Genetic counseling master’s programs in the GC Admissions Match fill their seats through it, and the interview shapes where you land on each program’s rank list. At the programs below, interviews run from February into March, and rank lists are due April 6, 2027. Here is how the match works, what named programs say about their interviews, and how to prepare.
From the GC Admissions Match and programs’ own pages2027 admissions cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
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The 2027 GC Admissions Match
The Genetic Counseling Admissions Match is run by National Matching Services (GC Admissions Match). Key rules and dates:
- “You must register for the Match in order for your applications to be considered by participating programs” (GC Admissions Match).
- “All interviews should be completed before the Rank Order List deadline date (April 6, 2027).”
- Rankings open March 22, 2027, rank lists are due April 6, 2027, and Match Results Day is April 14, 2027 (GC Admissions Match).
- “Programs may not make an offer of appointment to, or require a commitment from, any applicant prior to the release of the Match results,” and “The Match results constitute a binding commitment” (GC Admissions Match).
Interview formats at named programs
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Boise State | Video introduction, then six virtual interviews | Applicants “submit a short, no more than 5 minutes, video introduction.” Then “Six different interviews will be conducted by synchronous video over a half-day session,” starting February 24, 2027. Source |
| Wake Forest | Virtual, full day | “Interviews take place virtually over the course of a full day.” Invitations come “in early February.” Source |
| UAMS | Virtual on Zoom, late February to late March | “Virtual interviews will be conducted in late February to late March via live interactive video using Zoom.” “All interviewees must have a webcam so they can be seen at all times during the interview.” Source |
UAMS adds: “Only applicants who complete the full interview process will be considered for inclusion on the rank-list” (UAMS). At Boise State, “Each committee member will complete an evaluation for each candidate” (Boise State), so every one of the six conversations counts.
Genetic counseling interview questions to practice
The programs above don’t publish interview questions. Genetic counseling is a communication profession, so expect questions about how you listen, explain, and handle hard conversations. These are my practice prompts, not questions any program has published:
- Why genetic counseling, and not medicine, nursing, or lab genetics?
- What did you learn from shadowing or talking with genetic counselors?
- Tell me about your advocacy or crisis counseling experience. What was hard about it?
- How would you explain a complex result to someone without a science background?
- Tell me about a time you supported someone whose values differed from yours.
- What area of genetic counseling interests you, and why?
- Why our program?
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your own genetic counseling personal statement before the interview. If you haven't submitted yet, see our genetic counseling personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
How to prepare
- Register for the Match early. Participating programs only consider registered applicants, and UAMS asks for your NMS ID on its application.
- Prepare a clear “why genetic counseling” built from specific shadowing, advocacy, or lab experiences.
- Practice explaining a genetics concept in plain language, out loud, in two minutes.
- Prepare for multiple interviews in one session. Boise State runs six; keep your energy up and stay consistent.
- Record a short video introduction if a program asks for one, and practice it first.
- Do a mock interview on video, with someone who will tell you how you come across.
Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist, has practical advice on voice and pace for video interviews in her Zoom interview tips.
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 genetic counseling 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
When are genetic counseling program interviews?
At the programs on this page, February through March. Boise State starts February 24, 2027, and UAMS interviews from late February to late March. All interviews should be done before the GC Admissions Match rank list deadline of April 6, 2027.
Are genetic counseling interviews virtual?
At Boise State, Wake Forest, and UAMS, yes. Boise State uses six video interviews in a half-day session, and Wake Forest a full virtual day.
How does the GC Admissions Match work?
You register with National Matching Services, apply to programs, interview, and then rank programs while programs rank applicants. Results are released April 14, 2027, and a match is a binding commitment.
Can a genetic counseling program make me an offer before the Match?
Not if it participates. The Match rules say programs may not make an offer or require a commitment before Match results are released.
Related guides: Allied health, Perfusion, Radiation therapy, Sonography, Respiratory therapy, Medical laboratory science, and Dietetic internship. See all interview guides by program.
Every date and quotation on this page comes from National Matching Services or the program’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.