Interview weekend: What we wish we would have known
Welcome, prospective BU HESA student! By now you’ve hopefully finished all of your application materials and submitted them, but if you have not, it’s not too late. I didn’t take the GRE until Dec. 27th!
For this blog post, I wanted to take a look into the future of your application process. I don’t think that my experiences alone can give you a full picture of HESA, so I asked all of the first- and second-year cohort members for what they learned in hindsight and what they wish they would have known.
Before getting to the list, I want to sincerely encourage you. Applying for graduate school at Baylor is a big decision and we are all glad you decided to apply. We’re looking forward to meeting you in February, and want to be a resource throughout the entire weekend. You will have access to several HESA students (the ones who are some of the most informed!), and you should feel free to ask any of us all of your questions during Interview Weekend.
First of all, this is supposed to be an enjoyable weekend! Also, being an extrovert is not a requirement. During down time, chillax; you’ll want to be professional for the entire weekend, but going to a coffee shop with current HESA students is NOT an interview. Trust yourself.
Disclaimer: I thought I’d do a top ten, but as an Input, I’d appreciate more than ten. So here are the top twenty!
- “It’s helpful to research the mission and vision of Baylor before you arrive.” – Cody, 2nd Year
- “Research the different departments that have available practicums because you never know who you may get an interview with, but it’s almost guaranteed that they will ask why you are interested in working with them.” – Annelise, 1st Year
- “Wear shoes you can walk in.” – RaeLynn, 2nd Year
- “Don’t try so hard to impress people that you stop being yourself.” – Emily, 2nd Year
- “There are current HESA students who are more than willing to host prospective HESA students at their place during interview weekend, so don’t book a hotel before seeing if you can arrange to stay with a host.” – Cody, 2nd Year
- “Don’t close any doors. A graduate apprentice may spark an interest that you never knew you had. It could also turn into a great experience that leads to a new career path.” – Sarah, 1st Year
- “When you are in your interviews, try to remember that you are interviewing potential supervisors as much as they are [interviewing] you. You should be looking for a good ‘fit’ with your department—so allow your… list to be flexible. Speaking to potential supervisors face to face may completely change your mind about what you thought you wanted to do at Baylor.” – Micah, 2nd Year
- “I wish I would have known to bring a coat to Texas. I didn’t know it would be chilly at night.” – Elise, 1st Year
- “Some people won’t hear back from Baylor regarding whether they are accepted to the HESA program… until the summer, simply because of the logistics of apprenticeship placement. It might be helpful to anticipate an extensive waiting period.” – Cody, 2nd Year
- “Ask good questions. You can only learn so much online. Take advantage of Interview Weekend by asking whatever questions you have about Baylor, the program, apprenticeships, Waco, etc.” – Scott S., 2nd Year
- “Be flexible… and make the most of the time you have. In other words, let go a little bit.” – Emily, 2nd Year
- “The process of mingling, learning, and interviewing during interview weekend was exhausting (I’m an introvert). It was helpful for me to carve out a bit of time during the evenings for me to be alone to process, decompress, and prepare for the following day.” – Cody, 2nd Year
- “Some interviews [you have] may be the ones that you “preferenced,” however some of them may not. Be prepared to answer questions about any of the Graduate Apprenticeships.” – Sarah, 1st Year
- “Be kind to the people around you. They may be members of your future cohort, a group of people that will be part of your support group at Baylor. Just remember, interview weekend is not the Hunger Games. So help each other out as much as you can. You’re in this together!” – Micah, 2nd Year
- “I wish I would have done more research into apartment communities and their tour availability. When I got here, I found out that many communities are closed on the weekends and I was unable to tour the insides of the apartments and speak to leasing agents.” – Holly, 1st Year
- “You might think you don’t want an interview with a particular office…but you could be wrong. (Mean Girls, anyone?)” – RaeLynn, 2nd Year
- “Make sure you have a few questions to ask the supervisors who are interviewing you. I didn’t think of any and hate the awkward silence when they ask if you have any questions” – Emily, 1st Year
- “Avoid tunnel vision. Interview Weekend is about more than just ‘getting in’ or ‘getting the perfect apprenticeship.’ It’s about getting to know the program, the institution, current students, and future members of your cohort.” – Scott S., 2nd Year
- “Don’t overthink your final preferences, you would be surprised at how wonderfully things turn out regardless.” – RaeLynn, 2nd Year
- “Really, it’s not that bad. It’s actually fun. And the catered food is awesome.” – Cody, 2nd Year
Happy Holidays!
Scott Risinger, 2nd Year
scottshepherd • December 18, 2012