socially?
2. If I did something wrong, like ran the wrong analysis or read the wrong article, how would you react?
3. Looking back, is there anything you wish you knew in graduate school?
4. If you selected students based on just one metric (i.e., GRE, GPA, Recommendations, Interview, Personal Statement, CV, experience...), what would you choose and why?
Best,

I had an on-site interview at a university this week. 
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

I had an on-site interview at a university this week. 
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career, such as tenacity;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (my area is quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer (in my area, POIs don't expect us to have a very clear idea of what topics you want to do in the future. You can just tell them you are interested in such and such area). If you have a more detailed answer and your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible (the truth is most incoming PhD students don't have strong background in math/stats in our field, so this is not a fatal weakness and it is something I can improve upon);
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers; I also said that I love this city;
Also, show your eagerness to learn and do research! They want to see that you are driven to do a PhD.
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
One good tip I want to share with you guys is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

One good tip I want to share with you guys if you are preparing your answers to the most common interview questions is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer, something along the lines of "I'm interested in SEM, longitudinal data analysis, Bayesian statistics." If you have a more detailed answer and if your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible;
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers.
The last one is that what statistics software/packages do you use- I hope you guys know some programming languages in addition to SPSS. Again, be specific here. Saying I know how to use R is not good enough. Say something like I know how to use R to do t test, anova, multivariate regression analysis; basic structure of writing a function;
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.
 

Finally, I have been officially admitted to FSU measurement and statistics program. Yay!

One good tip I want to share with you guys if you are preparing your answers to the most common interview questions is that keep your answers succinct, easy to understand, and to the point. I don't think they expect you to give very detailed and long answers within 30 minutes (that's the normal length of an interview). A very complicated answer is very likely to make them confused because when you are being interviewed, you will feel nervous, and your speech may become unorganized under pressure.
Also, think of an interview as a conversation, not a test. This is very important. If you think of it as a test, you are going to feel very nervous and uncomfortable. If you think of it as a conversation and an opportunity to tell them how great you are, you will feel very confident and look very confident. They want to see that confidence.
Some important interview questions I have prepared include (and I think everyone should be prepared to answer these questions very confidently and fluently):
Your educational background;
Your best quality, characteristic, personal trait- this should be something that can facilitate your future research career;
Why do you want to pursue a PhD- for me the answer is definitely that I love research; I love teaching; being a professor is a rewarding career;
Why do you want to do a PhD in this area (quant psych/methods)- my answer is that I am more interested in methodologies and statistics; this is an area full of opportunities for growth; I love coding; great job prospects;
What are your research interests- I just gave a very general answer, something along the lines of "I'm interested in SEM, longitudinal data analysis, Bayesian statistics." If you have a more detailed answer and if your interests match your POIs, that's even better;
What are your career goals- when it comes to goals, I think you should be specific, like I want to get 5 first author publications (you can even name a few prestigious journals in which you want to publish) ; I want to graduate within 5 years; I want to become an assistant professor in 6 years; I want to create very popular R packages; choose some challenging but realistic goals;
What is your greatest strength and weakness (yes, they asked me what my biggest weakness was)- I said that my greatest strength is my ability to solve problems in very challenging situations and I gave an example (very important); as far as my weakness, I said I don't have a strong background in math/stats but I'm planning on taking a few refresher courses like calculus online and after I begin the program I will take as many stats courses as possible;
Which research project are you most proud of- they are giving you an opportunity to impress them, so be prepared with a great answer;
Why you want to join their program- I said my research interests match yours very well and I like the courses your program offers.
The last one is that what statistics software/packages do you use- I hope you guys know some programming languages in addition to SPSS. Again, be specific here. Saying I know how to use R is not good enough. Say something like I know how to use R to do t test, anova, multivariate regression analysis; basic structure of writing a function;
If you have these questions prepared, you will talk confidently in the interview.
I never try to memorize my answers. I practice these questions by asking myself these questions while I am walking, cooking, doing exercises. At least for me, It's a very effective way to prepare for interviews.