Interview Attire During Summer Months

[catbird]

I will try to get S to use unscented deodorant for a day instead of Axe.

[Hunt]

"If I was an interviewer for a college, I'd want to see exactly who these kids are, and if every kid wore church clothes, I wouldn't be able to distinguish between them. So as long as it's not obscene, what's wrong with wearing what you normally wear to the interview?"

This may be an age thing, but as a middle-aged person, I would think that a student wearing shorts and a T-shirt to an interview was showing disrespect to me and to the school. If I take it seriously enough to spend time interviewing him, then he should take it seriously enough to dress appropriately. I think what you can glean from a thread like this is that different interviewers will react differently to clothing. I don't think anybody expects you to wear a suit, but at least some of them will expect a male to wear a shirt with a collar, long pants (not jeans), and shoes (not sandals), and a female to wear clothing of similar formality. So the smart move is to wear that. You may be slightly, unnecessarily overdressed for some interviewers, but you won't be underdressed for any.

[chintzy]

catbird, I love the Axe comment! I remember driving my son and his three friends to their 8th grade grad dance. I swear they were all wearing a full can, each in his own scent! I drove the whole way with my head hanging out the car window.

[Particle_Man]

"khakis with a polo with a collar and leather walking shoes"

Hell, I didn't even dress that nicely for my winter interview. Jeans, sneakers, and a polo.

Then again, I got rejected.

[kristin5792]

While not an interview, I spent a few days at the town near my university yesterday and today doing some sorority stuff. I had a lot of meetings with managers of various businesses.

I wore a madras skirt, a yellow polo, and nice flip flops and rocked it. I definitely echo the "as long as you don't look disheveled and messy you're fine" thoughts.

[khsstitches]

Agree with the above. I was thinking nice cotton skirt and polo for a girl with either nice flats/sandles....probably not flip flops if you're going to do the tour along with it but maybe its only my feet that get tired walking nonstop 2 hours in those..........

[lethargytm]

overdressing is a quick way to show that you are insecure. you can go into an interview with a tshirt and jeans and still impress the person interviewing. one of my friends brother went to a med school interview in such clothing but won over the interviewer with remarks and charm of an intellectual.

take a backpack with spare clothes or shoes if you are really worried about your outer appearance. perhaps change right before meeting from casual wear and change back into it later after the interview.

[4trees]

I don't think the colleges my son applied to were recruiting the best dressed crowd, they were looking for kids that could be successful at their school. Sure, well or overdressed can be a sign of respect, but also could show a lack of confidence as lethargytm said. You're not going to be admitted because of the clothes you wear. Interviewers at colleges see thousands of kids from all over the country who are there under all sorts of circumstances. My neighbor kid flew a red eye cross country for an 8am interview, a friend of my son's traveling in a crowded car (family trip) interviewed at four different schools in one day. I bet neither were on the best dressed list. I say whatever the kid is comfortable in, clean and neat, nothing that offends, and let the interview get on to who the kid is what the college can do for them.

[lethargytm]

i would say the best think would be to make yourself unique compared to the thousands of applicants. do something or even wear something that is unique that they will remember you.

i should add that do/wear something that isn't entirely offensive.

[Sally_Rubenstone]

Interviews can be stressful enough without worrying about how to come off as "unique," but sometimes students do indeed have one item of clothing or piece of jewelry, accessory, etc. that is not only unusual but also has a story behind it that might be worth sharing in an interview. Once, for instance, when I was interviewing for Smith, I complimented a student on her necklace, and she explained that she had made it herself -- one of many she created with a friend as part of a fund-raiser for a classmate who had cancer. Another girl showed up in an embroidered blouse that she told me she'd received as a thank-you gift from a family to whom she'd taught English.

Granted, most kids don't march around sporting wearable art that will spawn sparkling exchanges in admission offices, but at least occasionally these added touches can be good ice-breakers and stress-busters.

[wmmk]

For a fall interview, would it be ok to wear nice jeans with a white oxford shirt, tie (maybe slightly bit loosened), and a black cashmere sweater? I know jeans are generally thought of sloppy, but I think that with a nice sweater, oxford, and tie, it could come off as rather classy.

FWIW, the interviews would potentially be at Amherst, Columbia, and Yale.

[Sally_Rubenstone]

Your choice of outfit is fine, including the "nice jeans," but do note that Columbia and Amherst do not offer on-campus interviews. Columbia has only alumni interviews (in or near your own community) for candidates who have already applied; Amherst offers a "conversation" with the admissions dean but just for the children of alumni. Even if you won't have an official interview, perhaps you are planning to meet with a faculty member, coach, etc., so, certainly, if that's the case, you'll want to look presentable. Your suggested wardrobe will work well in those situations, too.

[Scipio]

I'm closing this thread for because for some reason it is a big magnet for spam bots. Sorry.