Interview Day Information

2026

We are very excited to get to meet you on interview day! We understand that virtual interviews may be awkward and there are new challenges to navigate both for interviewees and interviewers. We’ll do our best to make you feel welcome and to communicate clearly about how the interview day will work. Here is some information which we hope will help demystify the interview day process.

Please let us know if you have concerns about your internet access, privacy, accessibility or any factors that may affect your ability to participate in interview day. We will do our best to find a workable solution with you. First, we’ll relay a few important pieces of information on accessing the Zoom meetings, and then a few other bits of information to keep in mind as you prepare for interview day.

Zoom Information

Zoom Version

Prior to interview day, please download the Zoom app and ensure that you are using Zoom version 6.2 or higher. The Zoom desktop client/app can be downloaded at zoom.us. If you have restrictions that do not allow you to download the Zoom desktop client or mobile app let us know.

To verify the version of Zoom, start your Zoom desktop app, click the “Settings” icon wheel in the top right, and then select “Statistics” from the menu on the left.

How to Join Meetings & Breakout Rooms

The link will work for ALL meetings. You will join various different breakout rooms within this main Zoom meeting link for your individual meetings.

Within this larger Zoom meeting you will be able to:

  1. Join the large group program overview meeting (9:00–10:00am CST) and closing meeting with the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) (4:45–5:00pm CST),
  2. Join a breakout room to meet with two different faculty members and a pair of graduate students at your assigned time during the 10:00am–1:45pm portion of the day. Please see the master schedule (distributed separately prior to interview day) for which breakout room to join for your interviews. The master schedule will 1) indicate if a meeting is in a breakout room of the main zoom room and 2) provide the name of the breakout room.
  3. Hang out with current students and other applicants during breaks in the 10:00am–1:45pm CST interview portion of the day (if you want, totally optional).
  4. Join each of the small group sessions in the afternoon by joining the appropriate breakout room. Please see the master schedule (distributed separately prior to interview day) for which breakout room to join during the Diversity Discussion groups from 2:00–2:30pm CST, the small group meetings with students from 2:35–3:05pm CST, and the lab tour/meeting with students in lab of interest from 3:15–4:45pm CST. Again, the master schedule will contain the name of the breakout room you should join for each of these meetings. For the lab meetings at 3:15pm, please start by going to the main breakout room for your lab of interest—this is noted on the spreadsheet with everyone’s schedule. From there, your lab may have you move to different breakout rooms during that 90 minutes. You may hear about this in advance or at the beginning of that breakout session.

Breakout Rooms

For #2 and #4 above, you will need to join breakout rooms. To join your breakout room, select Breakout Rooms at the bottom of your Zoom screen (could also be under “More”). From the (long!) list of breakout rooms, please join the breakout room you are scheduled for at that time. The breakout rooms are numbered to make it easier to find the correct room.
Mac users: To join the breakout room when you see the list of breakout rooms, please use your mouse to hover over the number to the right of the breakout room you want to join. This will allow you to select it.
PC users: Just click on the appropriate breakout room.

When your meeting is over, just click “Leave Breakout Room.” In between meetings you can 1) stay logged in and chat with students and other applicants, 2) stay logged in and mute yourself and turn off your camera if you want some downtime, or 3) leave the meeting and join again using the same master meeting link.

If you have questions about how to use Zoom breakout rooms here are some instructions from Zoom: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115005769646-Participating-in-breakout-rooms

Zoom or Other Technical Problems?

First, no worries, we know this may happen!

If your Zoom call drops during an interview with a faculty member or student, just keep your phone handy. The person conducting the interview with you will call you. We have distributed your contact information to program faculty and students just in case this happens. We will keep this information confidential.

If you don’t receive a call you can:

  • Return to main Zoom meeting & talk to one of the students standing by to help
  • Call Drew Dueck, one of our department staff, for assistance: 414-251-5352
  • Call or text Dr. Puspitasari to let her know you are having difficulties: 414-469-5815
  • You could also contact your assigned buddy for assistance.

Zoom Meeting Communication & Etiquette

For the large group meetings, feel free to keep yourself muted and use the raise hand feature to ask questions or drop them in the Zoom chat. If you’re not comfortable with your camera on during the large group meetings, that’s OK. In the smaller group meetings held after lunch, it may be best to keep your mic unmuted to facilitate easier discussion.

Non-Zoom Interview Day Information

Buddy

Please communicate with your current student “buddy” in advance or during the day if you have any questions or concerns.

Dress

While it is absolutely fine to wear a suit, you do not need to. Business casual dress is fine.

Space

We understand that you may have difficulty finding a private space for your interview, and that you may need to be in an unusual space (e.g., closet, car, bathroom) in order to find a private space. We also understand you may occasionally have others enter the space. That’s OK! We know that private space may be limited and are just happy you can join us.

Distractions at Home

Similarly, we know you may have dogs or other pets at home that may bark or join the interview. You may have babies or small children that may need attention. Please know that we understand.

Internet Problems

We also understand that you may have internet difficulties at times. If your Zoom connection fails in the middle of an interview, please wait for the UWM individual who is part of that interview to call you. We will have your phone number handy.

Breaks and Cameras

We know the day is long! We have built in some short breaks throughout the day. Please read the schedule and if you have any health conditions or other reasons that additional breaks would be helpful please reach out to the DCT, Ajeng Puspitasari (ajp@uwm.edu). Ideally, everyone currently at UWM and applicants would have their cameras on to facilitate getting to know each other. However, there may be reasons that having one’s camera off would be helpful (e.g., health conditions that may be aggravated by excessive screen time). If that is the case for you, please turn your camera off as is helpful for you.

Advance Preparation

You do not need to read up in advance on the research of faculty you meet with who are not your primary mentor of interest or the graduate students you will be interviewing with in the 10:00am-1:45pm CST window. We also do not expect you to have watched any of the video material we have posted on the website. This information is there for your convenience.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.