Interviewing & Selecting Students
Who interviews students?
Program Leaders can choose to interview students on their own or in combination with an Education Abroad staff member. It is most typical for Education Abroad to administer this process with the program leader present. Typically, interviews happen after the priority deadline has passed.
What does the interview process look like?
When your program has enough students to warrant it, Education Abroad will contact you to find time to schedule interviews. Individual interviews are typically 20 minutes long and group interviews are typically 50 minutes long.
- Click the link above to review student application materials prior to the interview.
- Education Abroad has standard interview questions for both individual and group interviews, to which program leaders can add additional questions if needed. Questions used must use language that is non-discriminatory, be the same questions for each student/group, and be able to give a number to the basic interview categories. To inform yourself on appropriate questions, here is a guide to review.
- Education Abroad will invite students to interview.
- Education Abroad will lead the interview unless the program leader would like to manage a portion or all of the interview.
- Education Abroad will issue Acceptances, Waitlists, or Denials after the interviews have completed.
How do we determine who is eligible to participate in my program?
No matter how much a program leader may personally like one student over another, students who meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be given priority acceptance into a program. This is important to keep in mind when program leaders set the eligibility requirements for their program. That said, once priority is given to the students who meet the requirements, program leaders can choose how flexible they would like to be accepting students who do not meet all eligibility requirements. Acceptances are based on a ranked waitlist.
What happens when there are too many good candidates?
There are a limited number of participant spots on faculty-led programs. Some programs are quite popular and more qualified students apply than can be accepted. The remaining qualified students are put on a ranked waitlist (ranking determined by interview scores).
My student had a great interview, I can accept them immediately, right?
No, Education Abroad will offer official acceptances, no indication of acceptance should be communicated to students prior to this official acceptance.
Declining a student
Interviewers must be able to prove that the process used to select students was equitable across the board. Interviewers must have clear evidence that documents the (allowable) reasons why the student was not chosen over others, for which you can use the interview matrix score form. Please review PSU’s Prohibited Discrimination and Harassment Policy for more information.
I'm all done with interviews, so I can start making travel plans, right?
No. You will receive a notification from Education Abroad when your program hits minimum enrollment. Do not move forward with travel plans or other program-related decisions until you hear from Education Abroad that your program is running.