Tips for Short Skype Interviews (NYU)

[LOiseauRouge]

I have a 15 minute Skype interview with NYU for a PhD in French next week! I was wondering if anyone has advice. I have been reviewing my research, books/authors/topics I'm most interested in, the profs' research, and school resources that attracted me to the uni. Do you think I should also prepare for the more general questions, such as "Describe your strengths and weaknesses"?  I'd love to hear about other people's experiences with Skype interviews! I'm the first person in my family to apply for a PhD and have a limited idea of what to expect. 

[gnohm]

Wtf is a 15 minute interview? Is that normal?

[LOiseauRouge]

1 hour ago, gnohm said:

Wtf is a 15 minute interview? Is that normal?

Seems to be for my school and program! ^^; 

[palyndrone]

I had a 20 minute skype interview a few weeks ago with admissions committee members (not a POI). They pretty much asked what you mentioned reviewing: what I liked about their program specifically, what my research interests were, what I wanted to do with a PhD, and about some of the academic/research experience I had put on my CV. I'm not sure how it works in the humanities, but they probably just want to get a feel for you and make sure you're a serious applicant.

Have a couple questions ready to ask them too! Honestly I was crazy nervous the whole time, and asking questions about the program helped me get a handle on the conversation and end with a strong note. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by palyndrone

[LOiseauRouge]

Thanks @palyndrone! Good to know! I have a couple questions that I'd like to ask them, hopefully there will be time! The program and a couple of the profs fit my research interests really well, so it would be great to be able to talk about that. 

[transrelativity]

Thanks for this thread. I have a 15 minute Zoom interview tomorrow that I'm prepping for in a manner similar to what @LOiseauRouge described, and hearing about @palyndrone's experience is very useful. 

My interview appears to be with an admissions committee, but the person who emailed me to set it up was the person I listed third in my personal statement out of the faculty I hoped to work with in that program. She does not appear to be part of the admissions committee, because she listed their names separately in the email, but she implied that she would be present for the interview. I've been studying her in particular because I imagine this might mean that she, out of the three people I listed, is most interested in working with me. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any advice to offer?