Just had my first interview. I think it went well.
Things I didn't expect:
-How little time was interviewing. 2 1-on-1 interviews (30 minutes each) and the rest was talking to grad students, dinner social, round table discussions, a presentation, and campus tours.
-The awkwardness of talking to the clinical director and other administrative staff. It was really hard to come up with questions for them (and this was after a presentation about the program that already answered any question I had).
-How much I was grilled in one of my interviews. The prof was actually asking me about specific details from my POI's journal articles.
-How casual and comfortable the interview with my POI was!
-How honest and upfront the grad students were with me about funding, stipend, and my POI's positives and negatives.
-How interesting it was to talk to the other applicants. Also, how much time I spent around/socializing with the other applicants.
Suggestions:
-Bring blister band aids, even if you think you won't need them.
-Bring floss (you'll be eating and you don't want things stuck in your teeth after breakfast/lunch).
-Plan out your bathroom visits. I'm serious. Look at your schedule and decide when would be good times to go.
-If you have a break, plan to maybe call a loved one during that time. It will be a relief to talk to someone without having to worry about your image and the loved one can give you positive affirmation and words of support. So after your call, you can head back to the interview refreshed and in a better mood.
-Have a prepared list of questions to ask your POI, written down, that you can pull out and take notes on as your POI responds.
-Even if you've read them before, go over your POI's recent journal articles on your flight there so everything is fresh in your mind.
-Bring Tylenol pm, so if you're too nervous to sleep before interview day, you can knock yourself out.
-Have some prepared statements about hobbies. They shouldn't be rehearsed, but have a bullet list in your mind, because you will be surprised how often they become a talking point.