whats an interview for?

agnt007 · 11-07-2009, 12:22 AM

i got an interview from an upenn alumni who says he's interviewing me "for consideration of admittance to The University of Pennsylvania". some questions regarding this:
-what do we need to know before we go? some people say that you need to know everything about the campus. and those little details?
-does this interview even help improve my chances, cuz to tell you the truth, i really dont see why based on my stats they would accept me. are they looking for passion? and can the interview actually hurt me?
-do they ask general questions? or are they based on whether we applied to huntsman or wharton?
-resume?

thanks for the assistance
agnt007

FightingQuaker · 11-07-2009, 10:29 AM

Bring a resume.
Make sure when he/she asks you which college you are applying to, you know the right answer.
Research the school a little bit before hand. Think about the question "Where would I go if I were there, and what would I do."
Know what Locust Walk is.
Think of the question "Is there anything you wish to share but could not put on your application?"

I don't know if my interview last year helped me get in or not, but I know that it went very well and that she (my interviewer) wrote me a swell recommendation.

Best of luck.

penned2014 · 11-07-2009, 11:08 AM

I had my interview earlier this week so I can speak from my experience. My interview was particularly relaxed; the interviewer didn't ask me any questions, he just wanted to have an interesting conversation that could help him understand who I am and what I am interested in. The only information Penn gives the alum is your name, high school, and intended major. They want you to explain yourself in a more raw and natural sense than can be portrayed through your app and/or a resume. For this reason, my interviewer accentuated the fact that he did NOT want me to bring anything along (ie. a resume). His reasoning for this is that Penn tells him that it's his job to learn about things that may not jump off the page. He didn't care about my gpa, class rank, or SAT scores, he wanted to get a full picture of who I am as a person and how I could contribute to Penn. This was just my experience, you may want to ask your interviewer if they'd like a resume or anything when you speak to them before hand. You want to seem prepared.

In terms of things you can ask them, I live in Philly so I know a lot about Penn's campus already and he knew that, so questions were a little different. My interviewer was a lawyer and as someone who is interested in attending law school in the future I based a lot of my questions off of that. You should do some research about Penn before you go so you sound informed and yet still curious. You don't want to seem like someone who wants to go to Penn because it's an Ivy, you want to go to Penn for deeper reasons embedded in the academics and social life of the school. In my opinion you should be as prepared as possible, but don't stick to what you've written down on a notepad, you want the conversation to be fluid and comfortable. Remember, they're writing you a recommendation so you want to leave with them liking you as a person.

Hope that helps some.

agnt007 · 11-07-2009, 02:01 PM

great information! fightingquaker, i thought quakers didnt fight? but more importantly did you get in and in what major?
penned2014, i hope my interviewer is that relaxed, but i think it really does vary from person to person. it all depends on how they want to conduct the interview. but then again i dont know how the process works.

upenngirl39 · 11-07-2009, 05:51 PM

This is all really great info! I applied on Oct 15th and still have not heard back for an interview. When did you guys apply? Did they call you or e-mail? Should I be concerned that I may not get one?

FightingQuaker · 11-07-2009, 07:16 PM

Yes, I got in, undeclared major in the College. I think I got lucky by getting a younger alum who could still relate to my enthusiasm in wanting to go to Penn.

agnt007 · 11-07-2009, 07:42 PM

i applied on the last day for ed and got the interview like 3 days ago. so it was relatively quick, but i dont think its because they have interest in me. just because i might be a possibility.

upenngirl39 · 11-07-2009, 10:32 PM

Should I contact admissions and ask if I am going to get an interview? I really think it would help improve my chances. I hope that they did not give me an interview just because they do not consider me a possible candidate. I applied to Wharton so do you think that has something to do with my interview status?

tenebrousfire · 11-08-2009, 12:42 AM

as stated in previous threads

not receiving the interview doesn't mean you won't get in

legendofmax · 11-08-2009, 06:31 AM

As a recent Penn graduate, I totally look back on those interviews in a different light. I can see why many interviewers ask the questions that they do.

Basically, after spending time at Penn, you get a very good idea as to what types of students are admitted. The interview's more or less a way to assess your reasons for going to Penn as well as your fit.

Definitely research the school -- yes, it's an Ivy, but honestly it's great for reasons that have nothing to do with its prestige. You've got incredibly flexible degree options and the ability to take advantage of the One University policy and all sorts of little nuances that make Penn a great place to go to college. I would say it isn't important to know locations/buildings/whatever, although I guess it depends on whether or not your interviewer is easily swayed by namedropping/buzzwords. I certainly didn't know anything about the campus when I interviewed other than the fact it was in Philadelphia, but that gave me the opportunity to ask quite a few questions.

Personally, I'd say you're better off assessing what it is you're good at and why you chose Penn as a place to study. Most interviews generally flow like a normal conversation... do NOT memorize answers or scripted, canned responses. They're horribly awkward, forced, easy to spot, and will probably damage the impression/signals you give off. Just have fun and answer things honestly.

One thing I would advise you to "memorize" or think about: Questions. Come prepared with a few questions that you want to ask about Penn. This should be somewhat natural if you're really wanting to go to Penn, but regardless, it's a good idea to be prepared. The worst thing you can do is say "I have no questions."

Don't bother bringing a resume... I never had to during any interview I had (and believe me, I had a ton of them, as I applied to 15 schools back in the day).

For the most part, interviews are light, casual, and not nearly as painful as we anticipate going into them, lol.