smusdent

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

Just been accepted to the GW PhD program in Global Public Health Sciences! After a stream of rejection mails, this is the first acceptance letter and I'm tearing up ? I was really prepared for the worst, as this is my second cycle of applying. I really couldn't believe at first though how I'd been rejected or waitlisted by so many schools I applied.. but to those who are still in the waiting game, don't give up yet. I got my interview request in mid March and nearly gave up as I knew the funded positions were highly competitive (they said they are taking only two students) - but you never know where life takes you to!

I didn't think of that. That sounds super important. Thank you for the advice! 

I recommend reviewing the school's / program's "mission, vision, and values". It gives you info as to why you want their specific school. For example, I talked about one school's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how that aligned with my personal values. The interviewers seemed to be impressed that I could talk about being part of the school's community, not just a student in one specific program. Really ask yourself = why this school? 
Good luck on your interview  You got this!!

I prepared a few answers in advance of mine to questions like tell me about yourself, what are your research interests, what are you interested in studying for your dissertation, why this school/program and how it aligns with your goals, who I'd want to work with and why, and career plans in the next 5-10 years. I didn't get asked most of the questions I prepared for, but it was helpful to have thought through and practiced each of these since I used most of the same points in my interview answers.
Good luck!!!

I looked up my interviewers and made sure I had some idea of their work, and could ask relevant questions if I had time to. Also, as someone said above, i prepared answers for “tell me about yourself/why phd/why our program” type typical questions... this was helpful because while I didn’t actually use any of these exact answers, it was good to think through. 
 
The two things I prepared that WERE super helpful was (1) practicing describing one or two of my current projects succinctly and knowledgeably to a non-co-investigator, and (2) describing a project that id be interesting in working on while in the program. 

I also did a practice round with my boyfriend, to get some experience in the interview setting over Zoom.

Good luck!!! 

@PatelXX
Nope, not me. I did contact a few POIs before but did not hear back from them so just had to submit without a prior meeting