I was just contacted for an interview, and I think my interviewer and I will meet at a local coffee shop.
Has anyone had an alumni interview for SCEA? How did it go? What did you wear? Anything specific they asked? Please let me know!! I want to prepare as much as possible.
I had mine on Friday. I stressed way more than I needed to. The lady was very nice and asked me generic questions that I answered by including as much relevant information about myself as I could. Don't worry. You can praci
I had mine on Friday. I stressed way more than I needed to. The lady was very nice and asked me generic questions that I answered by including as much relevant information about myself as I could. Don't worry. You can practice you answers by talking to your self, but try to do that in private or others might think you are crazy. You may also have a chance to ask your interviewer questions about his/her Yale experience. Don't try to find out personal information about the interviewer because 1) that's creepy and 2) it won't help you at all.
The whole point of the interview is to try to meet the person behind the test scores and the GPA. Just be you! Don't try to give answers you think the interviewer wants to hear. Be honest and true to yourself and your goals.
I think I'm going to turn into a giant cheeseball when I have my interview, and start gushing about how much I love to create things, and like... learning for the sake of learning, and how beautiful life is... I'm excited to do it though, because i hate waiting... it's one more thing to fill up time before the fourteenth.
I was wondering about what to wear as well, because I pretty much live in jeans, and from what I can tell jeans are a definite no. I get the sense that being remotely fancy is bad, but you shouldn't wear anything too casual. Like business casual. I was thinking about a sundress. A blazer over most anything not torn up would probably be fine.
My mom used to be an interviewer for rice university (she's an alum) and when I was stressing she told me not to worry at all. She said it's not really about specific answers, and moreso about getting a sense of your overall personality. The one thing she told me specifically was that interviewers always had to ask you if you enjoyed reading and what you read (not just books) and that it was very important to them for you to say that you read regularly, even if it was just the newspaper or magazines. That an interest in reading, and an ability to talk about that interest, was fairly crucial.
This IS a different school, but I bet having an idea in your mind about what you would say if someone asked you what your favorite book is, couldn't hurt at all.
"Business casual" is the way to go in terms of clothing. For a guy, this is easy--a shirt with a collar (can be a polo shirt), and pants that aren't jeans, like khakis. For a girl, the equivalent--harder to be more specific. A blazer is good--can be a skirt or pants, or a dress.
You know what? Maybe I'm becoming a bit contrarian these days, but I'd rather have an applicant rock whatever they're wearing. As they say, a cheap but tailored jacket is better than the four-figure but ill-fitting suit.
Be comfortable in your own skin. Don't wear your dad's old suit with sleeves that extend to your fingers. It's sloppy.
^ In general I agree... but also be sensitive if the interviewer is inviting you to his/her workplace and it's a more conservatively dressy atmosphere. I know several local alums who are judges or attorneys with some of the larger law firms. I would think wisdom would dictate dressier attire if going to an interview there than a Saturday afternoon at Starbucks.
I've met my interviewees (not for Yale) at a coffee shop, and I think they were mostly dressed neatly, but honestly I didn't really notice. If they were wearing a ratty tee-shirt and jeans with holes, I might have thought, well, that's eccentric, but I honestly don't think I would have held it against them if I liked them otherwise. Maybe it would even have been a plus for my alma mater (Swarthmore) I would say just dress neatly if you have such things in your closet.
@T26E4: Fair enough. Some interview locations do have their own dress codes, so you should observe/respect that if your interview location requires it. For example, I know the Harvard Club in NYC is used as a interview location; the club, like most private clubs (and other university/Ivy clubs) in the city, has a dress code for members and guests. If your interview is there, you have no choice but to dress more formally.
Basically, judge based on location and/or time. You CAN end up being overdressed. No one will bat an eye if you're in business formal at a Manhattan Starbucks during the week, but it can be a bit weird if you wear a 3-piece suit to a Starbucks in a suburban mall on a Saturday afternoon.
I wouldn't advise a student to wear a three-piece suit to any college admissions interview--it will look weird. But I would advise all students to dress in something around the level of business casual, because some interviewers will notice if you are dressed down from that, and it won't be a positive notice. Even if it's at Starbucks.
My son had his interview yesterday. He wore dress slacks and shirt with a cardigan. They met in a coffee shop. He said the time flew by and it lasted about an hour. I am sure the questions asked will vary based on the interviewer. I truly don't think it is formulaic, but as I am not an interviewer, I could be wrong. If you want, I can get more details about the questions he was asked. My best advice is just be yourself.
I would say just dress neatly if you have such things in your closet.
