Grad School Interview Questions

tell me about yourself

I am currently a lead sales associate at Dicks Sporting Goods in the Knoxville area. I graduated with honors from the University of Tennesee Knoxville with a bachelor's in psychology and a minor in pre-health. I aspire to become someone within my community who provides exceptional and empathetic care to those who struggle mentally or simply need someone to help them cope with issues they do not understand. I gained this desire after realizing my enjoyment of the psychological field and providing helpful and unbiased advice to my peers when they needed someone to talk to in a trusting manner. 

What made you choose ETSU and not other schools?

I've always admired ETSU when looking at colleges and almost did my undergrad here. So when I saw that the school offered a grad program that was exactly what I was looking for, I did my research and applied. Aside from the program, I enjoy the location and atmosphere of the campus, as well as the size of the school. Additionally, the mission statement fascinated me because of how raw it was when discussing self-examination to reach the goal of understanding emotional development.

Research interests?

I'm interested in the way nutrition/ food consumption can be a mental issue for a lot of people around the world and the why. The correlation between dopamine release and device usage is an interesting topic to research further, especially when it comes to cognitive development and the increase of mental stressors.

How will you contribute to our program?

I have an exceptional work ethic and will always do my best to put out the best piece of work. I collaborate well with others and can lead a group if necessary. 

What are your short-term and long-term career goals? 

My short-term goal would be to acquire my LPC and work within my community to build a clientele. This would then stem into a long-term goal to develop my private practice, where I can make more of a name for myself in the mental health therapy field.

Give me an example of an accomplishment you have achieved.

As boring as it may sound, getting through college. My first two years of college were strange because of COVID-19, and online learning was a huge curveball at the time. Adapting to a new way of learning made me stumble in school like never before, which affected me. After transferring to UTK, I found myself needing to readjust to my atmosphere again and push myself to do the best I could to prove I belonged at the university. By doing this, I proved to myself that I could do hard things and excel at them. Graduating with Honors and a 3.96 GPA is an accomplishment I'm glad I got to achieve 

What do you consider some of your strengths and weaknesses? 

A weakness I see in myself is my nervousness speaking in front of others. I am not one to articulate my words very well and often stumble in my sentences due to overthinking. I also lack some experience in more professional and relevant settings related to this program, unlike some other candidates. Qualities I would consider strengths of mine would be my work ethic, collaborative skills, adaptability, interpersonal skills, and resilience.

What are some of your hobbies or interests?

I enjoy cooking and baking in my free time. I also am a very active person and love working out, going on hikes, jogs around my neighborhood, playing pickleball, and snowboarding. 

Applied anywhere else?

No, I have not.

What's a question you have for me?

What part of the program do students love to learn about the most? Where do students typical excel and struggle within the program?

How would a teacher/professor/supervisor describe you?

I would be described as someone with an exceptional work ethic who rises to any occasion. 

If you are not accepted into our program, what steps in your life would you take?

I would likely try and find a full-time job that is compatible with my bachelor's degree and wait to apply to ETSU again or try and find a different yet similar path to consider going to school for.

What are you familiar with regarding our program?

ETSU’s counseling program has been awarded for its excellence and prepares students to exceed state expectations, allowing the licensure process to be smoother. The college has a counseling clinic to allow students to practice what they've been taught under supervision. The program is CACREP certified. The program is committed to diversity and to preparing students to perform with knowledgeable, ethical, and effective decisions. 

How has previous experience prepared you for this program?

Courses taken in my undergrad program prepared me with an understanding of psychological concepts that could be helpful in coursework within the program. Working in the customer service industry has helped me build patience, the ability to navigate negative situations, and collaborate with diverse minds.

What challenges do you see yourself facing if accepted into the program?

I am not the greatest at speaking in front of groups and do not have the grandest vocabulary, often making myself sound less professional than I would like. As well as readjusting myself to a college timeline.

What courses in college did you enjoy and dislike the most?

I disliked math course, chemistry, and A&P the most. The courses I enjoyed the most were behavioral psychology, most of my sociology classes, nutrition, and theories of personality.

Do you have any experience with research?

The only experience I have with research was during my research methods lecture/lab and the research experiments I participated in during my undergrad. I have the basic knowledge of locating good peer-reviewed research and writing up an APA-style paper.

What skills will allow you to succeed in this program?

My determination and drive. When I have a goal I want to achieve, nothing tends to get in my way to make it come true. I hold myself accountable when the end goal is a bigger picture than the current moment of potential self-doubt or low confidence.

Do you have motivation? 

I would say so. I have a lot of discipline and will make myself complete a task even if I have no desire to.

Why should we take you over someone else?

I work harder than most and will strive my best to put out work that shows you that. I also display attributes that align with the goals of the program.

Have any ideas about a specialization?

Nutritional mental illness counseling 

General mental health counseling

Rehabilitation counseling 

Couples/Marriage counseling 

What excites you about the field of study you’re pursuing, and how do you plan to contribute to the academic community at ETSU?

I've always had the desire to help others but had uncertainty of the path I wanted to take to achieve this. I believe that learning to be a mental health counselor is a wonderful way to contribute to my community's needs and make others feel more comfortable in a world that can be uncomfortable. I know that the program has a counseling clinic available to its students that allows counselors in training to practice. With the skills taught to me by faculty and supervisors, I hope to be a help to those on campus who need assistance. 

What specific skills or experiences do you hope to gain during your graduate studies?

I wish to understand the ethics and practices that make a counselor/ therapist successful with their clients. I also wish to fully understand what kind of specialty fits me the most after learning about different kinds of paths.

How do you manage complex academic tasks and prioritize your time?

Depending on the task, I separate it into different sections to keep my focus in one place. This allows a smoother transition from one thing to another. For example, if I were writing a research paper, I would create a bibliography for myself with summaries of each article. Then, I would decide which were compatible with each section of my paper and curate the information I wished to discuss cohesively and concisely.

What motivates you to succeed, and how do you stay motivated during difficult periods in your studies?

The fear of failure. Failure is important for growth, but having your superiors enjoy the work you put out feels a lot more rewarding. To stay motivated during difficult times, I try to be kind to myself because not every day or every assignment is going to be perfect, and that's okay. I learn and grow from difficulties and use them as tools rather than use them to discourage myself.

How do you approach collaboration and teamwork in an academic setting? Can you share an example?

This is very dependent on the kind of group I end up working with because they vary each time. Usually, I would suggest everyone share their strengths to delegate task responsibilities that make the most sense for everyone and the sake of the assignment. In my technical and professional writing course, we were placed into groups for the entire semester, which meant I had to be comfortable working with people for months on one final project. We delegated tasks based on everyone's strengths and weaknesses to put out work that did well and followed the assignment. By doing this, assignments were done quicker, communication was easier, and I ended the class with an A and respect from my professor.

How do you manage stress and handle competing priorities, especially when under pressure?

I try to spread my time out in a way that prioritizes my school priorities as well as my priorities. I do this in an attempt to balance my stress as much as possible (even if it doesn't work sometimes) so I do not become overwhelmed and freak out.  Pressure is something that can be fuel to finish tasks, in my opinion, so I do not view it negatively like it sounds.