Final Interview Day and Offers

What to Expect

Whether you come to an in-person final interview or participate in a virtual final interview, you should plan to be with us for about 4-6 hours. Generally, in-person interviews will start at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Virtual interviews start at 11:00 a.m. EST. There are various parts of the day, including a mini-lesson, group discussion, classroom management task, role play, brief one-on-one interview and several written reflections. You will be joined by 3-25 other interviewees and you can expect a welcoming, friendly and positive environment throughout your interview day. 

Be sure to get plenty of rest the night before your final interview and come prepared to engage and get to know a group of like-minded applicants and Urban Teacher staff! You'll want to dress business-casual and come fully prepared based on the instructions included in your invitation. 

Sample Agenda

 Click here for a sample agenda for the day.

In-Person vs. Virtual Final Interview Day

We offer final interview days in-person in a variety of cities around the US. In addition, a virtual final interview allows you to interview with Urban Teachers from anywhere in the world. We conduct these via Zoom, a video conferencing solution (zoom.us) and Hirevue (hirevue.com). There is no advantage to doing one over the other so choose a final interview that makes the most sense for you in terms of your schedule and the related travel to an in-person site as we do not offer travel reimbursement for interviews. We do understand that conflicts occur so please email admissions@urbanteachers.org if you find you need to reschedule your final interview. (You are allowed one reschedule if you provide at least 24 hours notice.)

If you have submitted all the required documents and are invited to a final interview, you will have the opportunity to choose which interview day you would like to attend. Slots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are many choices in cities where we serve students (Baltimore, DC and Dallas), as well as virtually. The interview day will include a mini-lesson, group discussion/project, role play, classroom management task, a short one-on-one interview and two written reflections.  

Final Interview Tips

Dress comfortably, but professionally. Arrive on time and plan to stay all day, whether you are attending an in-person or virtual interview. The expectation is that you come fully prepared so when you receive your invitation, read and follow ALL the instructions. At your interview, talk about yourself in great detail. We want to get to know you better, and will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions while you get to know us better too! In your invitation email to a Final Interview, there will be a link to watch a webinar about what you can expect. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of Urban Teachers’ recruiters or contact admissions@urbanteachers.org. We are happy to email, talk on the phone, do a Google Hangout or meet you for coffee. We want you to feel Urban Teachers is the best fit for you, so come to the Final Interview with additional questions. (Urban Teachers residents and teachers are present during Saturday in-person interview in Dallas, DC and Baltimore only.)

Receiving an Offer

If you successfully complete the application and admissions process, you could expect to receive a Letter of Intent, which is our version of an offer, within five to ten days. You will have 10 days of receiving the offer to accept or decline. Need an extension? No worries! Just email admissions@urbanteachers.org to request one and we're happy to accommodate. If you receive an offer for a particular city and your city preference has changed, contact Admissions at admissions@urbanteachers.org to change a location preference. If there are still slots available in your preferred location, Admissions can edit your preference and assign you to your new city choice.

Deferring

It is possible to be accepted into our program and defer your acceptance for one year. However, because the program may change over time, any deferred resident would be subject to the program requirements for the cohort year in which he/she is actually participating. A deferral is non-binding and does not require a fee. If after receiving your Letter of Intent (offer), and would like to request a deferral placement, please contact the Director of Admissions and Selection.