What made you want to become a clinical psychologist? Why do you think you would make a good psychologist? / what would make you a good psychologist? What one thing made you want to become a clinical psychologist? How did you prepare for this interview personally and intellectually?
10 Most Commonly Asked Clinical Psychology Psyd/Phd Interview Questions (how to respond)
This post is part of an ongoing series about applicant interview weekends in Psychology departments. Check back for posts about interviews in other areas of Psychology, and visit our Careers in Psychology section. Interviewing for doctoral programs in clinical psychology can be a nerve-racking process. Here are some tips from current clinical psychology graduate students on questions they asked (or wish they had asked) during interviews and also some questions you should prepare to answer. You may not have an opportunity to ask all of the questions in part 1, and you certainly will not end up answering all of part 2 during your interviews. So identify which topics are most interesting or relevant to you, and start from there! Good luck!
Why are you interested in attending this particular program?
Every program that you applied to wants to know why you chose them! More than likely there are numerous different programs that you could have applied to that met your specific needs, in terms of research or clinical interests.
Make sure to research the program you are interested in and note rankings or reviews that you see online. You want to make sure that you have a good understanding of how this program differs from other programs for clinical or counseling psychology like specific coursework, length of the program, internship opportunities, research focus, and specific faculty.
Which faculty member(s) are you most interested in working with?
What attracts you to our model (Boulder or Vail) of training?
Getting Into Graduate School in Clinical Psychology
What to Expect
You submit your application before December 1st
In December, you might receive a phone interview or two (only a few schools do phone interviews). You might even get a call from your potential mentor wanting to interview you on the spot. Because of this, I suggest you let all unknown numbers go to voice mail (and get back to the caller within the same day). This way, you will have a few hours to prepare for your interview.
In January, you will find out about whether you received in-person interviews. If other people have received an interview and you have not, it means that you have been rejected, although you won’t receive an official rejection until March/April. If you networked and followed my tips on rocking the GRE and putting together a great application, you should get many interviews.
If it is the end of January and you have not heard back about interviews at a particular school, it is OK to call the administrative assistant at the school and ask him/her if all interview invitations have been sent out
What to Expect
There will likely be a social event with graduate students the night before your interview. Although it is perfectly acceptable to have a drink, this is not the time to party. Rather, it is an informal setting to ask graduate students questions. Be very enthusiastic, and show that you are someone fun
You will have a full day interview, with campus tours. You will most likely interview with your potential mentor, the Director of Clinical Training, maybe another professor or two, and maybe a graduate student. Although all interviews are important, your most important interview is the interview with your potential mentor
There will likely be a breakfast, lunch, and information sessions. Remember that you are being interviewed during the entire stay
You will likely be allowed to stay with a graduate student. This is also part of the interview. Be nice / polite, bring chocolates or some other small gift for host, and please shower at night so you don’t have the host waiting to use the bathroom while you shower
Interview Questions
I found there to be three types of questions
Your Story: (Ex: “Tell me about yourself”, “Walk me through your CV”; “What kind of research experiences have you had”, “Why clinical Psychology?, “Why this school?”, “What do you want to do after graduation?”)
“Fit” Questions: (Ex: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”; “Do you work better alone or in groups?”)
Research-Related Questions: (Ex: “Tell me about what you want to do for your dissertations?”; “What project would you do if you had all the grant money you wanted?”; “Why do you think we are a good fit?”, )
You will also be expected to have prepared questions to ask professors / students . It is very important that you come prepared with many questions, as you will be judged by the quality/quantity of your questions
What to Wear and Bring?
Buy yourself a grey, black, or navy suit.
Bring a nice black professional padfolio with copies of your CV.
Girls should carry a nice professional purse around. Guys, you should not carry anything else but the padfolio above
Bring your suitcase as a carry-on. Airlines are known for losing luggage all the time
Build enough time into your schedule for potential delays
Do not fly through northern airports that tend to cancel flights in the wintertime (ei – Chicago / Boston) if you can avoid
Fly Southwest or use Airline Miles if you can – they let you change flights for free. This will be useful if you are juggling many interviews.
What are your Odds?
Most programs interview 4-6 people per spot. However, even if you are not the “chosen” candidate, there’s a chance that other candidates won’t accept and that you will get in off the wait list (unlike with an undergraduate applications, it is quite common for people to get into a program from the wait list). So, at this point your odds are looking pretty good! However, I do know people who have gotten 10+ interviews and no offers, so this is not a reason to not prepare very well
When You Will Hear Back
You usually will hear back sometime in late February/early March. There’s a chance you will hear back later in the process if you have been wait listed, as many programs don’t contact wait list candidates. However, if you have other offers and a couple weeks have passed since the interview, it is perfectly OK to reach out to a program and ask them about your status.
For Further Learning
This article just scratches the surface of interview preparation. I am in the process of making an comprehensive interview study guide.
Tell me about an experience when…
Ah, the dreaded behavioral questions. Behavior questions are when the interviewer asks about a specific scenario you’ve experienced in order to understand how you would react in a similar situation in their program. You can definitely anticipate these types of questions so it’s important to prepare.
To get ready for behavioral questions you have to reflect upon your own experiences, related to clinical work or not. If you are just graduating you may not have a lot of real-world experience, but think about how your experiences relate to the clinical environment through transferable skills. For example, if you tutor elementary school students, you can relate this experience to therapy because you have to use your interpersonal and communication skills to connect with your students similar to how you would connect with a client in a clinical setting.
Describe an ethical dilemma you experienced with a client and how you handled it.
Tell me about a time you’ve helped someone through a difficult situation.
FAQ
How do I prepare for a psychology PhD interview?
Top 10 PhD Interview Questions
Tell us about yourself. …
Why do you want to do a PhD? …
Why are you interested in this program? …
What experience makes you a good candidate? …
How did you develop this proposal? …
What difficulties would you expect to encounter during this project? …
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What questions are asked in a PhD interview?
A PhD interview is an essential step in securing a doctorate position. This is because it enables the prospective supervisor to get to know you better and determine whether you’d be a good fit for the project. Equally, it provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the project and what the university offers.
How important is the PhD interview?
A PhD interview is an essential step in securing a doctorate position. This is because it enables the prospective supervisor to get to know you better and determine whether you’d be a good fit for the project. Equally, it provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the project and what the university offers.
How do I prepare for a clinical psychology masters interview?
A PhD interview is an essential step in securing a doctorate position. This is because it enables the prospective supervisor to get to know you better and determine whether you’d be a good fit for the project. Equally, it provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the project and what the university offers.
