I Submitted My Application – What’s Next? by The Admissions Team

The School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) Admissions Team would like to take a moment to extend warm holiday greetings and best wishes for a Happy New Year to all of our prospective students. In this festive time of the year, we hope you can take the time to appreciate what is important to you.

We expect that many of you have taken (or plan to take) advantage of our reduced application fee by submitting your SP2 application by December 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications submitted before that time will have fees of just $25, compared to fees of $65 for applications submitted after December 31^st.

Given that many of you are looking forward to what the future has in store for you, we would like to let you know what to expect after you submit your application. Dr. Mazzola, SP2’s Associate Dean Enrollment Management and Global Outreach, wrote a blog in the past highlighting the Application Interview and what to expect. Since many of you are preparing for this aspect of the admissions process, we thought it timely to post it again, as you may find this information helpful in your preparation.

Wishing you a happy and safe holiday season,

The Admissions Team

The Admission Interview: What Applicants Need to Know!

The application interview is an aspect of our admissions process that differentiates us from most other professional and graduate schools. This is a requirement for all applicants who meet minimal admission criteria for the MSW, MSSP, NPL and DSW programs.  You will be contacted by the Admissions Office or by the staff of your program to schedule an interview if your application is complete and meets basic standards for admissions. The components of a complete application vary depending on program requirements but always include official transcripts and three letters of recommendation.  Interviews are conducted at the School or via Skype.

 

I am often asked by prospective students how they can prepare for the interview and what to expect.  The interview is a two-way process – it gives us the opportunity to learn more about you while at the same time enabling you to gather more information about the program, the School, and the University of Pennsylvania.  Depending on the program, you will be interviewed by the director, senior associate director, associate director, or a part-time member of the program’s faculty. Admission interviews are usually 30 to 45 minutes in duration. The interviewer will tell you about the program and ask questions pertaining to your application. The interviewer is responsible for anticipating questions from the faculty reviewer and /or the Admissions Committee who ultimately make the final decision about your application. Therefore, some of questions posed to you might be redundant to what you have written in your application essay.

How you can prepare for the interview

Although there is not a lot of preparation needed for the interview, I suggest you consider the following:

•      Review your essay and be prepared to discuss what you wrote;
•       Prepare questions to ask the interviewer;
•       Be on time (arrive at the School or sign into Skype a few minutes early);
•       Dress professionally (wear what you feel is appropriate for a job interview);
•       What you feel you bring to the program;
•       Relax and be yourself… really!

We wish you all the best as you prepare for your admissions interview at Penn, and we look forward to meeting you!

Mary Mazzola, Ed.D., MSW

Associate Dean, Enrollment Management and Global Outreach