Happy interview season, #ProspectiveGC! Interview tips from a current student w/ two cycles’ worth of personal experience, a thread: 1/n

Hang with the students! I always asked “What is the relationship between you & the faculty?” & “Is there anything you wish you’d known before coming here?”—you’ll immediately be able to see if they feel supported, respected, and informed. 2/n

Every cohort also has a “collective personality”, so current students can give you a *very general* expectation of what you might see in the future. If inter-student relationships are important to you, you’ll want to check the vibe of the current classes. 3/n

The personality, values, and goals of the faculty— particularly the Program Director—are very indicative about what you can expect later. Acknowledging leadership and communication styles in relation to your own can be very helpful. 4/n

Know YOUR priorities and values, and ask the questions about the things that are most important to you. Diversity? Rotation variety? Research budget? Location? This is kind of like a date— sure you want them to like you, but you also want it to be a compatible match! 5/n

That said, be flexible and be honest with yourself. Maybe that “dream school” didn’t check all the boxes you expected. Or maybe your last choice in location is actually your top choice for education. Trust your gut. You know yourself and you know where you’d be happiest. 6/n

If you’re a list person, WRITE DOWN all your impressions when your interview is over or you’ll forget the details later. It’s the last thing you’ll want to do after an exhausting day of baring your soul to strangers, but it’s so helpful for rankings later on. 7/n

It *almost* goes without saying, but play nice with everyone and know how to manage your stress if things go wrong. It’s rare, but it happens, and negative interactions will undoubtedly get back to the committee. 8/n

That said, give yourself grace for your mistakes. We’ve all said something silly, convinced it would ruin our chances. Acknowledge errors if it’s appropriate, but it’s likely no one noticed because they were too busy thinking about the person in #8! 9/n

Finally, if you got an interview, you’ve got all the paper qualifications. Don’t let imposter syndrome get you down! This is more about who you are as a person. Be yourself, because everyone just wants to meet YOU. 10/fin.