<p>Most interviews on campus, with experienced interviewers (as opposed to alums and students), were very unstressful, even those that were evaluative. Admissions staff are professionals and they are adept at putting kids at ease. There are usually a few easy questions up front for starters. Interviews with alums and students were a mixed bag, depending on how skillful they were and whether they ‘clicked’ or not. No horror stories-for that, check out the thread mentioned above, Favorite Awkward Interview Moments-but some were easier than others.</p>
<p>The best thing to do is prepare:</p>
<p>1) Know the school, read the web-site, and don’t ask questions that you could have answered if you had done any prep. (Don’t, as one friend’s daughter did, explain that you are committed to majoring in a subject they don’t offer.) Do notice things you really like about the school and the area which you can mention in the interview. People associated with a given school want you to feel good about the place because it validates their own decision.</p>
<p>2) Know your talking points. As stated above, review some lists of common interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Think of the points you want to make sure you get across as some point in the interview.</p>
<p>3) Show some interest in your interviewer. If the are students or alums, ask what they liked the most about the school, what was most memorable for them, what they studied, what you shouldn’t miss if you attend.</p>