Selection Interviews of Students for Master's Programs in Counseling: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Nine faculty from 4 counselor education departments were interviewed regarding the evaluation criteria and decision‐making processes used during selection interviews. Ten characteristics were identified that participants looked for during interviews. There was a high degree of agreement among participants on the evaluation criteria they used. However, the same homogeneity was not found in decision‐making processes. Counselor educators seemed to use selection interviews to screen out applicants who were unsuitable rather than to select the most qualified applicants. Evaluation criteria and procedures should be refined to increase the benefits of using interviews in the selection process.