Interview

Graduate School admission committees might request an interview to assess an applicant beyond their written application.

Interviews typically involving faculty, current students, and/or administrators. While traditionally in-person, many interviews now occur virtually due to increased accessibility and flexibility.

During the Interview Admission Committees Typically Evaluate an Applicant’s:

• Fit with the program’s culture and values
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Motivation and goals for graduate study
• Research interests and/or potential contributions
• Ability to think critically and problem-solve

Interview Preparation Tips:

• Thoroughly research the program and its faculty.
• Practice your responses to common interview questions and develop thoughtful responses (see Additional Interview Support below ↓).
• Dress professionally and ensure a clean, well-lit interview space (for virtual interviews).
• Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm and interest in the program.
• Send thank you notes within 48 hours of the interview.

Additional Interview Support: 

• As a UW-Madison student, you have access to Big Interview – an amazing interview training tool! Use the instructions below to navigate to the practice sets dedicated to graduate school interviews.
  • After you log in to Big Interview, follow the steps below to practice, record, and get feedback on your responses to graduate school admissions interview questions!
    • Click on the “Interviews” dropdown at the top of the screen. Select “Practice Sets”.

• • • Under “Start a new mock interview”, select “Admissions”

• • • Select “Graduate School”.

• • • Select a practice set, record your responses, watch your videos, review your AI score, and continue to improve your interview skills!
• If you are interviewing for a Doctoral Program, read through Tips, Tricks, and Insight to Ace Your Interview for Doctoral Psychology Admission