Q's to ask grad students in interviews

[buttercup8d]

Hi all! I was wondering what are some detailed questions to ask current graduate students to assess whether:

1. The program is the right fit for you as a potential student
2. Whether most students are happy in the program and community
3. Whether there have been unexpected setbacks or surprises from the program
4. How prepared the students are after graduating from the program, and how they chose their career paths
5. Whether students have good support/resources/flexibility 

Thanks in advance!

[TakeruK]

My advice is to ask specific questions that are personally relevant to you, instead of general questions. As a grad student, a prospective student is a stranger, but someone I'd like to help if I know that my answer can be helpful. Sometimes giving an honest answer will put me in a vulnerable position or potentially at risk so I think a prospective student should ask the question in a way that ensures to me that this risk is worth it and that my answer will actually be valued.

This means that you should decide exactly what you want to find out ahead of time and ask these questions. It's really hard for me to answer vague and open-ended questions like "Do you like the program?" or "Are you happy?". I would say you should ask specific things and share something about yourself in doing so (makes me feel like my answer can be helpful).

So, if you are worried about your background in topic X in the coursework, just say that and ask about the courses. An example question from my field would be, "My undergrad degree was mostly in physics and astronomy, so I have had very little earth science experience. What would the courses be like without a lot of geological science experience?". I think this is a much better question than something like, "How much geology do I need to know for the courses?". The first version tells me about your specific concern, so that I can tailor my answer to your particular case.

Also, don't make the student feel like they are being tested/judged. If you are asking a subjective question, I would say that you should share your opinion first before asking about mine. Using another example from my field, let's say you are looking for an earth science program with a lot of field work opportunities and chances to do field trips. Don't ask something like, "Are there a good amount of field trips?" or "How do you feel about the field trips in the department?". Some students will like doing them and some students won't and if I say that I don't really like the field trips but I get them out of the way, and you say that you love field trips and want to go on as many as possible, then you put me in an awkward situation. Instead, I would suggest that you start out saying that you are interested in field work opportunities and want to go on many field trips, then ask about the opportunities. If I'm a fellow field-trip fan, I would be happy to share your excitement and tell you about the great trips. But if I'm not, I can tell you this (knowing that you are a big fan) and then tell you about the opportunities I know about plus also direct you towards the other field-trip fans that I know.

Some people might say that by revealing your expectations before asking your question, you might get a biased answer if the student you're talking to just wants to only tell you about the good parts. However, I think if this was the case, then you would still get biased answers. On the other hand, if you are talking to a student who is willing to be honest to a stranger, and you make them feel like you are testing them, you might catch them for one question, but it might reduce their willingness to answer future questions. Also, if you do end up attending the school, remember that these students will be your colleagues. 

In general, I'd say you should structure the questions for topics #1, #2 and #5 in your list as "I am looking/hoping for X, what are your experiences with / what do you know about X in the department?". For topic #3, I'm not sure how you can get this information. Something that is a setback for one person might not be a setback for another. I wouldn't ask this question directly. It might come up in general discussion with students about their life. Topic #4 is also tough because if you are talking to current students, we haven't graduated yet and we don't know what happens next for us. You could ask about what recent graduates have done, but remember that you don't know these people and haven't met them, so their outcomes can be very different than yours.

[MarineBluePsy]

Things I asked included:

1) Are you able to live comfortably on the stipend that is provided or are you forced to seek out other sources of income or make sacrifices you would prefer not to make in order to have the basics (food, shelter, clothing, medical care, transportation)?

2) What is the POIs communication style?  Hands on or hands off?  Constructive criticism?  Only points out mistakes, never successes?

3) What is a typical week like for you in terms of how much time is in class, in lab, doing clinical hours, doing homework, etc?

4) Are students supported if they wish to collaborate with other labs or different departments?

5) If students are interested in gaining clinical experience with a population that is not included in the current practicum choices, is the department open to creating an opportunity?

6) What are you expected to do during summers and are you provided a stipend and medical care for that time?