Rutgers Interview

[RioSirius]

Any people here scheduled interview from Rutgers University?

I wonder how the interview processes go.

How will you guys prepare for the interview?

[cappuccino336]

I am scheduled for interview next week… I get the sense they are interviewing a very large group, so cuts will still have to be made after… the meeting is so short and not with my POIs so I am unsure how to prepare beyond reviewing my materials and being prepared as I would for any other interview! 

Edited January 17, 2023 by cappuccino336
Typo

[euclydian]

I was in the Rutgers Sociology program from Aug. 2017 - May 2020, and hoped to offer some advice. I would suggest that you make sure to read through their handbook so that you understand and can discuss the structure of the program. You should also make sure to have a list of a few faculty members you would be interested in working with, but also make sure that you have reasons for being interested in the program other than faculty, just in case you don't click or they wind up leaving - they want to make sure that you are interested in the program as a whole in addition to individuals within it.

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

[cappuccino336]

55 minutes ago, euclydian said:

I was in the Rutgers Sociology program from Aug. 2017 - May 2020, and hoped to offer some advice. I would suggest that you make sure to read through their handbook so that you understand and can discuss the structure of the program. You should also make sure to have a list of a few faculty members you would be interested in working with, but also make sure that you have reasons for being interested in the program other than faculty, just in case you don't click or they wind up leaving - they want to make sure that you are interested in the program as a whole in addition to individuals within it.

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

Euclydian, great to hear from you! If you don't mind me saying, 3 years is shorter than expected program structure, were there reasons for your leaving, or perhaps did you come into the program after completing coursework elsewhere? Also, could you share some general experiences in the program, as well as your research interests, maybe even some of the faculty you worked with and your impression of them? I am quite interested in the program and would value your advice as a previous student. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by cappuccino336
Damn typos :)

[euclydian]

Just now, cappuccino336 said:

Euclydian, great to hear from you! If you don't mind me saying, 3 years is shorter than expected program structure, was their reasons for your leaving, or perhaps did you come into the program after completing coursework elsewhere? Also, could you share some general experiences in the program, as well as your research interests, maybe even some of the faculty you worked with and your impression of them? I am quite interested in the program and would value your advice as a previous student. 

I'm fine with sharing - I'm going to share some general thoughts right now, as I'd rather not share too much in a public forum, but if you DM me I can get into more specifics.

• I was originally in the PhD program, but wound up leaving once I realized that I didn't want to be in academia (and was also experiencing burnout and other mental health issues). It wasn't an issue with the program or school. dI was almost finished with my first Qualifying Paper (the MA thesis, essentially) and my advisor, committee chair, and the DGS all encouraged me to finish that before I left.
• My general interests while I applied to the program was cultural & cognitive sociology, but this developed into a variety of different projects. My QP1 was in history of sexualities, and I had been planning to move into medical sociology for my QP2 and dissertation.
• My experiences were overall good - (most of) the people in the department are wonderful and kind. I wound up working with Norah MacKendrick as my advisor after working as a research assistant on a project and becoming interested in medical sociology, and she's incredible - very nurturing, kind, and just a great person to work with. Hana Shepherd, my QP1 committee chair, was also amazing, and had a lot of great insights. Both Norah and Hana wrote letters of recommendation for the program that I've applied to this admissions season. I had a couple of not great experiences as well, but would rather not get into that in this post - again, you can feel free to DM me if you have specific people you are interested in working with.

[saffasrass]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:35 PM, cappuccino336 said:

I am scheduled for interview next week… I get the sense they are interviewing a very large group, so cuts will still have to be made after… the meeting is so short and not with my POIs so I am unsure how to prepare beyond reviewing my materials and being prepared as I would for any other interview! 

So for everyone still waiting to have their interview, I just finished mine. It was very informal, and we spent most of the time discussing my research, why Rutgers, and what sort of methods I'm interested in. We had maybe 5 minutes at the end for me to ask questions, but it was overall just sort of a very natural conversation about what I'd discussed in my application and how I saw myself fitting in the department.

Best of luck to everyone else, and feel free to DM me if you have any more questions!

[cappuccino336]

19 minutes ago, saffasrass said:

So for everyone still waiting to have their interview, I just finished mine. It was very informal, and we spent most of the time discussing my research, why Rutgers, and what sort of methods I'm interested in. We had maybe 5 minutes at the end for me to ask questions, but it was overall just sort of a very natural conversation about what I'd discussed in my application and how I saw myself fitting in the department.

Best of luck to everyone else, and feel free to DM me if you have any more questions!

Congratulations! Sounds like a very positive interview, and thanks for clueing us all in. I was just practicing my “tell me about yourself” response when I saw your update  I am relieved to know it is so casual and comfortable. Did she mention anything about hearing back, number of interviewees, etc? 

[saffasrass]

She didn't mention how many interviewees (and I didn't have time to ask), but she did say to expect to hear back within the next month. I'm hoping it's within the next two weeks, but I'll take it!

[euclydian]

47 minutes ago, saffasrass said:

So for everyone still waiting to have their interview, I just finished mine. It was very informal, and we spent most of the time discussing my research, why Rutgers, and what sort of methods I'm interested in. We had maybe 5 minutes at the end for me to ask questions, but it was overall just sort of a very natural conversation about what I'd discussed in my application and how I saw myself fitting in the department.

Best of luck to everyone else, and feel free to DM me if you have any more questions!

I'm glad to hear the interview went well!

[SOCStudentZZP]

Thank you all for sharing! I was scheduled to be interviewed the day after tomorrow. It seems that they really invite a very large group to interview because they are still inviting people to interview. Curious about how many interviewees will be admitted? Could they give every enrollee full-funding?

[kebechet]

Hello everyone!

I also just completed my Rutgers interview. As @saffasrassmentioned, it was quite an informal and laid-back interview (though I was quite nervous...) and we discussed the research and ideas I had mentioned in my statement, why I was interested in Rutgers in particular, whether I had any ideas for the topic of my dissertation (God willing...), and what my plans might be post-PhD. I had time to ask one question, and was told I'd be hearing back within the next few weeks. Hopefully it went well, I personally enjoyed the clarity of talking to someone about it in real terms. Good luck to everyone about to interview!