The Thread for College Interviews - Page 12

hrhcow · 02-21-2007, 01:35 AM

practice makes perfect (sometimes) be yourself and have fun.

so far i've done about 7 interviews.. and they've ranged from really good to pretty bad.

claremont mckenna: a student interviewer. she's a senior at cmc. overall, the interview was really laid back and casual. she asked me pretty basic questions- what i did at school, why i chose cmc, how i found out about cmc. maybe a slight emphasis on leadership and major. probably the interview i had the most fun with, as we also talked about movies and music.

wellesley: my worst interview. the girl that interviewed me was some investment banking person that just graduated from grad school. she was arrogant and condescending. the whole time, she just criticized me on how i could have picked a girl's school when i had no experience whatsover at a girl's school. she also criticized wellesley, which was a bit uncalled for, in my opinion. i don't mean to bash wellesley girls.. it was probably just her that's like this.

harvard: met with a harvard graduated professor at a coffee shop. another rather casual event. he also chose pretty standard questions.. though no "why harvard." we spent an hour chatting about history, life, and such. he said he'll write me a good report. i guess it went well. the guy was pretty much a grandfather-type of person.

uchicago: met with an academia at a coffeeshop.standard questions. it went overall well, though i was really thrown off by the broadness of her first question, "tell me about yourself." she seemed a little bitter over the fact that she had to spend a lot of her time at dorms because of the cold at chicago and the fact that she had to waste her twenties paying off loans. she was really into all the quirk traditions happening at the college, so i learned a lot about the school from her. very informative.

brown: my interviewer was well into his forties, and has never interviewed anyone before. we were pretty much at a loss of words, mainly because he was really nervous. the most excited i saw him get was when we were talking about his apparently very young children.

princeton: met up with a doctor at his office. very uptight guy that didn't seem to have much fun at college, judging from his answers to what he did for fun at college. he seems to be checking up on details of what i was telling him, because he repeatedly asked different questions about my main activity. so people, don't lie! some interviewers check up on how "dedicated" you are by asking you various details concerning the activity. overall, went well (he said he'll be writing me a wonderful report. who knows?)

johns hopkins:very late notice. i filled in a request during december, and my area rep called the day before saying that they had a spot open at an interview day. the most embarassing part was right when i shook hands with my interviewer, i tripped over my neighbor's water. good thing the water was empty, or else i would have caused quite a splash. this was also one of my better interviews- one where it was more of a conversation than the standard q&a. i learned a lot about him, as he probably did with me. it also didn't hurt that he was very cute, but that's beside the point. we talked about jhu, food, diversity, him adjusting to la (he just moved here), quirks, among other things.

k_twin · 02-21-2007, 01:44 AM

To Jai;

Internationals arrange their own interviews for Harvard. Essentially you've got to request a list of International interviewers by email, check for any living in your city/country and initiate contact with them yourself.

ferrisbueller · 02-24-2007, 12:59 AM

The vast majority of my interviews went really well, and they were all pretty relaxed and informal.
On Campus w/ admissions rep: Kenyon, Whitman
On Campus w/ current student: Carleton, Haverford, Connecticut College, Wesleyan
In my hometown w/ alum: Vassar

I didn't connect real well with my interviewers at Conn College or Vassar, but I really loved my interviews at Carleton and Kenyon. My advice would be to go into the interview prepared to discuss three things: Your high school, your EC's, and what you've been reading. I was asked about a favorite book or author in every interview, so I would reccomend having an answer prepared for that. Also be prepared to discuss clearly why you want to attend their school specifically. I was a little vague in my Vassar interview about why I liked Vassar, and the interview clearly suffered as a result. A good interviewer doesn't seek to find holes in your application or character, he or she seeks to add a human element and a sense of who you are to your application. Rather than feeling pressured, simply be open, honest, and friendly with your interviewer. If they like you, their notes will be good. Some interviews just won't go amazingly well; you may stumble over an answer, or just not connect well with your interviewer. DON't WORRY. An interview rarely breaks an application.

babycakes · 03-14-2007, 07:01 AM

I've got a question that has probably been asked before but I can't seem to find the answer to it. Usually, when you get asked for an interview (especially as an international student), does that mean you've passed the 1st round in the admissions process and that your app hasn't been trashed (because normally they look for deal-breakers, people who they know won't make it past the 1st round, right?)? Or is it just generic for everyone? Because logically a college wouldn't ask for an interview if they knew in the first place there was no way in hell the applicant would be accepted right?

jym626 · 03-14-2007, 07:32 AM

babycakes-
I wouldn't make that assumption. Most schools want to offer you the opportunity to interview with an alumni interviewer (especially if you are overseas). It is as much for you as for them-- an opportunity to learn more about the school from someone who has been there, as ell as an opportunity for the school to get a little more information about you. Sorry, but I don't believe it means anthing about making a "cut".

vircabutar · 03-15-2007, 02:50 AM

you know...
i was in a bit of a dilemma
I was supposed to have an interview with U of Chicago.
The person contacted me a month ago & wanted to set up the interview (but her house is like 2-3 hours away, which is really impossible for me to go to).
Then, the week after (after I've told her my transportation issue), she referred me to someone else, but that person is still 2 hours away from my house. Instead of being 2-3 hours east of my house, this person is is 2-3 hours west of my house. So I told her I'll do it if they can't find any other alumni closer to me. A week or so went by, and she never replied back. The week after, i tried to contact her, but I received no reply whatsoever.THEN, I emailed my "admission counselor" in my account, but I also received no reply....
Arggg....I don't know what to do

Gebrselassie · 03-17-2007, 06:17 PM

anyone heard of people wearing their Boy Scout uniforms to interviews if they are an Eagle?

T26E4 · 03-17-2007, 06:38 PM

I don't think that'd be advisable despite the honor that's conferred to you as an Eagle scout IMHO. What would you should wear is nice, business casual.

I think the uniform would be the equivalent of bringing the biggest trophy from your home and putting it on the table when you meet your interviewer. If he/she is worth his salt, they should already know the status of Eagle Scout. Beyond that any more statement you make would be uncomfortable for him/her.

arbiter213 · 03-17-2007, 09:26 PM

Two things I did for every interview:

1. Look up my interviewer ahead of time. It really paid off too- I knew that my Penn interviewer had endowed a chair, my Brown interviewer was very involved with my former synagogue, and that my Harvard interviewer was very accomplished ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Lemann ).

2. I prepared in a report cover (with a color matching the school's colors) a packet with my transcript, explanations of my EC's, my scores, various awards and whatnot. They never looked at them, but were almost universally very impressed. (I put the school insignia on the cover of some, matter of taste).

ferrisbueller · 03-17-2007, 11:23 PM

That must have been an intimidating interview!
I wouldn't generally reccomend bringing a resume to the interview unless you really feel that you need to explain a problem, disciplinary situation etc. Your GPA, scores, etc. are in your application and a printed packet might come off as a little pompous.

arbiter213 · 03-17-2007, 11:47 PM

That's what I had read, but my guidance counselor (who's VERY experienced and I trust very much) told me to definitely do it. All my interviewers were very impressed by it :shrug: Of course, I have a very non-pretentious, self effacing attitude, so that'd counterbalance it.

T26E4 · 03-18-2007, 09:28 AM

As an alum interviewer, I never look at the student's resume or ask about stats. I'll ask about classes and ECs to see where their interest lies. I think numbers can distort my "raw" impression of the person. I know that the admissions office has the numbers ad nauseum. MY take on them won't be that useful to them -- they're the pros and see the numbers in context. My "one shot" deal isn't that meaningful, IMHO.

arbiter213 · 03-18-2007, 11:15 AM

I should clarify that the main focus of my "resume" was not in fact for supplying the raw stats or my accomplishments- who cares about the stats and my accomplishments I can tell them myself. Most of it was taken up my further explanations of my activities (again I cover most of that talking) but also just making sure they have a way to see everything in case I missed something. A few of my interviewers were very appreciative of the access to it for reference, as it cut down on note taking.

colormehappy · 03-22-2007, 05:51 PM

My first interview was for Yale (yikes!) and, as fate would have it, I got a really lovely throat virus the day before the scheduled date. I was feverish and tired, so I opted to reschedule. This is where it gets really fun. The secretary told my dad that my new interview would be on March 7th. I turned up at the interviewer's office on March 7th. He was gone on vacation. Goody. He apparently meant for my interview to be on February 7th. I'm sure Yale got a lovely impression of me until he called (and I e-mailed) to clear it up. I never did get that interview.

On the upside, I had a really nice phone interview with a Brown alumna. She was really cool about answering all my questions and was very chill about the whole thing.

Northstarmom · 03-22-2007, 06:21 PM

I do recommend bringing a resume or activity list to an interview. Why? It's easier for the interviewer to get a quick overview of you by skimming the resume than by asking you to verbally provide the basics. Interviewers only have a limited amount of time, so it's best that the time be spent focusing on your most important and interesting achievements and activities.

If an interviewer doesn't want to see a resume or activity sheet, they'll politely decline. Better to bring that info, though, in case the interviewer would find it helpful.