Pre-Entrance Interview Advice?

Sunshine0425 · Mar 15, 2006

Yes, someone please.... any advice!!!!! What kinds of questions do they ask...I am nervous too;)

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2006

OMG - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE wear a suit if you can. I don't care if it's pants or a skirt; just wear a suit if you have one. If not, wear the most professional looking thing you own. A friend of mine saw a girl go into an interview at Duke University just behind her IN A PINK TRACKSUIT. SERIOUSLY. If the cost of a new one is a stretch - I'm serious - go to a consignment shop or even Goodwill (I've gotten two hundred dollar suits in Goodwill for six bucks - no kidding - just don't buy something that someone has had in their closet since 1978; look for good fabric and classic cuts. It can be done.). Whatever you wear, make sure you're comfortable in it (I forwent a skirt for that reason - I feel ridiculous in them - yes, I'm a girl :lol2: ) and that it fits well. (If you pick it up secondhand, have it cleaned in plenty of time for the interview.) I really think a suit makes a HUGE difference. I think it makes you stand out and look really serious - even if you just want to lean behind a bush in the parking lot and vomit (which is exactly what I felt like doing, before AND after!), I think being all pressed up makes you ACT as though you ALREADY BELONG THERE. I walked in there in my suit, pressed shirt, and my other gear, and felt like I already had my PhD. Honestly.

Fingernails neatly trimmed - I would forego polish or wear something neutral. POLISH YOUR SHOES - I took one of those "cheater" things with me and gave them a last lick before I went in the building. If you have long hair, I'd wear it up (I did, and I felt a lot more pulled together). Take a professional purse (you will need one, you have to stick car keys somewhere), not the huge sequined hobo bag you tote to Target on Sunday afternoon, or the little dinky thing you carry to the club on Friday night. I took a portfolio (it's my lucky portfolio - I've never missed an interview with it) to carry a copy of my application, a copy of my essay, and a legal pad with a few questions jotted down for the interviewer. TAKE A PEN. (Actually, I took two copies of everything - one for me to reference, and one to give to them in case they didn't have it on hand.) Don't douse yourself in perfume and keep makeup professional - no weird eyeliner or unbelievable lips (I know, but you're be amazed....after all, there was Track Suit Girl). I wore a watch, my wedding rings, a ring on my right hand because I'd be looking for one all day if I didn't wear one, pearls (I think these are a good idea if you have them, be they real or good costume jewelry), and pearl earrings for jewelry.

For Heaven's sake - EAT. You do NOT want to sit there and have your stomach make its presence known.

There's a sticky on the prenursing board that has a bunch of potential interview questions. At Duke, they asked typical interview questions, which surprised me. I can't remember all five, but one was the stereotypical "why have you chosen nursing at Duke?", one was "how do you feel you are prepared for the rigors of an accelerated BSN program?", and I can't remember the other three to save my life.

KNOW STUFF ABOUT THE SCHOOL. Then reel it off when the interviewer least expects it. When she asked me "why Duke"?, I prattled on about how fortunate we were to have a nursing school affiliated with the number 8 hospital in the country right here in our backyard. I mentioned how Duke Hospitals were rated in the top ten hospitals in the nation in 12 of 16 specialties and are 19th in my interest, pediatrics. She was visibly shocked that I knew this. (Where did I find it? Duke's website in their employee newsletter!) I dug for the somewhat obscure (no one else I talked to who interviewed knew this) - even though to me it's just doing your homework - and then went in for effect. It worked. Even if THEY know this stuff - and they do - it's always nice to let THEM know you know it. Know their NCLEX pass rate, and if it's really good, mention it. If they're known for academics, or student assistance, or great clinicals - SAY IT. If they're ranked nationally, know the ranking. If they're affiliated with some outstanding hospitals, whether at a national or state level - oh, man, tell them how GREAT they are. Show them you've put some thought into this and into them. I don't care if it's a community college and you're only applying there because it's convenient - do a bit of professional schmoozing. Do some research and then blow them away with the details. (Just make sure you're right!)

I had written down several questions and it ended up that she answered most of them - which I told her, so she knew I was ready but she'd beaten me to it. I did ask her this - "Duke's byline is 'the difference is Duke'. What do you feel creates Duke's difference?" "The difference is Duke" is ALL OVER their website. (Of course, I was ready with my own answer to the question in case she turned it around.) Ask them how many clinical hours you have; how are clinicals set up; what are the instructors' backgrounds?

OH - but don't ask questions that have obvious answers on the school website!

SMILE. This is not the Spanish Inquisition (although it WILL feel like it!). Keep it more like a professional conversation than a parole board visit. Don't fidget. Taking a moment to think before answering a question is NOT a bad idea - it is a BRILLIANT one. BE YOURSELF - cliché, yes, but SOOOOO true. Oh, but don't be afraid to tell them how great you are, just don't brag. (I graduated with honors, and I told them that. I'm in national honor societies, and I told them that. Tell them even if it's on your application, because they might not have read it!! Scary but true!)

All of that - and I got in.

That was my personal experience. Others may or may not agree with me, but I can only speak for myself. Hope this is helpful.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2006

Thank you CarolinaPooh for your great response! I'm planning on wear some dressy pants (khaki) and maybe a shawl over a dressier shirt with a pair of clean sneakers. Does that sound dressy enough?

I can definitely say some great things about the school. A great NCLEX pass rate, training at top ten hospitals, etc. (especially the area I want to specialize in).

You gave me some great ideas of questions I can ask, too. Like when/how often/what days clinicals would meet. :)

BTW: Do you think I should tell them I'm on the Dean's List at the CC where I'm doing my pre-req's?

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2006

Thank you CarolinaPooh for your great response! I'm planning on wear some dressy pants (khaki) and maybe a shawl over a dressier shirt with a pair of clean sneakers. Does that sound dressy enough?
I can definitely say some great things about the school. A great NCLEX pass rate, training at top ten hospitals, etc. (especially the area I want to specialize in).
You gave me some great ideas of questions I can ask, too. Like when/how often/what days clinicals would meet. :)
BTW: Do you think I should tell them I'm on the Dean's List at the CC where I'm doing my pre-req's?

Forego the sneakers. Wear flats, something professional - but no sneakers. Polish the shoes; make sure they're not overly scuffed and look presentable. I would leave off the shawl. If it's cold, do you have a black or navy blue classic blazer of some sort? Trust me when I say you can do VERY VERY well at a consignment shop for very little money. Borrow one if you have to.

(I got a pair of brand new, never worn Anne Klein black flats at a thrift store two years ago for four bucks. I saw them in Hecht's not long after selling for sixty dollars. I'm still wearing them. I love wearing them with my Ralph Lauren wool slacks, worth $125, that I got at the same thrift store for $3. SERIOUSLY. Never underestimate your local Goodwill. You can afford to be a label snob - and in Goodwill I'm one of the best - when a pair of pants costs less than five bucks. There is NO shame in a killer bargain! Just ask all the women who are shopping in there who drove there in their BMWs and their Acuras. Yes, ACURAS. I've seen it. And they're not donating - they're SHOPPING!)

If I lived close, I would lend you a blazer of mine. I'd loan you the whole suit if it fit! That's how important I think this is. I read somewhere that within the first five minutes of the interview, the interviewer already knows whether or not they'll recommend you for a position. Remember, the rest of your life and career is in the balance here. A little time and a small investment now will pay off big later. You want to stand out in a positive, professional way.

Press the tar out of the khakis and the blouse. Even if it's a nice pullover - PRESS IT. Cotton looks very different after it's ironed. Model your interview wear for a friend and tell them to be BRUTALLY honest.

When it is appropriate, mention your Dean's list standing, by all means. Tell them something about your academic commitments, and if you've had to work or raise a family or manage a household while you've done it, tell them. Tell them that the skills you've gained while juggling responsibilities has helped prepare you for the rigors of nursing school. (Speak in the affirmative when you can - never say "I think" when "I do" or "I can" or "I know" will get the point across.)

AND GOOD LUCK!!

Sunshine0425 · Mar 15, 2006

Wow, all this info is soooooo great!!! Both JCPenney's and Target have some relatively inexpensive suits that look super sharp:D Thanks!!

Princess74 · Mar 15, 2006

Carolinapoo, what awesome advice! Thank you very, very much. I will also have to attend an interview soon (providing I get the scores that I think I will get on the NET) I have a couple of suits but they are both too tight, shame on me.

I am going to head to the thrift store, what a great idea.

bsugaRN2b · Mar 15, 2006

Everything said by Carolinapooh, I second that - ah, the track suit girl - I'll remember that one!

Ahhhhh, pant suits - I feel they were made for me, I never wear skirts to interviews anymore!! And God knows I need that extra good impression, because the interview I have to wear it for is worth $32,000 (a scholarship - broke people such as myself love these...:rotfl: )

The thrift store...literally 90% of my wardrobe (including shoes - but my shoes for nursing school will be new, I'll keep my thrifters for "recreational, non-RN" use, lol) is from the thrift store, or a little upper-scale, a consignment shop, and no one would know the difference, it's all name brand stuff (Diesel, Express, Old Navy, The Limited, American Eagle, the list goes on and on and - well, you get the point), I freak out if I see a shirt for $25, it seems like a fortune, haha! On a side note, Dillards (at least where I live) has clearance sales all the time...bought some AWESOME jeans from there the other day for $9.25, a dream come true...

Good luck with that interview! :)

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2006

*sigh* I was thinking everything would be great for the interview, then my glasses broke. Hopefully I can get them fixed in a jiff, otherwise I won't be able to see a thing! :specs:

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2006

Everything said by Carolinapooh, I second that - ah, the track suit girl - I'll remember that one!
Ahhhhh, pant suits - I feel they were made for me, I never wear skirts to interviews anymore!! And God knows I need that extra good impression, because the interview I have to wear it for is worth $32,000 (a scholarship - broke people such as myself love these...:rotfl: )
The thrift store...literally 90% of my wardrobe (including shoes - but my shoes for nursing school will be new, I'll keep my thrifters for "recreational, non-RN" use, lol) is from the thrift store, or a little upper-scale, a consignment shop, and no one would know the difference, it's all name brand stuff (Diesel, Express, Old Navy, The Limited, American Eagle, the list goes on and on and - well, you get the point), I freak out if I see a shirt for $25, it seems like a fortune, haha! On a side note, Dillards (at least where I live) has clearance sales all the time...bought some AWESOME jeans from there the other day for $9.25, a dream come true...
Good luck with that interview! :)

Dude, Dillard's rocks.

I know what you mean about the thrift store. My sister and I are regular thrift store rats (we get together on weekends in the summer and go to thrift stores the way other people go to yard sales!) and we'll go into a mall and think - MAN, we could have bought an entire outfit with the money we spent at Chick-fil-A for lunch! :madface:

My DH is British and was HORRIFIED at first:o ...over there thrift stores are not exactly, uhm, kosher....until he saw the stuff I was getting (like J. Crew pants for two bucks, or my aforementioned Ralph Lauren wool slacks for $3; I'm so proud of them!) and then he sort of changed his tune a bit...

My favorite thrift store story - I bought a pair of Casual Corner khaki jeans in a thrift store in New York for $5 (EXPENSIVE by thrift store standards!). I ended up losing about 15 pounds, and I was sort of bummed because my favorite pants were then too big. A few months later, I went into a thrift store in Cary here in NC and found the SAME PANTS in the right size for $2!! How cool is that?!

I went in Express today during lunch and they had a load of stuff for ten bucks - I got a crocheted shrug for the summer and two decorated tees for $30. Not bad for outside retail! :biggringi

Noel - I am so sorry to hear about your glasses. Don't worry; everything will be OK...

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2006

Carolinapoo, what awesome advice! Thank you very, very much. I will also have to attend an interview soon (providing I get the scores that I think I will get on the NET) I have a couple of suits but they are both too tight, shame on me.
I am going to head to the thrift store, what a great idea.

Princess, I used to live in Elizabeth City. Go to the CHKD thrift stores in Norfolk. I got a Christian Dior suit in one there for eight bucks one time. It was an older suit, but a classic cut and an UNBELIEVEABLE fabric. I'm betting all the doctor's wives and executive's wives for the Sentara system take their stuff there. There were three suits, all hanging together that all fit (like they came in together from the same closet - you know what I'm talking about). I wish I could remember where this one particular one was; the clothes in there were unreal.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2006

My interview was yesterday. I had a mixture of emotions as the interviewer (who was on the admissions committee) told me the good news and bad news. The good news is out of 300-400 applications they review for each class (they start two a year) of 45, they are very impressed with my file and would like to have me. The bad news, they don't have space for me in the June class (they one I was hoping to get into), but would take me for their Feburary 2007 start class!!! :uhoh3:

This school has a "sister school" of sorts. The interviewer told me if I don't want to wait until Feb '07, that perhaps the "sister school" would accept me. Their class would start in Aug of this year and they have not even choosen students to fill their seats yet! This will entail taking another entrance exam and applying to another school, but it could be one of my last chances to attempt to get into clinicals this year. Both schools are very well aclaimed. I even have a friend attending the "sister school" that's been begging me to apply. My odds of getting in would be less, they receive 1200 applications a year for 100 seats! Nevertheless, I've decided to apply and give it my best shot!