Một số câu hỏi chuẩn bị phỏng vấn VEF

Dưới đây là khoảng hơn 100 câu hỏi, được tôi, Lê Sỹ Tùng (VEF Fellow 2012), Nguyễn Quang Trung (VEF Fellow 2012), Ngô Xuân Hoàng và Đào Duy Anh chuẩn bị hồi tháng 7 năm ngoái. Nhóm tôi gồm có 6 thành viên chính (thêm Trần Đức Mạnh nữa) trong đó có 3 người được VEF Fellowship 2012 (chính tôi sau đó là người bỏ VEF để apply tự do và cũng sẽ sang NYC vào tháng 8 này). Nhóm chúng tôi gặp mặt khá thường xuyên, cùng nhau trao đổi về phương án trả lời các câu hỏi, tổ chức các buổi mock interviews cũng như chém gió về các vấn đề trên trời dưới đất.

Nếu có thời gian, tôi sẽ cố gắng post thêm một bài kinh nghiệm phỏng vấn VEF. Tôi là người đã từng phỏng vấn VEF 2 lần (trượt VEF 2011 và đỗ VEF 2012)

Disclaimer: Các câu hỏi dưới đây được soạn bởi những thành viên đã đề cập ở trên, trước khi tham gia phỏng vấn VEF. Chúng tôi không đảm bảo đây là những câu đã từng hỏi, hoặc sẽ hỏi trong khi phỏng vấn VEF. Mọi thắc mắc có liên quan xin vui lòng để lại trong phần comment.

  1. Warm-up questions like: Could you please introduce yourself to us?

Tell me a little bit about the books that you’d like to read? So, what

do you do in your free time? Do you like sport, can you play any kind

of sport?

  1. Which courses that you took at the university interest you the

most? And which one do you do not like most?

  1. How did you became interested in your field?

  2. If you got some research experiences, the question would come as:

which research projects that you’ve done interest you the most? And

which one do you do not like most?

  1. How are your projects benefit to your field? Can you evaluate your

researches’ impact in your field in Vietnam? What did/would you do

when you finish those projects?

  1. How is your current job? Why do you want to further study the PhD

degree in the US?

  1. You seem to be very knowledgable, but I can see in your record

there were some of courses that you only got D or C! Do u have any

reasons for this?

  1. Have you chosen your most favorite schools and professors? How you

chose them and Why?

  1. If you have a chance to study in US, what will you do when you come

back to VN?

  1. What you have prepared for the major/research field that you have

chosen?

  1. Which area/topic do you choose to focus in your graduate research?

Why? How can it benefit your personal growth and contribution to this

field, particularly in Vietnam? (impact)

  1. How do you look yourself in the next five or ten years?

  2. What skills and knowledge that you think you should obtain/study

during your time staying in the US?

  1. Do you have a chance to experience leadership? If yes, tell me.

  2. If you can make some changes in your faculty/department, what

would you do?

  1. What would you do if you do not win the fellowship?

  2. Do you have any question for us :D?

  3. Why do you want to switch major to…? If you have another chance,

would you take another choices? Why?

  1. Tell me some most recent researches in your field? Which one are

you interested in the most? Why?

  1. Tell me your strengths and weaknesses?

  2. Tell me something about yourself.

  3. What happened that made you so interested in your field?

  4. What qualities do you possess that make you an excellent and potentially successful student?

  5. During your research, what has been most exciting and rewarding projects you’ve worked on and why?

  6. List 2 experiences: one personal and one professional that have encouraged you to stay focused on this field

  7. Tell me something about your company

  8. Is there any chance for you to do any research when you working at your current company?

  9. Why did you decide to drop out of academia and join industry? Do you think you can comeback to academia?

  10. Tell me something about your field.

  11. Which other scientific fields are connected to your area of study

  12. What is your experience on each of those fields

  13. What will you do after graduating?

  14. Which university you selected as your first choice? Tell me something about that university

  15. Why did you choose that professor?

  16. Do you read any book of any professor of your choice? Tell me something about that

  17. List other books of that professor.

  18. Can you spell his name? His book? The university?

  19. Why do we have to choose you?

  20. Why is it important for you to go to America to continue research in your field. Why can’t you do the work here in VN?

  21. What will you do when you comeback to VN?

  22. Can you introduce yourself?

  23. What are your strengths/weaknesses?

  24. Why do you think you are the right candidate to receive scholarship?

  25. What are your majors?

  26. Why do you want to give up your current job?

  27. Why do you want to go to USA for studying?

  28. What is your current project. Describe it in more details.

  29. What can u do in VN after leaving USA.

  30. Why did you choose Pro.A/Uni.B?

  31. What do you want to gain when you study in USA?

  32. You are already a university student in Vietnam. Why do you want to study in USA?

  33. Why/how did you get interested in engineering/CS/Chemistry?

  34. What do you want to be in 10 years?

  35. Explain the importance of (your major) in today’s society

  36. What are the most important issues your field is facing today?

  37. How will your study of … contribute to your immediate or long range career plans?

  38. Describe your plans for college (i.e. anticipated major(s), courses of interest, activities, personal goals)

  39. What is your career goal? And how the scholarship helps you meet that goal?

  40. Do you learn from mistakes? Give an example.

  41. Your biggest success.

1.Self introduction

2.What is the most interesting project you have worked on?

3.Could you tell us what (your field) is?

4.How was your work like? What you would do after completing

the project?

5.What are the implications of your work in Vietnam?

6.What do you expect to contribute to Vietnam after you come

back? Provide examples.

7.Do you want to publish the final report of your work?

8.Do you feel the courses you took help you in your research?

9.Tell us about the universities you choose to apply: why you

choose them and how you choose them?

10.Do you find your project demanding and how you face the

difficulties?

11.Have you had a chance to experience leadership? Describe.

12.Do you have any questions for us?

13.Can you give me the cutting-edge researches in your field ?

14.Do you think what I’ll learn in US can appy to VN context?

15.What elements do you think a potential researcher should have ?

16.Could you tell me about definition of the term I just mentioned ?

17.What differences and relationships between research field A and B ?

18.What do you think you may lose, insteads gain when you study in US.

19.What reasons for you to pursue a PhD program in US ? because of your true interest,

or money , more beautiful/long-legs girls admire you or your higher ranking in society ?

please tell me the truth, guys. :))

20.Do you think doing reaserch is boring ? just spending your whole time in lab, insteads,

enjoying life in sunshine at a beautiful beach with your lover because life is so short.

21.If a US girl loves you and asks you stay in US while you really want to come back VN to

contribute more to VN’s scientific development, which option do you choose ? Do not lie to me, OK?

1-What exactly would you want to learn in a US university? What can we provide to you?

2-Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now on if you finish a US university?

3-What have you learnt from the university you studied in?

4-What was your favorite project you did in your university?

5-Why did you choose these universities?

6-Why did you choose this major and not any other major?

7-What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? Do you think you can improve on your weaknesses?

8-What are your hobbies?

9-How do you imagine you can contribute to your country once you return?

10-How good are you as a team leader? Have you had any experience in leadership? What qualities of a leader do you possess?

11-You stated in your SoP that … why? Why did you do that and not that?

12-Do you have any research experience?

13-What is that you are the most proud of about yourself and what you have done?

14-Why do you think you are better than other candidates?

15-Can you explain what your major is about and what kind of activities you will be doing there?

16-What kind of project would you like to work on?

17-Have you been involved in any interesting activity outside your university curriculum?

18-If you don’t get the fellowship, what will you do?

19-Say if we have a project about … and it wants to achieve this … what is your opinion on this?

20-How would you describe yourself in a few sentences?

21-How much work and research experience do you have? Can you tell us more about it?

22-Why did you choose the United States and not any other country?