Far from Home
Who else wishes schools could accommodate students that travel from out of state for an interview?
Nervous was an understatement of how I felt but when I entered the room for my 30 min essay I was alone.
Until another Black woman walked in with her paper and pencil for her interview. As she walked to her seat I noticed a lanyard outside of the bag that read: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
I was happy to see another Black woman who was a part of the D9 organization in the same position as me. We were both happy to see each other it brought us comfort. As we wrote our essays she brought whiteout placed it in the middle of the table and said if you need it please feel free.
After our 30mins were over we went back to the common area and I asked her where she pledged and told her I was apart of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She said, “ Really! We’re like sisters.” It made me so happy that our appointment was around the same time because as serious as our interview was she made me feel comfortable and I hope she felt the same way.
Through my application process I’ve been denied by the majority of the schools I applied to, so when I was offered an interview at Langston University I jumped at the opportunity. An interview validates the following points to me:
Introduction: It allows the admission committee the opportunity to put a face to an application. The first impression is everything
Personality: You can explain who you are without your stats in front of them. Talk about your journey, work ethic, experience, why you are interested in the school, and why you are interested in a career in Physical therapy.
I learned about Langston University because it is amongst the few HBCU’s that have the program. I also reached out to a past alumna of the school which intrigued my further interest.
My interview was set for Feb. 21st at 1 pm. The interview process included a 30mins essay. A two-part interview, one with a faculty member and chair of the admission the second half with the dean of the program.
How to prepare for the interview:
Arrive 30-1 hour early for the interview. After my essay, I had a chance to talk with one of the faculty members that was walking by in the hallway before my first interview.
Be prepared to answer scenario-type questions about patient care.
Be able to describe yourself ( your chance to talk about what you’re doing in your life now that pertains to pt)
Be able to talk about any research experience you have. Physical therapy is continuously growing with new research so if you have any experience in that area it’ll help you stand out.
Do your research about the school. The more you know about the school the better. Know their mission, goals, faculty members, and outcomes (graduation and NPTE rates ).
Provide your strength and weakness. Be careful with this question your weakness should be something you can turn into a strength
For example, I was asked Why I choose Langston University in my answer I mentioned that Langston University was the first school in Oklahoma to attain the program breaking barriers and that stood out to me.
Ask questions at the end!
Before walking into the interview have about 5 questions you would like to ask even if you already know the answer from research asks something that will describe your further interest in the program
My go-to questions:
I noticed that (insert school) has a 100% pass rate for the NPTE exam, how has your program been able to obtain this rate?
Is there an open-door policy for students to contact teachers for additional help?
What is the student-to-faculty ratio?
How does the program help out in the community?
Can you describe what sets (inserts school) apart from other schools with programs?
Is there a mentor or buddy provided to first-year students?