Exploring Graduate School? Check out this list of sample questions you may ask of current students in the graduate program.
- Why did you choose this program?
- What do you consider to be the best and most challenging aspects of this program?
- What is one thing you wish you had known or understood better before coming here?
- How would you rate the difficulty of this program?
- I know most of my time will be spent studying and doing research, but what is the
extracurricular life like here? - How much time does your advisor spend one-on-one with his/her advisees? What is
his/her mentorship style – hands off or hands on? How much feedback does he or she
give on written work? - Do most students connect well with each other and with faculty members? Why or
why not? - Have you had any problem finding funding? How often have you needed to take out
student loans? What’s the cost of living in this area – how much is rent, typically? - Are there graduate assistantships available? Is it competitive? Can students teach
courses? - On average, how many students are in your classes?
- What does a typical day look like for a first-year student?
- Have you started your thesis/dissertation? How long has it taken? (If applicable to the
program) - Have you taken the comprehensive exam? How did you prepare? (If applicable to the
program)
