The Thread for College Interviews

[HP2016]

I am new here. Who can help me answer this question: How many colleges are you applying to?

[gobrown85]

HP2016 - A truthful answer is always a good thing!

[T26E4]

This is not a dumb question as this is often a young person's first encounter with an interview/meeting w/some social protocols in place. This is applicable to other business mtgs as well.

1) If you arrive early and want one, get yourself a drink. When the interviewer (clearly your senior) arrives, he/she may or may not get a drink. You do not offer to buy him/her one. If he/she wants one, he/she will purchase one.

2) If you both arrive simultaneously or the interviewer is there already, he/she may offer to buy you a drink. If so, accept if you want one. If not, you can delince politely and have a seat.

If he/she does not offer you a drink and you want one, ask if you can excuse yourself to get one. Nothing wrong with this whatsoever. Again, no need whatsoever to offer to buy him/her a drink.

This is the typical situation when a junior and a senior meet (interviewee & interviewer, student & professor, job applicant & hiring person, etc.) -- the senior knows to offer to buy a drink for the junior or at least allow junior to buy himself/herself a drink; the junior does not offer to buy a drink for senior.

If both parties are more equal (say classmates or student & grad assistant), then the mutual offering of drinks is more common.

In most circumstances, it's inadvisable to order food/snacks unless you know, in advance, that this is a business meal (i.e. both are having breakfast, lunch or dinner). You don't want to be chatting w/food in your mouth if at all possible.

Good luck, interviewees!

[Lakemom]

I agree with gobrown85, HP2016 being truthful is likely to be the best way to not get fluttered when answering. You could also add that "I was advised to apply to a mix of safties, targets and reaches" so the interviewer understands that you have varied interest/expectations of some of the schools on your list.

[Calexico]

I had an interview with a local Columbia alum last Monday night. It did not go very well. We met at a Starbucks. I came in a shirt, tie, and khakis. He was dressed a little more formally.

He asked me "Why ED Columbia?" in at least 4 different variations. I cited the Core, NYC, the internship opportunities, the diverse student body, and the generally strong academics. In turn he said, "Well you're saying the right things..." with an emphasis on "saying." I read this as meaning he did not think I was being sincere in my response.

He asked me about my academic interests. I told him I like all of my subjects but am most passionate about math. He then referred to me as a "mathematician" and a "scientist" and tried to explain things to me in "scientific terms." I didn't really understand what he was going for. I don't identify myself as a scientist or mathematician; just a human/student/thinker. It seemed like he immediately pigeon-holed me when I told him my interests.

He asked me if I was ready to spend the majority of my first two years taking Core classes. In my response, I was not very enthusiastic about the prospect. I had been told the Core would take approximately 1/3 of my class time, rather than 1/2. Looking back, I probably should have just acted very excited.

I told him I was interested in a math major and doing pre-med. He asked me if I had done any research into Columbia's pre-med program. I told him no (which was the truth. I assumed pre-med at most schools was relatively similar).

Overall, the interview seemed largely like a quiz on my knowledge of Columbia. For the "quiz," I "prepared" by attending an information session, taking a campus tour, attending a local event involving Columbia and 4 other colleges, reading the Columbia Wikipedia, browsing College Confidential, and exploring Columbia's website. I guess I did not have enough specific knowledge of Columbia to appear to be truly "in love" with the school. I don't think the interview was a disaster, but I highly doubt that it will help my admission chance.

[thebaycity]

What's the biggest differences between on-campus interviews with the school and interviews through alumni? Does the on-campus interview have a greater weight?

I feel confident going into interviews, and enjoy the process for the most part. Would you suggest signing up for on-campus interviews v.s. alumni (to give a better chance to impact admissions)?

Traveling is usually the biggest dilemma for most people. I live in Northern California, and have a USC alum interview set in Dec. Is there any value in switching my interview to the USC campus? could it make a difference?

[T26E4]

thebaycity: very little difference. On campus is not weighted more. Both are equally unimportant. Neither will have much affect on your evaluation. If you're travelling for another reason, it'd be OK to try to sign up for an interview. But to do so explicitly? That'd be a waste of money. As I said, they are equally unimportant.

[sgrndh]

I just had my MIT interview day before yesterday. It wen great. I talked a lot about myself for atleast thirty minutes, while after that we had a discussion about the life at MIT!

[jdrum12]

I just did an interview for Carnegie Mellon. It was more or less an hour long conversation over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Here's just a few tips I have:


--Arrive early. I got there 20 mins in advanced, and regretted not getting there sooner. I was calm as ever all the way up until I got to the place, at which point I began to get really nervous. Get there early so you can find a comfortable place to sit and have enough time calm your nerves before the interviewer arrives.

--Be prepared. I brought a leather binder with two pens, paper to take notes on, questions and talking points to cover (VERY IMPORTANT), and my transcript. A resume may also be a good idea.

--Dress comfortably, correctly, and considerately. Emphasis on comfortably. If you aren't comfortable they will notice it. Be appropriate for the occasion (showing up to Starbucks in a suit+tie would be weird). Overall, your attire should show that you care about the interview and thus how the school perceives you.

-Be the best version of yourself. Careful though, don't say false things or be someone you are not, doing so can and will come back and bite you in the butt.

-Be a good conversationalist. Really try and understand what they are saying. Take notes if you have to. Refer back to things they may have said earlier to show them that you are listening attentively. If you do not see yourself as a good communicator, then maybe an interview isn't the best thing for you; after all, interviews are not all too important to most university admission processes.

--Ask good questions. Make sure they are questions that can't easily be answered with a google search. If you are interviewing with an alum, asking about their personal experiences at the university is a must.

--Relax! Just be relaxed and comfortable and you WILL DO FINE! Trust me, you really will.

[lakeawead]

I am planning to be dressed in pants, shirt, and dress shoes, and a hoody for my G-town interview. Would anyone advise against the hoody? It does show my true side of not caring about aesthetics of a person.

[Lakemom]

Do not wear a hoodie. Wear a jacket of sorts but since this person has never met you before side on the side of being better dressed.

[Denebel]

I have requested an alumni (hometown) interview, and have just received response from the college. They have listed my soon to be interviewer's name and email. How do I approach my interviewer? What should my first email say?

[Denebel]

+ I did a hometown interview for Carnegie Mellon; the admissions counselor came to my state to hold interviews.

I dressed casual. My interviewer asked some things about my academics: what classes were the most challenging? your favorite class and why? what did you wish your school did but doesn't? and questions about some ECs, senior course load.
And then the famous any questions for me?

The interview for Carnegie Mellon is not required, only recommended, and it is meant to be more of an informational interview... emphasis on informational.

[rainraingoaway]

I had my Harvard interview today, it went really well. It started off with test scores, gpa etc etc but then it turned into a conversation about the education system, economics, ecs, and our favorite dishes to cook. Much more casual and less structured than I expected it to be.

[T26E4]

lakeawead wrote: "I am planning to be dressed in pants, shirt, and dress shoes, and a hoody for my G-town interview. Would anyone advise against the hoody? It does show my true side of not caring about aesthetics of a person. "

What will be perceived is not your view on aesthetics but your lack of knowledge of social norms of dress for specific occasions. No one cares if you don't mind how people dress to an event you host. But if you're attending someone else's event (this interview for instance), ought not you know what's expected of the participants? And what does it say if you are either unaware or flippant to others.