Counseling and marriage and family therapy programs often interview in groups: several applicants, a faculty panel, and sometimes a case to discuss together. Social work programs vary more, and some art therapy programs add a recorded video or an all-day interview. Here is what named programs say about their 2027 interviews, from their own admissions pages, and how to prepare.
From programs’ own admissions pages and CACREPFall 2027 admissionsChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Why they interviewCounselingMFTMSWArt therapyQuestionsGroup interview tipsFAQ
For more detail by program type, see our dedicated MFT, MSW, and art therapy interview guides.
Why counseling programs interview
The CACREP standards that accredited counseling programs follow say admission decisions must weigh more than grades:
“Entry-level admission decision recommendations are made by the counselor education program and include consideration of each applicant's career goals, aptitude for graduate-level study consistent with program delivery type, and potential success in forming effective counseling relationships with diverse populations.”CACREP 2024 Standards
The standard doesn’t require an interview, but an interview is how many programs judge that last part: how you relate to people in the room.
Counseling programs: group interviews
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska Omaha (Clinical Mental Health) | Group interview with a faculty panel, March 4, 2027 for Fall 2027 | Selected applicants “will be invited to participate in a group interview with a faculty panel.” “Admission decisions will be made following the group interview process”. Source |
| CU Denver (Clinical Mental Health) | Half-day group interview in Denver, March 12, 2027 for Fall 2027 | A “REQUIRED half-day group interview on the Denver campus.” “We do not conduct alternate or individual interviews for admission to our program.” “Final selection of the applicants will be based on their performance in the interview.” Source |
| Seattle University (Clinical Mental Health) | Virtual group interview on Zoom | Screened applicants “will receive an email invitation to a virtual group interview with Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty and other candidates.” The priority deadline for Fall 2027 is February 1. Source |
| St. Cloud State (School Counseling) | Group interview plus group case study, January 25 or February 22, 2027 | “This will be a group interview, where groups of 6-8 applicants meet with faculty members and current students.” “Following the interview, applicants will be provided with a case study to discuss as a group.” It runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Source |
| Portland State (Counselor Education) | In-person group interview, March 4-5, 2027 | “Our final admissions evaluation occurs via an in-person, group interview.” “Approximately ⅓ of applicants are invited to the interview”. A remote option is offered to applicants who live more than three hours from Portland. Source |
St. Cloud State describes the group format most clearly: “The interviewers will pose a series of questions to the group, varying the order of those who answer, with each applicant being given time to formulate an answer to the questions posed.” Its advice: “It is equally important to be able to speak about your experiences and goals as it is to have them documented in your application” (St. Cloud State).
Marriage and family therapy programs
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| CU Denver (Couple and Family Therapy) | Half-day, small and large group interviews, February 26, 2027 for Fall 2027 | Applicants “participate in small and large group interviews.” “We do not conduct individual interviews for admission to our program.” Source |
| San Diego State (MFT) | Recorded videos with the application, then an in-person interview | “Folks invited to interview must attend the in-person interview (TBD).” “Exact times and dates are to be announced in early January”. Source |
| University of Georgia (Couple and Family Therapy) | In person, mid-January 2027 | “In person interviews will take place in mid January 2027.” Fall 2027 applications are due December 1, 2026. Source |
| The Family Institute at Northwestern (MFT) | Zoom, by invitation | “Admission interviews are by invitation only and will be held via Zoom”. “Admission decisions are made after admission interviews.” Source |
| Loyola Marymount (MFT with art therapy specialization) | Recorded video, then a virtual group interview, February 6 or 7, 2027 | The application includes a recorded video: “You will be asked to answer four interview questions in 10 minutes.” Then: “Candidates who advance to an interview are required to attend a virtual group interview on either February 6 or 7, 2027.” “We cannot schedule your interview any other day.” Source |
San Diego State publishes the questions for its application videos (San Diego State). For a 2-minute personal story video, recorded alone:
- “Which life events have been most important in preparing you to be an MFT?”
- “What unique intercultural experiences have been meaningful in preparing you to work as an MFT?”
For a 3-4 minute interview video, in which someone you trust asks you the questions on camera:
- “Why are you choosing an MFT program instead of other mental health fields?”
- “Why are you choosing the MFT Program at SDSU?”
- “What do you imagine will be your contribution in working with others to provide helpful mental health services?”
Those three questions are a good core for any MFT interview, live or recorded. For recorded formats, see our Kira Talent video interview guide.
Social work (MSW) programs
MSW programs vary the most. Some interview every applicant, some interview only when they have questions, and some use a recorded video instead:
- University of North Alabama: the requirements list a “15 minute interview with 2 Social Work faculty” (UNA).
- Simmons University: “An interview is not required; however, under certain circumstances, you may be asked to interview with the Director of Admission or a member of the SSW Admissions Committee after your application is reviewed” (Simmons).
- San Diego State: Fall 2027 applicants submit “a 1-2-minute video response” to a prompt about their chosen specialization. SDSU says it “allows us to assess your verbal communication skills, critical thinking, and professional presence” (San Diego State).
Check each program’s admissions page. If it lists no interview, your written statement carries more of the weight.
Art therapy programs
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion University (Counseling and Art Therapy) | All-day, in person | “The all-day in-person interview dates are as follows”: January 29, February 26, February 27, and March 5, 2027. “Invitations to interview will be sent out once your application is reviewed.” Source |
| Loyola Marymount (MFT with art therapy) | Recorded video, then virtual group interview | Four recorded questions in 10 minutes, then a virtual group interview on February 6 or 7, 2027. The application also asks for a portfolio and a statement about one piece. Source |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Therapy and Counseling) | By invitation | “Select applicants may be invited for an interview, however an interview is not necessarily required for an admission decision.” Applications for fall 2027 opened September 1, 2026. Source |
Be ready to talk about your own artwork. LMU asks applicants to choose one piece from their portfolio and write about “the meaning and psychological content” (LMU), and that piece is a natural interview topic.
Practice questions
Most of these programs don’t publish their live interview questions. Beyond San Diego State’s published video questions above, these are my practice prompts, not questions any program has published:
- Why counseling (or MFT, social work, or art therapy), and not another mental health field?
- Tell us about a time you listened to someone without trying to fix their problem.
- How do you take care of yourself when work with people gets heavy?
- Tell us about a time you received hard feedback. What did you do with it?
- Describe a time you worked with someone whose background or values differed from yours.
- What population do you hope to work with, and why?
- Why our program?
How to do well in a group interview
- Answer the question, then stop. Groups run on time. A clear one-minute answer beats a long one.
- Listen to the others. Faculty watch how you treat other applicants. Build on what someone said, by name, when it fits.
- Don’t compete for airtime. In a case discussion, inviting a quiet person in can show more than another point of your own.
- Know your own story. Reread your personal statement. Faculty may ask about anything in it.
- Plan for the whole day. CU Denver’s interview is a half day and St. Cloud State’s runs five hours. Bring water and stay engaged through the last session.
- Practice out loud, ideally in a mock interview with someone who will tell you how you come across.
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them. If you haven’t submitted yet, see our examples for counseling, MFT, MSW, and art therapy personal statements, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor. Applying to doctoral programs in psychology instead? See our clinical psychology interview guide.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for counseling, MFT, social work, and art therapy applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
What is a group interview for a counseling program?
Several applicants meet with faculty, and sometimes current students, at once. At St. Cloud State, groups of 6 to 8 answer questions in rotating order and then discuss a case study together. Faculty watch how you answer and how you interact with the group.
Are counseling program interviews virtual or in person?
It depends on the program. CU Denver and Portland State interview in person (Portland State offers a remote option to applicants more than three hours away), while Seattle University holds its group interviews on Zoom.
Do MFT programs interview?
The MFT programs on this page do. CU Denver uses small and large group interviews, the University of Georgia interviews in person in mid-January 2027, the Family Institute at Northwestern interviews on Zoom, and San Diego State adds recorded videos to an in-person interview.
Do MSW programs require interviews?
Not always. The University of North Alabama lists a 15-minute interview with two faculty, Simmons says an interview is not required but may be requested, and San Diego State asks for a 1 to 2 minute video response instead.
What do art therapy interviews involve?
At the programs on this page: an all-day in-person interview at Old Dominion, a recorded video and a virtual group interview at Loyola Marymount, and interviews by invitation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Expect questions about your own artwork.
Related guides: Clinical psychology, Marriage and family therapy, Social work (MSW), and Art therapy. See all interview guides by program.
Every date and quotation on this page comes from the program’s own admissions page or the CACREP standards, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.