Interviewing for Graduate School

The Importance of the On-Site Visit

It’s best to visit graduate schools before deciding whether to attend. Many of the best programs will fund a visit for better candidates, covering travel and incidental expenses. The visit is an excellent time to meet with faculty and learn what to expect. On site, especially talking with current students, is also a good way to learn of any potentially disruptive tension or rifts among the faculty.

Key Questions for Your Interview

Stephanie Kane, a W&M alum who completed two M.S. programs (biology and biostatistics) compiled the following list of questions for her interviews:

Program Success and Career Outcomes

How many years to complete the program, on average?
How many people complete the program?
What's the attitude toward finishing in X years?
Where are former students now? What percentage are in academic jobs?
What's the mentality of the department toward non-academic or non-traditional careers

Financial Support and Funding

For how many years are you guaranteed funding?
Do people get TA-ships if they need them? How long are they provided?
How easy or hard is it to get summer financial support?
What are other sources of funding and how do you get them?
Is there travel money for meetings?
How many internal small grants are available, and how many people get them?
How many people are going into debt, and how much?

Lab Culture and Faculty Dynamics

What is the lab atmosphere like?
How much money does the lab have?
Does a key professor have or expect to receive tenure?
How are graduate students treated by faculty? (As junior colleagues, lab assistants, etc.)
What are the expectations for work hours and for success?
How many hours per week do grad students work, on average?

Academic Life and Teaching

Does the program offer the specific classes you want to take?
How many seminars and paper-discussion groups meet regularly?
Would you be able to TA classes that you would potentially like to teach later on?

Quality of Life and Community

Do students seem happy, content, or frustrated (on average)?
What is the attitude of the graduate student community? (Social vs. Isolationist)
What kinds of things do graduate students do for fun?
How easy is it to meet people outside the department?
Are most students married, single, older, or younger?

Housing and Cost of Living

Where do people live, and how far is housing from the school?
How much does it cost to rent, and how much do students typically need to spend?
Do graduate students tend to live together? How do you find a roommate your first year?
Is public transportation available?