Graduate Scholarship Interviews
How to Prepare for Academic Questions for University Studentships
Ivy League, Group of Eight and Russell Group universities will expect the same of the recipient of a graduate scholarship or studentship. Here’s the A to E guide to what academic interview panels for graduate funding are expecting with some stock questions to help candidates prepare to win that important scholarship or studentship.
The Interview
Everyone short-listed for interview has the chance to secure a university scholarship. Making good in your preparations needs to include what to wear, where is the interview being held and some intelligence gathering on who is likely to be on the academic panel. Knowing the other candidates on the short-list can be distracting and only one person’s efforts in the interview can be prepared for.
Expect the interview to be 20 to 30 minutes long and candidates may be asked to do a short presentation of 5 to 10 minutes. If you are unsure of the expectations of the presentation including whether video is permitted, Microsoft Powerpoint presentation to a set question or on-the-spot topic, be sure to ask immediately after the interview date and time is announced.
The panel members will introduce themselves at the start of the interview and in the absence of nameplates for each of the interview panel members, candidates can pen or type a note of who’s who for their reference.
Interview Questions
Imagine being on the other side of the table. The Academic Faculty have scholarships to award and the short-list has been drawn up. On the day, individual faculty decision-making is likely to include the five A to E guiding principles: Ability, Best Fit, Commitment, Distinction and Excellence. By preparing for the interview questions that tap into these guiding principles a candidate can make individual academic decision-making straightforward.
Ability
“We would like you to start by outlining your ideas for your research?” may be the ice-breaker question, possibly the first of the interview and a cue for a formal presentation, if expected.
Best Fit
“What are your main reasons for studying at [ the university’s name]” and questions relating to the scholarship will have been researched for the paper application. At interview, a candidate’s full knowledge of the prestige markers of the university, the history of the benefactor of the scholarship, the research council who provides funding as the studentship and so on can be shown to the panel.
Academic panels will be scrutinising answers to assess how well the candidate will integrate or fit with the scholarship, the university’s standing and best fit for the discipline and graduate school.
Commitment
A candidate’s sustained efforts in education show commitment. In the interview, expect the repetition of questions from the studentship application form. Questions such as “Why do you wish to study for a doctorate/postgraduate degree?” and “What do you expect from doing a Masters/ PhD?” can be anticipated to query candidate’s motivations, expectations and flush out any doubts or reasons that would scupper a timely completion of the studentship.
Distinction and Excellence
Any academic interview for scholarships – for Masters and Doctorates – will expect candidates to be able to articulate what makes them and their research distinct and excellent. Answers need to go beyond GPA or responding First Class Honours Degree. Prepare well for a series of interview questions about your previous research accomplishments such as
- What was the last piece of research that you were involved in?
- In a couple of sentences what was the main outcome of that research?
- What theoretical approaches did the research use?
- What would you say your strengths and weaknesses were during that research?
- What interests you in conducting research about [subject]?
- What are your goals and plans for the future?
There are no right or wrong answers to these stock questions asked by academic panels for scholarships and studentships – only authentic, credible and interesting answers. Candidates who prepare their own answers will do themselves justice to the short-listing decision.
