Grad school interviews...what do they ask you about?

[kap09c]

I know that some schools such as yale have interviews prior to admissions. What do they ask you exactly?

[WhoaNonstop]

The usual...

Can you play basketball? Do you like slip n' slides? Have you ever thought of a pool filled with jello? Is it possible to swim in? How many people were born in North Dakota during the 1990s?

What do you expect they will ask? You're over thinking something silly. They are going to ask questions about you, your relationship with physics and perhaps the reasons you want to go to X school.

-Riley

[AEP]

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

[blighter]

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"What's it like? Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge. Say no more."

[photomagnetic]

horrendous comments guys.
yes the questions are obvious but no need to slap him in da face

[kap09c]

The usual...

Can you play basketball? Do you like slip n' slides? Have you ever thought of a pool filled with jello? Is it possible to swim in? How many people were born in North Dakota during the 1990s?

What do you expect they will ask? You're over thinking something silly. They are going to ask questions about you, your relationship with physics and perhaps the reasons you want to go to X school.

-Riley

Thanks for the response. I don't think that it's incredibly obvious, though. There is potential for them to ask technical questions, which was my biggest concern. I'm not very good at thinking on my feet or small talk so if there will be a component of either I would like to prepare myself for it.

[WhoaNonstop]

There is potential for them to ask technical questions, which was my biggest concern.

They may ask technical questions, but I wouldn't expect a barrage of them. Really, how would you prepare for that anyways? I highly doubt they'll ask you anything like, explain to me how to solve this or what is 28348292/2893. I don't think Physics interviews are like "real job" interviews. You definitely won't get most of the stupid... "Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how you dealt with it." To me, those are the most useless questions ever.

-Riley

[WhoaNonstop]

horrendous comments guys.
yes the questions are obvious but no need to slap him in da face

Sorry, everyone put on their SERIOUS face.

-Riley

[pichinko]

Thanks for the response. I don't think that it's incredibly obvious, though. There is potential for them to ask technical questions, which was my biggest concern. I'm not very good at thinking on my feet or small talk so if there will be a component of either I would like to prepare myself for it.

I've never been to one of these interviews, but I did meet with some professors at a school I'm interested in a couple months ago. Basically, they wanted to know why I got into physics and what my research was about. If you're doing research, all the specific things you do are going to seem really technical to them, just like their research will seem technical to you. But if you can summarize your research, and ask questions about theirs (or general research at the school), you can leave a good impression. I've actually heard a statistic that the more you talk in an interview, the more likely you are to get the job (or in this case, admittance).

[AEP]

There is potential for them to ask technical questions, which was my biggest concern.

They may ask technical questions, but I wouldn't expect a barrage of them. Really, how would you prepare for that anyways? I highly doubt they'll ask you anything like, explain to me how to solve this or what is 28348292/2893. I don't think Physics interviews are like "real job" interviews. You definitely won't get most of the stupid... "Tell us about a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how you dealt with it." To me, those are the most useless questions ever.

-Riley

Sorry Riley, you were wrong. Yale did ask those kind of bizarre interview questions.

[from my personal experience]