The Thread for College Interviews

[mikemac]

I wish colleges would eliminate the public place intervies - - too many mistakes and no privacy.

Probably not going to happen. To many parents are worried about sending their kids into the private home of a stranger, too many alum interviewers want to avoid the possibility of being accused of inappropriate behavior.

[IDefineCool]

I've done one interview, for the Airforce Academy, so may be a different experience.

All the questions were specific and on five differenty categories. The interviewer advised me beforehand how to answer the questions in a five star format..something like saying what you did, how you did it, how it affected you, end results and lessons learned (not sure if thats quite right, it was awhile ago), The interviewer was an alumnus and it was at a Borders. The interviewer told me the interview would only count if there was a "tie" in applications, but basically he said it wouldn't make or break you. Haha and he also told me that he thought I had a pretty solid chance of acceptence and I had the top ECs and scores of those he had interviewed (like forty i think he said). Not sure if that was ethical but oh well.

[Northstarmom]

"o many parents are worried about sending their kids into the private home of a stranger, too many alum interviewers want to avoid the possibility of being accused of inappropriate behavior."

The alums also want to avoid inappropriate behavior by the students whom they interviewed. I stopped doing interviews at my home after a student whom I had interviewed showed up unannounced after an EA deferral and left a package of goodies on my doorstep. That scared me because I wondered what he'd do if he eventually got rejected.

I also know an interviewer who was paid a surprise visit by a mom and student who pushed their way into her home after the student was rejected. The mom then insisted on pleading the student's case -- complete with going through a thick scrapbook showing the student's acccomplishments.

There are wakky, desperate, too intense people out there, and alumns who are volunteering their time to interview don't want to be victimized by them.

[nyc]

I'd never thought of the applicant as a possible stalker.

I usually interview mid-day, in my office conference room (glass doors) to avoid the appearance of any impropriety. And a friend interviews prospects at the library - - public, but still better than Starbucks.

[Roger_Dooley]

I agree that neutral public places are usually the best for the protection of both the interviewer and student. If the interviewer has a suitable office or conference room that's good too.

Today, just about everyone has a cell phone. Be sure to ask for the interviewer's cell number and provide your own in case there's any last-minute problem - can't find the location, found the location but can't find the other person, stuck in traffic, etc.

[aberdeen]

There was a lot of give and take during my interview...and I could sense that my interviewer (a senior) enjoyed just talking about a lot of the things I was interested in about Yale...mainly the idea of the residential colleges being like living in a "college within a college"...I avoided talking about AP courses, or any ECs, and just focused on being myself. I think the key to college interviewing with a student is to relax and be yourself...life is so short...there's no need to talk about the future or wishing yourself to be a Yalie...speak to the moment, be honest--smile--opportunities to meet new people are a once in a lifetime experience...just allow it to happen

[vikyflaca]

I have my Harvard Interview on thursaday... I'm really nervous.

[anticatalyst]

Kenyon interview was amazing. I felt more like I was hanging out with the senior interviewer than I was taking an oral exam, which is how some people I know have reported their interview experiences elsewhere. Ditto Smith.

Chicago this weekend...duh duh DUHHHH.

[wecandothis]

My d had her first interview, with U Miami. We were told it was informational, but that the interviewer was an admisssions officer and would also be "reading" the admissions file; also were told not to bring any transcripts, paperwork etc. Parents were welcome.
It went quite well, I thought. I pretty much kept quiet and d held her own. However, I would not describle it as informal/info only...as very early on, the interviewer asked her all of her stats, GPA, test scores etc., which luckily I had told my d she needs to know cold.
The setting was in a small hotel suite, a few couches and a table. You waited in the lobby and the receptionist called to let the interviewer know you were there and she came to get you.
It all went without a hitch and I was impressed with the interviewer and just the way it was all handled.

[demeter]

I had my first interview yesterday afternoon for Columbia where I'm applying ED. I was definitely nervous - I looked up some common questions asked by interviewers and mentally prepared answers. But I didn't really rehearse in front of the mirror or anything.

My interviewer was very nice but not particularly responsive (I suppose that's what most interviewers are like?). He really took his time while speaking so that I never knew when it was appropriate for me to start talking.

I started out talking about my ECs, and he asked me briefly about test scores and academics. There was one question that threw me off, which was, "If there's one thing you can change about your high school, what would it be?" Definitely wasn't expecting that. I liked it, though, when he asked about my family because I love talking about the quirky people in my family.

And we had an interesting conversation about bio - lab experiences, etc.

I think it went decently for a first interview. I'm not really in a position to judge, though, since I'm very inexperienced.

[iBrood]

I was going through the choice of essays in the common app and found that they allowed a lot of space. What's the general consensus on using an essay of my own choice. I really like the essay topic from Princeton.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day." - Albert Einstein

What if I use that for other application forms. Will I be considered lazy just because I like the topic?

[badman89]

Yes, you definitely run the risk of sounding lazy, especially to Princeton univ.

A little off topic don't you think?

[devaaki]

Yea i was thinking the same thing. UChicago's interviews are by request?

[Anniushka]

I have only interviewed at Haverford and Mount Holyoke Colleges. I expect to have alumni interviews for Carleton and Bryn Mawr later, as well.

My first interview was at Haverford--I wish I'd been able to use Mt. Holyoke as a "practice," since I'm far more interested in Haverford than MHC, but oh well. I wasn't nervous. My interviewer was as current senior, and not particularly responsive--lots of nodding and saying "Mm-hm," but it wasn't conversational at all. That aspect almost put me ill at ease, but I suppose she was trained to keep somewhat of a poker face. She surprised me at the beginning of the interview by asking me about my high school. I hadn't prepared for a question like this, and I kind of stumbled a bit and didn't manage to make the points that I would have liked to make. *sigh* She also asked some questions about what I do in my free time (again, I didn't manage to make all the points I'd have liked to make), what I'm looking for in a college, why I'm interested in Haverford, and such. At the end there were questions and answers, which was helpful to me, and my interviewer mentioned some programs that she thought sounded like something I'd be interested in. I think it was okay, all things considered, even though it was far from perfect.

My MHC interview went a great deal more smoothly. My interviewer was also a student, a senior, and she took down notes the whole time. She even took down at least one direct quote! She was very careful about the accuracy of her notes; for instance, she would read back to me what she had written and ask me to fill in some details she'd missed. She asked me the same sorts of questions that my Haverford interviewer did, about my interests and my high school (I was prepared, though, this time!). She also asked why I was considering an all-women college experience (a question I had NOT prepared for--I am, in fact, questioning how happy I would be in an all-female environment) and why I was interested in Mount Holyoke, in particular. An easier question to answer was the one about my current courses and specifically about the preponderance of math and science in my schedule this year. Then we got to talking about world literature, since I'm trying to get a world lit independent study credit approved by my school's administration (as I haven't got an English class this year), and at the end she gave me a list of Caribbean authors (since she's Jamaican) to look into. She was very.... affirmative. Even though I stumbled over the question about "Why a women's college? Why Mount Holyoke?" (I confessed my doubts about an all-women environment, as well as my mother's worries that at Mount Holyoke I would have trouble meeting men, and told her that, really, in my college search I have been looking for academically strong schools with campus character, activities, and opportunities that appeal to me; if it happens to be open only to female applicants, then so be it. It hasn't been a criterion, though.)

[suman]

hey all, my interviews were last year, i'm a uroch freshman now...
but here are my interview experiences:

Brown - excellent - the alumnus is a cardiologist which is what i basically want to do - the interview was held in his house living room - we had a very casual interview with casual questions and stuff, and then later on, i started talking about my cardiology experiences (my shadowing) and we started talking cardiac cases and stuff, very interesting..in the end, he even offered me to come check out the group and do some shadowing or whatever.

UPenn - not so hot...held at Starbucks..this guy was given a list of questions and basically asked all of them and wrote down every single answer...some questions were so weird and harsh like why should we accept u...they asked me that directly...so i was caught offhand but i worked my way through...

Johns Hopkins - first interview therefore most unprepared...but the girl was an alumnus as well and working in a nearby hospital or residency or something like that...but she didn't have many questions for me and i did'nt have too many for her either so it was quite short and meaningless...

I was supposed to have an interview for Uroch, but by the time they hooked me up with a guy, i had already been accepted so they just skipped that step...