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Anthro Interview Questions


jellyfish1

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Interviews are about to start and they are on my mind. In addition, I've arranged an informal interview with a POI this week and I'm really nervous. Has anyone here had an interview (informal or official) for anthro? What sorts of questions did they ask? What was it like?

(Hopefully this thread will be helpful to many of us in the coming weeks!)

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I had set up several department visits and "informal interviews" last fall. All of them were very different. Some felt like interviews and some did not at all. All of them took place before I formally applied and my POIs only had my CV. 

 

 In every place I went I was asked to describe my research interests and what I was hoping to get out of the department. At some places my POI asked me which other professors I wanted to meet. So make sure you know a little about the other faculty members as well. During all of my visits, I also had a chance/ was expected(?) to ask plenty of  questions. I found that part relatively hard because my brain tends to freeze when I am nervous. So thinking of questions to ask ahead of time might be a good idea:) 

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I've had one interview that I never really had a chance to prepare for. It was mostly just me talking about my project and the POI asking me questions about it as we went along. I have another interview coming up on Thursday with 3 POIs at once. I'm not really sure how to prepare for it. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd also be up for hearing them. Namely, what kind of questions have you been asked and what types of questions did you ask?

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I guess to start off:

 

I was asked about:

 

1) My field experience. If I had contacts in the field already that I could use for my field work.

 

I asked:

 

1) How teaching assignments for TAs were assigned. Namely, if I would be assigned to Ling Anth classes specifically or if I would be placed in Social Cultural, Archaeology, and Bio Anth classes as well.

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I had one interview in person and one over the phone.

 

During the interview I had in person I met with a prospective advisor at her office. First thing she informed me that she was not eligible to take on a new graduate student with funding this year (the school has a rotating system for which professors get students) but she really wanted to work with me so I should look into getting fellowships and grants. It's way too late for that now, most of the deadlines for grants that I'm eligible for were back in the fall. I played it cool but I was seriously annoyed that she couldn't tell me this via email or before I spent money applying. Anyway, she then gave me a tour of the department and introduced me to several professors. She asked me about my experience and my research interests and explained to me what projects she plans on working on in the near future. I won't be reapplying to this program if I don't get in elsewhere but I'm glad that I went to the interview. Even though it turned out to be a bust I now know for sure that this would not have been a good fit for me. In total we talked for about half an hour.

 

The phone interview that I had was more successful. I spoke with another prospective advisor for about forty minutes. For the first ten we just shot the shit. He did a postdoc at the Smithsonian with one of my current professors and my undergraduate advisor (I'm in the last semester of my MA right now) so that was a good talking point. He asked me about my experience and my master's research. We both talked about our future research goals, which seem to line up surprisingly well. We talked about departmental funding and teaching positions. I asked about whether or not I could take classes in the geology department as electives. I also asked him about his work with tephra analysis and paleontology. He just started teaching at this university last year so we talked about the city that it's in and how he likes living there. I dropped my cell phone in the middle of our conversation, luckily it didn't break. Overall I think it went pretty well. I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

 

Before both of my interviews I sat down and made a list of questions for the professors in case there were lulls in the conversation. Neither professor had very tricky questions and they both seemed to be asking me things off the top of their heads. I didn't think I had a chance of getting into either school but after that phone interview I've been checking my email every twenty minutes. I'm going to drive myself crazy. :P

Edited by MPollywog
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While we're on the topic, and I don't really want to start a whole new thread for this, let's talk about dress.

 

If you've ever been to a meeting of the American Anthropological Association, you know that wearing a tie is faux pas. In fact, last November in Chicago, I just wanted to test that theory, so I wore a tie on the day I presented (so I had something of an excuse). I later met with a POI, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "So...a tie, huh?" I've done other less formal interviews with POIs too, but they were unofficial.

 

I have an official interview in a couple weeks, not only with the POI, but faculty she believes will be interested in my work, and graduate students. (This is my first official interview with this school and POI but it's my third with them, total - so I have a history with them.) I realize that it's not AAA, but it is many of the same people that populate the AAA conference. I'm rather torn towards viewing this as a job interview though.

 

Tie or no tie? Better yet: Business casual (i.e. dress pants, suit jacket, etc.) or academic (i.e. sweaters, slacks, etc.)?

Edited by dtpowis
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dtpowis. I think you should shoot for a happy medium between the too. When I had my in person interview I went with dress pants and a cardigan. So, put together but not over the top. I think academic will be fine so long as it is on the nicer end.

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I had two informal meetings with POIs.  The first one didn't go very well and the professor grilled me on what I want to do.  She kept steering the conversation and assuming that my wide breadth of interests meant that I didn't know what I wanted to do.  I got very nervous and she was rather forceful, so I ended up sounding flaky.  She also could not accept students with funding (the department rotates who gets funding each year), so I feel like applying was somewhat of a waste of time and money.  She didn't seem particularly interested in working with me, and I'm certain I won't be accepted to this school. 

 

The second meeting went much better.  We met at a coffee shop, and the interview was more informal.  She asked about my background, research interests etc.  She seemed pleased with my experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm and for the rest of the time she seemed to be kind of selling me on the idea of attending the school.  She suggested I would be eligible for funding and bought me cookies at the end of the interview.

 

I wore "academic professional" clothes to each meeting.  A button down shirt, slacks, nice boots, and a cardigan.  I would say this kind of attire is best for an academic meeting.  Wear what you would wear to teach. 

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I wore "academic professional" clothes to each meeting.  A button down shirt, slacks, nice boots, and a cardigan.  I would say this kind of attire is best for an academic meeting.  Wear what you would wear to teach. 

 

I'm with Strudelle. that was exactly my logic when getting dressed!

 

(Can y'all tell that I'm working from home today and NOT focusing? haha)

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Did any of you have POIs that said you sounded like a perfect fit for the program and already talked to you about funding during the interview? I did and I'm not sure how to take this. I'm operating under the assumption that I'm not going to get in anywhere but this is giving me false hopes.

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Did any of you have POIs that said you sounded like a perfect fit for the program and already talked to you about funding during the interview? I did and I'm not sure how to take this. I'm operating under the assumption that I'm not going to get in anywhere but this is giving me false hopes.

 

Strudelle that doesn't sound like false hope. That sounds like absolutely realistic hope. That's a fantastic sign!

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Strudelle that doesn't sound like false hope. That sounds like absolutely realistic hope. That's a fantastic sign!

 

Last time I saw my POI from one school, I told her that I was interested in adding an STS bit to my proposed research, and I wondered what she thought. She said I should absolutely add that to my research and my SOP, because they plan on hiring a new STS person in the coming year.

I asked about whether or not I would be able to leave during candidacy to get an MPH and come back. She said, "By the time you start, we'll have a partnership with the Department of Public Health, so you can take classes there."

She and I worked on a paper together last year. Over the summer, we were doing research so we never really talked. At the end of the summer, she emailed me (knowing that I was interested in applying) to say, "I'm sorry we haven't talked! I want you to know that I'm not like this as an advisor!"

How do I not interpret these things as "realistic hope?" She has practically said everything, except for "You're in!" But...as we say...(you know the words, everyone now): We'll just have to see.

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dtpowis - Yeah that makes it sound like you're already unofficially accepted!  And that all sounds really promising.  Basically like the program would be a perfect fit for you and like this woman really wants to work with you.

 

That's how this POI was talking to me as well!  Basically saying "well when you start..." etc.  She also was genuinely interested in my research (just a literature review) and said that they have a visiting professor who is working on exactly the stuff I am working on and she would try to get funding for her to stay on working there so we could work together.  And she encouraged me to come back and see the campus (we met at a coffee shop) and said they would pay to "wine and dine" me.

 

The reason I'm hesitant to see this as a good sign at all is that this meeting took place before she even saw my application.  But I told her all of my stats while I was there (they're not very impressive), and she still seemed pretty excited to work with me.  I just feel like getting into a PhD program straight out of undergrad with only one internship, one field school, and a tiny literature review research project (that I'm presenting at two conferences in April) is pretty much impossible.  My GREs were also abysmal - but she told me they were good enough to qualify me for funding.

 

Daykid - don't add to the false hope!  Haha  

Edited by strudelle
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Yeah that makes it sound like you're already unofficially accepted!  And that all sounds really promising.  Basically like the program would be a perfect fit for you and like this woman really wants to work with you.

 

That's how this POI was talking to me as well!  Basically saying "well when you start..." etc.  She also was genuinely interested in my research (just a literature review) and said that they have a visiting professor who is working on exactly the stuff I am working on and she would try to get funding for her to stay on working there so we could work together.  And she encouraged me to come back and see the campus (we met at a coffee shop) and said they would pay to "wine and dine" me.

 

The reason I'm hesitant to see this as a good sign at all is that this meeting took place before she even saw my application.

 

Yes! Exactly. I just really don't want to get my hopes up. I'd rather be dense to all the signs than assume it's a sure thing.

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dtpowis - Yeah that makes it sound like you're already unofficially accepted!  And that all sounds really promising.  Basically like the program would be a perfect fit for you and like this woman really wants to work with you.

 

That's how this POI was talking to me as well!  Basically saying "well when you start..." etc.  She also was genuinely interested in my research (just a literature review) and said that they have a visiting professor who is working on exactly the stuff I am working on and she would try to get funding for her to stay on working there so we could work together.  And she encouraged me to come back and see the campus (we met at a coffee shop) and said they would pay to "wine and dine" me.

 

The reason I'm hesitant to see this as a good sign at all is that this meeting took place before she even saw my application.  But I told her all of my stats while I was there (they're not very impressive), and she still seemed pretty excited to work with me.  I just feel like getting into a PhD program straight out of undergrad with only one internship, one field school, and a tiny literature review research project (that I'm presenting at two conferences in April) is pretty much impossible.  My GREs were also abysmal - but she told me they were good enough to qualify me for funding.

 

Daykid - don't add to the false hope!  Haha  

 

Well, it sounds like the professor was giving you hope, so keep that hope! Good luck!

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I just wanted to chime in with some of the questions i've been asked for those who still have interviews coming up:

 

Why X university? Why do you feel this it the place for you to do your graduate work?

What sort of theory/issues do you hope to engage?

What are your plans to carrying out your research?

What are you looking for in a graduate program?

 

I also got a lot of specific questions about the interdisciplinary overlaps of my project. How do you plan to engage outside your department, etc.

 

Hope this helps other people to prepare! There is nothing worse than being thrown for a loop in an interview.....so unnerving!

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I was asked why I chose the geographic area I did. (Answer it like you're answering a grant proposal, not that it's your favorite place on earth.)

I was asked if it would be logistically possible to do the research I was proposing. (This was based on a misunderstanding of the research, but I was able to spin it anyway.)

 

I was asked about specific literature that I've read concerning various components of my research. (This turned into what essentially amounted to me reciting a bibliography.)

I was asked, "Why anthropology? Surely, you must realize that you can do this from a public health perspective as well!" (Touché! But I'm looking for an MPH as well.)

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I've been asked questions about plans after PhD, realistic goals (post doc, teaching...) and mobility, where I'd be willing to move/live. That said, my research goals are very concise and a very good fit for the professor I want to work with, so those were basically a nonissue. 

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THANK YOU guys for posting these, it's incredibly helpful. I've had informal Skype chats with potential advisors before applications were due, but now that the real interviews are looming, I'm absolutely terrified. I think my worst nightmare is that they would decide to throw me a battered papyrus and ask me to translate it on the spot... Unlikely to happen, but still. Were any of you taken aback by some of the more technical questions asked by the interviewers? 

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THANK YOU guys for posting these, it's incredibly helpful. I've had informal Skype chats with potential advisors before applications were due, but now that the real interviews are looming, I'm absolutely terrified. I think my worst nightmare is that they would decide to throw me a battered papyrus and ask me to translate it on the spot... Unlikely to happen, but still. Were any of you taken aback by some of the more technical questions asked by the interviewers? 

 

I was most thrown off by how they asked the questions. some of my interviews had a sort of circuitous way of getting to the question. So, I'm mostly hoping I understood what they were asking....haha

Edited by daykid
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just had my uchicago interview, and from my sense of the way this works, and from talking to anthropology grad students, they're mainly looking to confirm that the person behind the application didn't just cobble together a research idea, and that he or she can make intelligent small talk about it. 

 

the first question my POI asked how it was that i had come to conceptualize the project i want to work on the first place, and if i could sketch out an intellectual biography of how my thinking had developed across the years in the various institutions i have been a part of.

 

the other broad topic that came up was what i was looking for in a grad school, and how uchicago would provide me the best resources to achieve my goals. 

 

it was a pretty relaxed chat, i didn't feel like i was being grilled or anything. while i have no idea how this will eventually turn out, my gut says that, having done some preparation in your head, sorting out ideas and goals etc, you should sit back and let your enthusiasm for research and grad school carry you through. good luck to everyone who has interviews coming up! 

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One question I wasn't expecting was "Who are you intellectual role models in the field?"

 

I was so nervous that the only people I could think of were the ones I'd cited in my SOP. Afterwards, I thought of soooooo many! I now really hope that I get asked this question again in some other interview, because I am now 100% ready for it.

 

And in thinking about it, it's a clever question, because it gets at what underlying school of thought you adhere to, without directly asking… 

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