<p>so I will have my interview soon, and i was wondering whether I should talk about my miserable experience that I didn’t mention at all in my application. </p>
<p>I moved to US three years ago and initially, due to language barriers and other factors, I was involved in a Chinese gang but never did anything illegal. However, I quit the gang the next year and quickly assimilated into American culture. </p>
<p>I dont know if I should mention it, because that experience was the motivation for many of the extracurricular activities I did later (ex. creating a website to help chinese students integrate, founded an alliance for Chinese international students and now with more than 7000 members). But i am afraid if i mentioned it, it may have a negative effect.</p>
<p>No, don’t mention having been in a Chinese gang. The effect will be more negative than positive. The fact that you have to add immediately that you did nothing illegal . . . . </p>
<p>I’m not sure if I agree with the two earlier posts saying not to mention it. Obviously, I wouldn’t make it the “lead story” in your interview, but I can imagine situations in which mentioning it makes perfect sense. If your interviewer asks you why you got into some of the ECs you mention, or if the conversation steers to experiences that have formed the person you are, mentioning your involvement (or at least the circumstances that led to that involvement) might be the only way to cogently explain who you are. It also has the advantage of being true. Making up some other story to explain yourself, or omitting important parts of your life, could make your responses seem shallow.</p>
<p>I appreciate that having been in a gang might not look the best. However, if you have convincingly left the gang and done outstanding things, my guess is that your interviewer and the admissions committee will credit you for having the fortitude to rise above difficult circumstances as an immigrant. Now this is just a guess. Much will depend on how you present overall and the other evidence in your application.</p>
<p>But bringing up the topic must be done deftly. It requires forethought and some practice. Part of your approach may be to soften your participation in gangs, perhaps with phrases like, “fell under the influence of” rather than “was a member of” and by providing context, “in our neighborhood, everyone had to figure out their relationship to the gang, as the gang left no one to him/herself.” </p>
<p>However, as Dinosaur22 said, I don’t think I’d lead with it.</p>
<p>^all good advice
Perhaps you should mention it, but not call it a “gang”, but just refer to a time when you were hanging out with some people who weren’t great influences.</p>
<p>Exactly. It will come down to semantics. Regardless of what the interviewer thinks, the second the word “gang” is typed up in your interview report, it opens up a serious Pandora’s box. However, a phrasing like “people who weren’t great influences” would be more fitting. </p>
<p>Essentially, for me, as an interviewer, I only write what is told to me and what I observe in an interviewee’s demeanor, so only say what you want to be known in the words you want them to be known in.</p>
<p>Definitely. I think you’ll better say it without mentioning the word gang. Just you was tempted and you observed or even more dramatic you witnessed one of ur friend stole st, but you could not stop him, bla bla bla. Just kidding.
I think it’s better to mention, but in an careful way
Best of luck</p>
<p>It depends on your interviewer – some might ask about politics, others might ask about books. At my son’s interview, he was asked what books he had read in the last year. When he mentioned one book, which the interviewer had also read, they talked about the book for quite a while.</p>
