Not mine, a Korean friend’s. She’s applying to an M.A. program in education at an American university. She speaks English fairly well, but isn’t entirely confident about expressing herself. I told her I’d be happy to do a mock interview and put her through the paces, but it’s just occurred to me that I have no idea what questions she’s likely to encounter, and I’d really like help from anyone who has been through the process.
Here’s what I’ve thought of so far; please let me know if these are typical questions for this kind of interview, and feel free to suggest others.
– Why are you applying to this program?
– What can you contribute to the program? What can other students learn from your background or experiences?
– Describe your previous teaching experience. (I know she has some.) What did you like most about it? What was the hardest thing about it? Why?
– What language or cultural barriers have you encountered while living in America, and how have you dealt with them? What do you anticipate will be your biggest problem if you go to school in this country?
I’m not sure what else to ask 
Any help would be much appreciated.
What’s the most difficult work situation you’ve ever faced, and how did you handle it?
What have you liked best and least about previous jobs, and why?
What would your ideal work life be like?
How do you handle difficult people?
Veb
Which school is your friend applying to, Fretful Porpentine? I’m in grad school for education and if I know where your friend is applying I might be able to offer more specific suggestions.
One big suggestion: M.A. programs generally involve some research. A big question will be something like, “Our school does lots of research. What are you interested in? Are there any of our profs you are interested in working with? Do you know who the big names are in the field you’re interested in? What can you contribute or hope to contribute?” The essay that got me into my school made a big deal about the current research.
My $.01. More cents coming after I hear back from Fretful.
P.S. If your friend is interested in talking to a current student interested in technology, second language acquisition, and/or adult ed., feel free to forward my e-mail addy, it’s in my profile.
Thanks for the ideas, TVeblin and PublicBlast. She’s applying to UNC-Chapel Hill.
Another question: what kind of responses will the admissions officer be listening for? Are there any particular pitfalls (besides language problems) that she needs to avoid, or things that will particularly impress the interviewer?
A couple of questions I was asked in job interviews:
Describe the most successful lesson you taught. What made it successful?
How would you engage students with different learning styles?
How will you integrate technology into your classroom?