I thought I had said everything I wanted to say with Parts 1 and 2…turns out there is more!
If you’ve been following this series of posts, then you will know that I am giving advice on how to ace graduate program acceptance interviews! How do I know? I am one of the faculty who interviews incoming students. In this post, I will continue with more tips.
- Be nice to support staff.. Keep in mind your behavior is visible to us at all times; even when you think you are “just” talking to support staff. In fact, I think what we see when your guard is down is much more telling then the way you act in front of the official interviewers. Please remember that you are not entitled entry to our graduate program. We do not owe you an education. In fact, it is our responsibility to make sure that only qualified students enter. So, avoid defensive behavior such as questioning our decisions; unless you think we have forgotten or misunderstood something. And even then, BE POLITE.
- Do not lie or mislead. This should go without saying; however it includes small lies of omission. For example, if we have misunderstood something in your favor, and you do not correct us, this is a lie of omission. When we figure it out (and we will) we now question your character. If you will lie during an interview, what is to prevent you from acting unethically with a client? Or cheat on a paper or exam? These kinds of students we do not want. We have an obligation to protect the public from future counselors who have character defects because ultimately those defects can harm people.
- Be proactive with your references. Keep in mind we may ask for more references, particularly on more recent activities such as volunteer positions or paid employment. If that person won’t give you a good reference, you need to know that before going into the interview, and be ready to explain why. If we contact your reference and they refuse to recommend you, now you have two strikes against you. One, the obvious: a bad recommendation. But, two: lack of awareness about how other people view your work and/or not being proactive. Remember, we are looking at your behavior and evaluating it.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
