SLP Interviews! What are they like?

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering if anyone who has been to an interview day for Speech-Language Pathology programs could share a little about what to expect. I was just invited to an interview day (nearly had a heart attack) and I am curious about what it's like. The email said that there will be a tour of the facilities and interviews with faculty, graduate students, and the head of the department. There is also a written part of the interview process (?).

 

Also, how does it work when you do group interviews with a few other students? It said that we will be doing interviews in groups too.

 

Lastly, does anyone have any good resources for how best to practice for interviews in SLP? Are there any questions that they generally always ask at these types of interviews? I have a list of some questions I think could be asked but I'd like to hear if there's more that are likely to be asked. I am trying to get a little familiar with the types of things I may be asked so I wont be caught completely off guard. 

 

Any insight is welcome! 

[Salbando]

Great question!  I would like to know as well

[Arcanelady27]

It all depends on the school. I have been to one. It started out with a warm up questions like what are your hobbies. Then I was asked slp questions.

[twinguy7]

Here are a few of the questions I got last year from 2 different school interviews.  Hope it helps!:  

 

1- Why does ____ University interest you?

2- What is the relationship between academics and clinicals?

3- What will be different in your studies between undergrad and grad school?

4- How are you planning on making a decision about where to go?

5- What do you do to prepare for class?

6- Why SLP and what is your background?

7- How would you handle the workload and fast paced program, knowing you probably won’t have any time for a job?

8 - Think of a difficult, hard time in your life, explain how you handled/dealt with it?

[lisa19]

Would you be able to say which school it's for? I think it really depends on the school. I had a video interview where I was asked one question: "If I could go back in time and have dinner with someone dead or alive who would it be and why?" and I had an in person interview where I was asked a few questions that I can't remember exactly, but they were just get to know you stuff (ex: what are your strengths, what makes you unique, talk about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it) and had nothing to do with speech. I also had no writing sample for either. I think they want to know if you're ready for SLP grad school, so it's likely they'll want to know your skills and how you would present in an academic and clinical environment. My best advice is to mentally prepare a few relevant stories that would be applicable to multiple questions. For example, "what are your strengths" and "how you overcame a challenge" can be answered with the same story.

[kayyyyy_]

thanks for the responses :] helped me! 

[Salbando]

Here are a few of the questions I got last year from 2 different school interviews.  Hope it helps!:  

 

1- Why does ____ University interest you?

2- What is the relationship between academics and clinicals?

3- What will be different in your studies between undergrad and grad school?

4- How are you planning on making a decision about where to go?

5- What do you do to prepare for class?

6- Why SLP and what is your background?

7- How would you handle the workload and fast paced program, knowing you probably won’t have any time for a job?

8 - Think of a difficult, hard time in your life, explain how you handled/dealt with it?

Great questions and thanks for sharing. Did you get any specific SLP questions? If so, what were they if you can remember some of them? I am applying to the SLP program at CSUSM (San Marcos) and I heard that they have a written content based interview but not sure what it would cover? If anybody has gone through an interview for the CSUSM program please share--if would be greatly appreciated!

[scisl006]

Does anyone have any ideas about how many people are invitedto interview vs how many spots there really are. Ie. should I expect twice as many interviewees as there are spots, more than that, less? What have you found in your interviews. Thanks!

[Arcanelady27]

Does anyone have any ideas about how many people are invitedto interview vs how many spots there really are. Ie. should I expect twice as many interviewees as there are spots, more than that, less? What have you found in your interviews. Thanks!

 

It really depends on the school. Some schools have more spots than others. One particular school gave me the break down. They received about 600 applicants and conducted 300 interviews. Thirty students were granted admission.

[twinguy7]

You can find out how many spots there are at each program on edfind on the ASHA website.  As far as how many they interview you can definitely know that if you are interviewed you are among a very few compared to how many applicant there were.  GVSU told us that they interviewed 90 and would accept 30 and waitlist another 30.  This was told to us during out interview.  

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful! I know that one of my programs I'm applying for interviews ~30 and shoots for a target class size of about half that. I've heard many programs interview about twice as many applicants as they're looking to accept. But yes, it really depends on specific programs.

 

I have been asking around and I made a list of some questions that are likely to occur. Some are SLP related and some are not. I got some of the SLP related ones from current graduate students. Who knows if they will appear, but they're good practice. Here is my list of things that I've made so far (in no order):

 

-Tell me a little about yourself.

-Why did you choose this career?

-What are your career goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?

-What do you feel has prepared you to succeed in graduate study?

-Why should we select you over other highly qualified applicants?

-Name a time when you didn't get along with a coworker or someone else. How did you handle the situation?

-Why would this program be a good fit for you?

-What personality traits do you have that would help you excel in clinic?

-What area or areas of speech-language pathology interest you most?

-Where do you see yourself working after graduation?

-How would you handle a difficult client who refused to do what you asked? 

-Describe a time when you had to be an advocate for yourself or someone else. 

-If you witnessed your superior do something that was ethically questionable, what would you do?

-What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

-Describe your greatest accomplishment.

-What experience do you have working with special populations? Children? Adults?

-What are your questions for us about our program?

[scisl006]

Neuronparty, thank you so much for sharing all you have found out!! So helpful. Also I found out the school I'm interviewing at interviews about 90 people and has spots for 39.

[Salbando]

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful! I know that one of my programs I'm applying for interviews ~30 and shoots for a target class size of about half that. I've heard many programs interview about twice as many applicants as they're looking to accept. But yes, it really depends on specific programs.

 

I have been asking around and I made a list of some questions that are likely to occur. Some are SLP related and some are not. I got some of the SLP related ones from current graduate students. Who knows if they will appear, but they're good practice. Here is my list of things that I've made so far (in no order):

 

-Tell me a little about yourself.

-Why did you choose this career?

-What are your career goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?

-What do you feel has prepared you to succeed in graduate study?

-Why should we select you over other highly qualified applicants?

-Name a time when you didn't get along with a coworker or someone else. How did you handle the situation?

-Why would this program be a good fit for you?

-What personality traits do you have that would help you excel in clinic?

-What area or areas of speech-language pathology interest you most?

-Where do you see yourself working after graduation?

-How would you handle a difficult client who refused to do what you asked? 

-Describe a time when you had to be an advocate for yourself or someone else. 

-If you witnessed your superior do something that was ethically questionable, what would you do?

-What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

-Describe your greatest accomplishment.

-What experience do you have working with special populations? Children? Adults?

-What are your questions for us about our program?

very helpful. thank you. but sounds like basic interview questions that one might get on most job interviews but some are definitely related to the SLP profession. Not sure if there is anybody out there that got content based questions or not? If so, would be helpful to know. 

[Positive Thoughts]

 

Great questions and thanks for sharing. Did you get any specific SLP questions? If so, what were they if you can remember some of them? I am applying to the SLP program at CSUSM (San Marcos) and I heard that they have a written content based interview but not sure what it would cover? If anybody has gone through an interview for the CSUSM program please share--if would be greatly appreciated!

 

Hello! A friend of mine last year was interviewed for CSUSM and her advice to me was be VERY prepared. Know basic speech anatomy, phonetics etc, and be prepared to be tested on this. What they are really looked for though is your interpersonal skills, so just do your best, take a deep breath and smile. Schools choose to interview applicants with the requirements they are looking for, they just want to know you before being accepted into their cohort. 

[mo~]

Hello! A friend of mine last year was interviewed for CSUSM and her advice to me was be VERY prepared. Know basic speech anatomy, phonetics etc, and be prepared to be tested on this. What they are really looked for though is your interpersonal skills, so just do your best, take a deep breath and smile. Schools choose to interview applicants with the requirements they are looking for, they just want to know you before being accepted into their cohort. 

I am also applying to CSUSM. Thank you for sharing this. I guess we are all anxiously waiting for 2/18 when they are supposed to send interview notifications right? Did your friend know anything about whether they invite a large percentage of applicants to interview? Or is it narrowed down to a small percentage? Thanks! And good luck to everyone!

[Salbando]

I am also applying to CSUSM. Thank you for sharing this. I guess we are all anxiously waiting for 2/18 when they are supposed to send interview notifications right? Did your friend know anything about whether they invite a large percentage of applicants to interview? Or is it narrowed down to a small percentage? Thanks! And good luck to everyone!

From what I heard there are 254 applicants this year of which 100 will be granted interviews and then 34 will be chosen to be in the cohort. 

[Salbando]

I am also applying to CSUSM. Thank you for sharing this. I guess we are all anxiously waiting for 2/18 when they are supposed to send interview notifications right? Did your friend know anything about whether they invite a large percentage of applicants to interview? Or is it narrowed down to a small percentage? Thanks! And good luck to 

 

This is very helpful and good to know. When you say phonetics can you be more specific? Are you talking about IPA and transcribing that or other things? Curious to know if you friend was offered acceptance into the program or not?

[Holly44]

Hello! A friend of mine last year was interviewed for CSUSM and her advice to me was be VERY prepared. Know basic speech anatomy, phonetics etc, and be prepared to be tested on this. What they are really looked for though is your interpersonal skills, so just do your best, take a deep breath and smile. Schools choose to interview applicants with the requirements they are looking for, they just want to know you before being accepted into their cohort. 

 

OMG! They quiz you on anatomy and other speech topics???     I did very well in my post-bacc classes, but I get extremely nervous in situations like these. Even thinking about it gives me anxiety! lol 

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

I recently spoke to someone who was asked in an interview what the five parameters of language are. If they ask basic questions like that it would be nice. 

[Phoneme Fiend]

Question - I don't know how to post an actual forum question.. haha. But did you all hear back from every school that you applied to that all of your materials have been received? I'm not sure if some of my schools just don't send out emails saying everything has been received or if I need to follow up. I know it's a little late, but I'm abroad until first week of March & have been for a couple months now so getting in touch with schools has been a little difficult. Thanks!

[SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid]

Question - I don't know how to post an actual forum question.. haha. But did you all hear back from every school that you applied to that all of your materials have been received? I'm not sure if some of my schools just don't send out emails saying everything has been received or if I need to follow up. I know it's a little late, but I'm abroad until first week of March & have been for a couple months now so getting in touch with schools has been a little difficult. Thanks!

 

Most of my programs did notify me when all my materials were received. They said something to the effect that my file was forwarded to the department and will be under review until further notice. However, you should always be the one to follow up with them. I had many instances where my following up was crucial. I think I annoyed some of them with my periodic checking, but I would rather be annoying than not have my file looked at due to a clerical error or another pointless reason. 

[scisl006]

I would say that if any of the application periods are still open that you should email the graduate admissions to see if they have recieved eveything. I only got confimation from 1 of 6 schools that I appled to that all my materials had been recived. I called any other place that wasn't through CSDCAS

[Positive Thoughts]

I am also applying to CSUSM. Thank you for sharing this. I guess we are all anxiously waiting for 2/18 when they are supposed to send interview notifications right? Did your friend know anything about whether they invite a large percentage of applicants to interview? Or is it narrowed down to a small percentage? Thanks! And good luck to everyone!

I'm not exactly sure whether they invite a large percentage or not, but I do know if they interview you and you do well, you have a good chance of getting in. Try to be comfortable and show your personality. Brush up on your prereqs, maybe read some ASHA articles and then relax! They are already interested in having you in their cohort- just do your best!

[Positive Thoughts]

OMG! They quiz you on anatomy and other speech topics???     I did very well in my post-bacc classes, but I get extremely nervous in situations like these. Even thinking about it gives me anxiety! lol 

I have heard they quiz on basic speech anatomy and phonetics. Just brush up on your coursework and you'll do fine. And if you can't answer the question under pressure (which is totally normal!) then just say you will need to re-visit the material. They are interested in you already, just show them your passion for the field! 

[Holly44]

I have heard they quiz on basic speech anatomy and phonetics. Just brush up on your coursework and you'll do fine. And if you can't answer the question under pressure (which is totally normal!) then just say you will need to re-visit the material. They are interested in you already, just show them your passion for the field!

Very true! Thanks for the tips! :-)