The Thread for College Interviews

[Kamera]

I've had three interviews so far; Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale.

At CMU (w/ an ad. officer), things went great. I know that it's a good fit for me (which certainly helps) and I was able to get my interviewer to laugh more than a few times. (Humor is great if you can manage it. People like funny people.)

One of the more difficult and unexpected questions I faced was something like "tell me three adjectives your friends would use to describe you."

JHU (w/ a senior interviewer) was a little more difficult. I didn't click so well with the interviewer, and she was a student with very different interests from me. Watch out for those.

Yale was great, again with the humor and the talking.

One piece of advice - if you're with an ad. officer (which I think is much better/easier than a student) look around their office a little bit. Notice things like diplomas or out of the ordinary items, or artworks. Use them to start a conversation if something lulls out. Awkward silences suck.

[hopewine]

Hey, Can anyone answer this for me?
I have over a 4.0 GPA, but the two high schools I have been to give GPA points differently.
How do I know what to tell colleges my GPA is?

[fhimas88888888]

You don't. You just send both transcripts. Colleges rarely take a look at a GPA and move on. Most often, they look at the classes you took and how well you did in them.

[eternitygoddess]

When should we start scheduling our interviews?

[sky7walker]

most colleges allow prospective students from spring of junior year to fall/winter of senior year.
I did mine in summer between jr and sr year
just schedule them early. then you can get those out of the way and focus on other stuff

[Dizzymom]

Puzzled. S tells me that some of his classmates have on-campus admissions interviews at Dartmouth, but the Dartmouth website says they only offer alum interviews.

Any insight?

[das222]

How do International students face the interview? I mean, do they have to travel to USA for it, or is it arranged via telephone.

I am an student from India planning to apply to JHU, Duke, Darthmouth.

[Kamera]

Go to those colleges' websites. Generally, there will be a section for international students with special instructions. If not, email the admissions office.

[eternitygoddess]

I know that there isn't too big of an emphasis placed on interviews, but if the interviewer wrote something like,

"Student doesn't know if she really wants to go to this college."

Will the adcoms pay attention to that statement?

[art_star]

I just got an email from a UChicago alum to schedule an interview, which I was certainly not expecting this early. I'm not sure what to do. Would it sound bad if I scheduled it for December-ish?

[JohnC613]

eternitygoddess, why the heck would you say that? I mean, it's not a death sentence. Part of the point of an interview is to get to know the school. But still, it might raise a red flag.

[xtra]

this is a great thread

[JohnC613]

xtra, that is a great post

[tatiana310]

just curious if they are informative vs evaluative

[eternitygoddess]

Is something wrong if I haven't been contacted for an interview?