You have worked diligently for months preparing for the GMAT/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS and crafting compelling essays and now you have received a coveted interview invitation from your ideal graduate program. Congratulations - this is already a huge accomplishment! But unfortunately you do not have time to celebrate this small victory because you suddenly realize that interviewing well under pressure will be the most difficult part of the application - you only get one chance and small block of time to make a lasting first impression. Plus, as an international applicant you have never experienced an English interview which makes this a particularly daunting task. Most interviewees understand that they will be assessed by the quality of their work experience and progression, whether their career plans are realistic and achievable, and whether they understand how graduate education can help them reach these goals. We have found that with adequate preparation for the typical graduate school interview questions, most people can deliver a fairly coherent explanation about the challenges they face at work, an achievement, their future plans and why they are seeking graduate education. But with so many applicants that have impressive academic credentials, solid work experience and lots of extracurricular involvement, what is the dividing line between those who are admitted or rejected? The point of differentiation will often come down to the interviewee's confidence, assertiveness, poise and charisma - those key 'soft skills' that we hear so much about. Unfortunately, this is the aspect of the interview that an interviewee cannot plan for by simply writing out answers and memorizing them. So how exactly can an interviewee convince the interviewer that they are charismatic, self-confident and warm? Here are our suggestions in how to prepare: - Videotape yourself. Try videotaping your responses to typical interview questions and then watch your performance a couple times. This is effective because you might notice some awkward facial expressions, bodily ticks or issues with your speech that you can modify and eliminate. - Engage in realistic interview practice. Doing interview practice with a friend is a good start. But practicing with someone you do not know at all or very well provides a much more realistic setting that can help you quickly improve. By doing so, you will feel the pressure of trying to clearly introduce your key experiences and making a strong connection with that person. - Power posing. Are you naturally introverted? Do you have self-confidence issues? If so, it might be hard for you to convince an alumni interviewer that you are a future CEO. As we all know, many people naturally exude confidence while others look terrified at the sign of the slightest pressure. As Harvard Business School Professor Amy Cuddy taught us in her viral Ted Talk, "power posing" - standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident, might help us overcome very stressful situations. We are not pretending to understand the science behind Professor Cuddy's research, but if you really have confidence issues, why not try some power posing before your big interview and imagine how you are going to use strong body language to communicate a sense of confidence to your interviewer. You never know, it just might give you the edge you are looking for! We hope this was helpful and good luck with your next interview! Regards, David -- 創陞教育（Transcend Admissions Consultants） David Johnston Georgetown University Law Center [email protected] http://transcendadmissions.com/ Plan. Execute. Succeed! --

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