Rockefeller University Interview Questions
& Process

It's super tough. They really test your experimental skills and how well you grasp the field. I actually enjoy it though. It's very difficult and they'll really check your experimental ability and understanding of the field.

The interview process was very clear cut. I was invited to a first round interview where they asked simple questions like what my research interests were and to describe my lab and class experience in these areas. They were also very receptive with questions I had about the program in general. However, just note, they are more interested in you showing knowledge of the bigger picture beyond the experiment, the 'why are you doing this experiment' , and 'what is this experiment doing for the project as a whole', than hearing you list a bunch of processes you can do in the lab.

I was out of town on vacation and then had a death in the family and ultimately my interview had to be pushed back a couple of times which HR was helpful in organizing. I did think that the distance between the Press and the University should've been noted beforehand since it was summer and this meant an interview that took about 2 hours or more which is a long time to be out of work. I met the managers who were nice and I took an editing test (expected), but never heard back in terms of negotiation on salary for this position.

I initially had an on-campus interview with HR, which was pretty relaxed. They mainly inquired about my prior lab work, skills, and techniques. Following that, I was asked to submit application materials: three reference letters, my official transcript, a skills checklist to complete, and an initial list of labs I was interested in. I actually missed the submission deadline, but they still reached out by email in early April to arrange on-site interviews. I ended up meeting with three different labs in a single day. Typically, you'd talk with a postdoc or research faculty member you might work under, and then you get some time to chat with current RAs in the lab about their experiences. It's quite casual, with a significant portion of the time spent discussing the lab and its research, and the rest of the time focused on your lab background, interests, and future aspirations.