The Interview

Most applicants worry about interviews. How should I dress? Will the program director like me? If I am accepted, will I feel comfortable and fit in with the other students? Such questions are natural as each side—the program and the applicant—attempts to learn as much as possible about the other in a short span of time.

There have been a number of studies to uncover the key factors interviewers use to decide which applicants they will rate more highly. Here is a synopsis of the results of these studies:

1. The compatibility of the applicant (how comfortable they feel with you).
2. The applicant's ability to grow in knowledge (your learning skills, apparent intelligence).
3. The applicant's maturity (how calm, realistic, and confident you appear).
4. The applicant's commitment to hard work (whether you seem reliable, eager, and energetic).
5. The applicant's fund of knowledge (your grades, scores, previous experience, articulateness during the interview).

Please note that different studies ranked these factors differently, so the order in which they are listed above does not imply that factor one is more important than factor five.