U.S. Immigration and U.S. Immigration Guide: Although there are various answers to the questions asked during graduate school interviews in the United States, there are still some patterns to follow in the responses given during these interviews.
1: Tell me about yourself. (Please introduce yourself.) This question seems simple, but the content to answer is much more challenging than the question itself. It is crucial to answer this question in a few simple sentences in a way that earns the interviewer's approval. It is indeed difficult to avoid mentioning that I am friendly, a good student, or a responsible person; we need to convey to the interviewer that I am excellent and hardworking, but it is important to ensure that the interviewer perceives you as genuinely different from other students. This interview opportunity is very important for students, and you should demonstrate your uniqueness, your enthusiasm, and you must tell the interviewer what kind of person you are. Do not spend too much time telling the interviewer answers we can all imagine (like I am hardworking, I am responsible), but rather tell the interviewer about your passion, your hobbies, why your friends like you, why you are happy, why you get angry; you can also share whether you have ever read by flashlight late at night, or if you have tried to start a fire by friction and succeeded. You should introduce the real you, answer sincerely and seriously, and make the interviewer feel that you are painting a colorful picture of yourself, rather than a simple sketch.
2: Why are you interested in our college? (Why are you interested in our school?) This question is also very common, and almost every school will ask why you chose our school and why you are interested in it. When answering this question, be specific and let the interviewer see that you have genuinely spent a lot of time learning about the school. It is important not to answer that you hope to earn a lot of money in the future, that you hope to get a good job after graduation, or that your teacher recommended it to you; instead, focus on your academic interests, your interest in the school, the comparisons between different schools, and the reasons why you prefer this school. You should be very familiar with the school's history, culture, and characteristics, and you can mention your areas of interest, as well as practical learning opportunities, honors courses, etc.
3: What can I tell you about our college? (What aspects do you need me to tell you about our school?) During the interview process, the interviewer will also give students the opportunity to ask questions. You must ask questions, and the questions should be thoughtful, targeted, and specific. It is important not to ask the following questions: for example, what is the application deadline? How many majors does your school offer? This information can all be found on the school’s website, and the questions should not be ones that are already available on the school’s website. You can ask questions about the following aspects: What do your graduates consider the most meaningful experiences during their four years of study? I understand that your school has an interdisciplinary research program; could you tell me more details about it?
4: Who in your life has most influenced you? (Who has had the most influence on you in your life?) This question is encountered both in interviews and in writing essays. There are also similar questions, such as who your idol is, or who your favorite historical or fictional character is. If you have not thought seriously about this, it can be a very difficult question. You need to introduce a real person you admire, whether a historical figure or a protagonist from a novel, and the key is to tell the interviewer why you admire him/her. When answering this question, you cannot say you admire yourself, as this would come off as selfish and self-centered, while American universities hope their students have a team spirit; we also do not recommend saying you admire historical figures with outstanding political achievements, such as Gandhi or Lincoln, because we do not believe these individuals have had a profound impact on your daily academic life, extracurricular activities, and interpersonal relationships. We recommend that the person you choose could be a family member, a teacher, a friend, a coach, or a member of a community activity you participated in.
5: Why do you want to major in XX? (Why did you choose this major?) First, we need to clarify that when applying to American universities, students do not need to specify what major they want to study, and this will not affect your interview, as it is acceptable to be interested in several majors. However, if you have specified a major when applying, you must clearly explain why when answering this question. Do not say you want to study this major because you want to earn a lot of money in the future (as mentioned in previous questions). If you genuinely have not thought about what major to study, then when answering the question, be honest; you can directly tell the interviewer that you do not know what major you want to study, but it is important not to stop there; you need to extend this question by telling the interviewer that although you do not know what major you want to study, you enjoy working with people. You hope the courses you will study in college will involve sociology, psychology, political science, etc. In other words, even if you have not determined a major, you can extend your answer to express your interest in learning, and you need to let the interviewer know that you have seriously thought about this question. If you have already determined your major when applying, then your answer must be more targeted and specific. Graduate school interview questions in the United States.
6: What will you contribute to our campus community? (What can you bring to our school?) This question is also addressed in many university essays. The answer should be specific and affirmative. You cannot simply or vaguely say that you are a hardworking student. Students must carefully consider what makes them different and what unique cultures and ideas they can bring to the school. Diversity is key to answering this question; schools want to see that you can make the campus culture more diverse. You can think about your interests and hobbies, consider what you enjoy doing in your spare time, whether you hope to start a hockey league at school, or whether you would bring your camping gear to invite classmates to go camping or hiking; these are all good topics. The interviewer has already learned about the student’s grades and GPA through the application materials, so this question is a great opportunity for students to showcase their backgrounds beyond academics.
7: Tell me about a challenge that you overcame. (Please tell me about a challenge or difficulty you have faced.) This question aims to understand the student’s problem-solving abilities. When you face challenges or difficulties, how do you solve and handle them? The school hopes that the students they admit have the ability to solve problems. The key to answering this question lies in the type of challenge: it can be academic; it can be work-related, such as whether you have encountered difficult colleagues or bosses; it can be personal difficulties, such as whether you have ever lost a loved one; or it can be moral. Graduate school interview question 8: What do you do for fun in your free time? (How do you spend your leisure time?) If you answer with some relatively casual activities, then this answer is not good enough. College life does not mean only studying, so the interviewer hopes to see students engaging in interesting or meaningful activities outside of their studies, such as writing, hiking, playing tennis, etc. When answering this question, you must make it sound like you are genuinely doing things you are interested in during your free time; you cannot say you go out with friends, you cannot say you enjoy surfing the internet in your spare time, you cannot say you like attending parties, you cannot say you enjoy watching TV, and you cannot say you have no free time; these answers are all poor. A better answer should showcase your enthusiasm for your extracurricular activities, such as hiking, researching cooking, playing digital games, painting, etc.
8: Recommend a good book to me. (Please recommend a book to me.) This question is partly to see if the student has genuinely read many books, and partly to see the student’s understanding of the recommended book and why it is worth reading. Perhaps after hearing your answer, the interviewer will also recommend a good book to you.
9: What do you hope to do after graduation? (What do you hope to do after graduation?) Many students have no idea what they want to do after graduation, which is fine, but if you genuinely do not know what your career goals are, you can also mention some fields that may be involved.
10: What do you hope to do after graduation? (What do you hope to do after graduation?) Many students have no idea what they want to do after graduation, which is fine, but if you genuinely do not know what your career goals are, you can also mention some fields that may be involved.
