maddy_01

Well I am not getting interviewed, Yale told me they do not have an interviewer linked to my school. Although I do not know what that means, I just hope it does not affect my application.....seeing that interviewers rank the applicants (1-9?). SO what would happen to me? hmm....

AdmissionsAddict

On Yale's scale, 5 is for a resonable interview with neutral results and a 9 is for 1 in 100 in the Yale pool. Instructions to interviewers note that anything below a 5 automatically raises red flags for admissions officers. I give out mainly 5s and 6s with a scattering of 4s and 7s. I think a 9 is for a once-in-an-interviewing-lifetime candidate. I doubt I've ever given more than a couple of 8s. My bet is that less experienced interviewers give out higher scores. If you interview lots of kids every year over several years, you get a sense of how competitive the applicant pool really is. If you're doing your first couple of interviews, you compare the kids to what it took to get into Yale when you were there, not realistically assessing how much tougher things are today. Because you have to back up your score with a written report, I think the admissions officers can tell where people are being too stingy or too generous.

lala56

why do all interviews have to be so routine, as in, we sit down and talk .... why can't an interviewer and an interviewee just take a walk outside and talk? is that possible? can i seriously ask my interviewer to do that? and, what would come across ur mind if a student asked u that?

thanks

AdmissionsAddict

What if your interviewer is elderly or 9 months pregnant or whatever? Also, I like to look at the person while I listen to them. If someone wanted to go on a walk, I might think they were uncomfortable sitting down and looking me in the eye or that they wanted distractions to take the attention off of them.

lala56

hm, but i dont .... i just wanna walk and use my hands more freely while i talk

my hand language is a big part of the stuff that comes out of my mouth (dont worry, i dont make wacko gestures with my fingers ...), and i cant use it so effectively if im sitting on a chair with a table in front or w/e

i just like to use them, u know what im saying? i can do without it, i just would not like to do without it

dammit ...

and im pretty sure yale would not want an elderly person coming to a conclusion about a kid in school, and a preganant woman would probably take some time off and get used to her mood swings before stabbing me with her pen

MusicNut07

I live is a small TX town (2 public high schools), but I know we have some Yale alums in town. I haven't had any contact about an interview, and it's possible I'm just to impatient . However, I am the only Yale applicant from my high school, if not the only in town (there were only something like 5 applicants to Rice for crying out loud!). Is it possible to have alumni in your town who just don't give interviews, and that I won't get one, even though I'm the only applicant? PS The alums I'm aware of aren't recent grads, they're middle-aged attorneys.

AdmissionsAddict

Lala--There are plenty of older interviewers, fyi. Please don't take this as a snide remark because it's not meant that way, but you need to learn to be comfortable sitting down and talking. There are lots of situations in life where you're going to have to do it. I think asking for your interview to be on a walk would be viewed as an odd request and would recommend against asking for this.

MusicNut--I doubt anywhere near 1% of Yale alumni are interviewers. It is entirely possible that the Yale alums in your town do not interview.

AMcGuire13

I appologize if this has already been addressed, but do you suggest bringing a resumee to the interview?

AdmissionsAddict

I think it's nice to bring a resume so your interviewer can refer back to it when he/she writes your report. Do not put GPA and SAT on it as Yale doesn't want interviewers to be swayed by high or low numbers.

NothinButTheBest

How should we dress for the interview? The types of interviews I've been to were for internships, so the dress was business. I've never had a college interview before, and I don't really know.

AdmissionsAddict

I think khakis and a collared shirt are good for boys and a nice pair of pants or skirt with a conservative top for girls. Girls should not wear revealing clothes, especially if the interview takes place in an office. That means no exposed midriffs, no exposed bra straps, no cleavage. It sounds obvious, but it isn't.

cali7802000

admissions addict, what if the interview occurs at the person's house...still suggest khakis and a collared shirt? the person told me to come casually though...but i was thinking at least khakis and a polo if not a collared shirt. what do you suggest?

damiensdogs

i have an interview at starbucks. would a collared shirt and khakis be too much?

AdmissionsAddict

Cali--A polo is a collared shirt, so that works.

Damien--A collared shirt and khakis would not be too much at a Starbucks. What if your interviewer is coming from a meeting and has a suit on? Wouldn't you feel weird in jeans and a t-shirt?

I think that regardless of where an interview is that you should not be more casual than the equivalent of khakis and a collared shirt. If your interviewer explicitly says, please be casual and feel free to wear jeans, then it's OK. If not, play it safe and dress up a little. What you wear shouldn't matter, but you never know how it plays out on a subconscious level and you don't want to be thought of as not taking the interview seriously or, in the case of revealing or otherwise inappropriate clothes, lacking common sense.

MallomarCookie

Thanks for being so helpful AdmissionsAddict