Coffee Shop College Interview?

erlanger
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:57:39 +0000

I have done these alumni interviews for 10+ years and agree with what YaleGrad says, which is that the meeting is probably used to confirm/give context to what the AOs have from the student app. You’d be amazed how uninformed and unprepared many of these so-called top students can be, so simply being prepared to talk confidently (or with depth) about interests, why xx college, and your high school experience goes a very long way. A few other insights from my perspective are: 1) I like kids that take the time to dress nice/neatly–shows they care. I had one kid come directly from cross country practice in shorts and a sweaty t-shirt (literally) and let’s just say it didn’t help me get to a positive impression of this one kid. 2) I like those meetings where the kids do not give just canned answers and really try to engage in conversation. 3) I also appreciate kids who bring something to show about themselves: not a resume, although that can help structure the conversation, but on occasion a kid brings an article he/she wrote; a photo taken or picture drawn; or a program from a theater production–brings to life their interests!