How much can an interview hurt me?

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>This UChicago interview… it did not go well. I am shy around people my age, but I can be outgoing when I want to be. I’ve interviewed for a job at McDonald’s and for a position in my church’s nursery, and I got both. I’m part of a Leadership Initiative (which I was chosen for by interview, as well) at my school, in which I frequently have to talk to adults and get them to do what we need: teachers, business owners, etc. I know how to interview.
UChicago is my first choice school, and I scheduled an interview as soon as I submitted my app. I’ve visited the school, and I fell in love with it. So I prepared questions to ask - things about daily life, which House the interviewer was in, how he chose a House, his favorite part of living on campus, class sizes, that sort of thing. I can find out about classes and programs online. I wanted to know details. Well, turns out he was a grad student there, not an undergrad, and didn’t live on campus. Then he seemed disappointed in me that I didn’t have many questions to ask… I did! But none of them applied to him or he couldn’t answer them.</p>

<p>So one of the very first questions he asks is if I had a boyfriend. I said no. And he said “Good, because Chicago is far away, you know, and you would miss him too much instead of studying.” Well, okay, sure, whatever. At least I didn’t have one so that didn’t count against me.
Then he asked if I could cook. I said “Well, I can boil water.” He told me I would have to learn how to cook if I expected to get married one day. Seriously. So much for liberal thinking? Women HAVE to know how to cook to get married? Ooookay.
Then he asks me “Is there a potbelly stove in this room?” And I had no idea. He says “So you’re not very observant, then,” frowns, and writes something down in his notes. I told him I wouldn’t make a very good detective.
Next question: “Do you consider yourself to be religious?” First of all, I don’t really mind answering this question normally. I’m not ashamed of my faith; however, I don’t think it should have anything to do with my college admissions. (It is illegal to ask this question during a job interview!) I told him that I considered myself to be a Christian. Then he insinuated that because I was a Christian, I would not be able to handle being around the diverse people at UChicago. He said “Oh, well, Christian students usually don’t like UChicago because they don’t like the atheists and Jews and Muslims that are in Chicago, so I don’t know how that’s going to work out,” and again frowned while writing things down. Seriously! I didn’t say ANYTHING about my faith or religious practices except that I was a Christian and he’s acting like I shouldn’t be accepted because of that. I explained that I’m not an in-your-face kind of Christian, and that my main group of friends consists of me, a Catholic, two or three atheists, a Jew, and a Muslim, not to mention the several gay friends I have, and none of us had a problem with any of the others’ religions. He didn’t seem to care much.</p>

<p>The only part I felt that went well was when we were discussing politics. He’s a business owner, seemed very conservative (women have to cook, please), and I lean towards the conservative side. We discussed why neither of us liked Herman Cain and the societal implications of his economic plan. Luckily I could hold my own there. But should we even have been discussing politics at an interview? What if I had been Herman Cain’s biggest fan? Or a Democrat? Would that have hurt me too?</p>

<p>I’m concerned that he wrote up what he thought of me without providing the context in which he gained those impressions. Is he going to write “close-minded” because I said I was Christian? Because he basically told me that I was close-minded simply because I am Christian. Will he write “unobservant, disinterested” because I was more concerned with looking him in the eye and shaking his hand than investigating his office? I’m just extremely nervous. I know it’s too late now (we find out Monday!!) but the whole interview has me scared for how it will impact my application.</p>

2

<p>Relax. I know it’s hard, but don’t worry about it too much. The interview is, usually, minimally weighted – schools understand that they can go horribly even with the best of applicants. A lot of schools use them simply as a way to give the student some tangible source of information that you won’t find on websites about the school. </p>

<p>Best of luck Monday (deep breath, only a few more days!)</p>

3

<p>Wow it seems like this guy was out to get you from the very beginning. Doesn’t seem like a very professional interview to me, but then again it is only an alumni interview. I don’t think these interviews are weighed that much as UChicago3 said, so do not worry about it too much.</p>

4

<p>LCrocks, please don’t fret over the interview. It’s not going to hurt you. However, I’m flabbergasted at the tone and questions of your interviewer, per your accounting of it.</p>

<p>While it’s merely an embarrassment that someone with the attitudes you describe is affiliated with the University (UChicago isn’t the only school with jerks in its student body), it is unacceptable that they should be conducting interviews. I’d think Jim Nondorf would want to know about anybody like this interviewing on UChicago’s behalf so as to be sure such a person never again had a chance to do so. </p>

<p>In any event, you’ll know the decision in a few days, and it will be made on many factors, but NOT your interview. Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Why the **** does it matter to him if you have a boyfriend or not?</p>

6

<p>I am actually appalled by your interviewer, and how someone like that is affiliated with the University. I would talk to Dean Nondorf about this. This is blatantly unfair to you.</p>

7

<p>Assuming your account is correct, this is wildly inappropriate behavior on the part of the interviewer. I’d contact the admissions office about it if I were you – not necessarily to prevent you from getting rejected from Chicago unfairly, but to make sure this guy doesn’t interview again.</p>

8

<p>I think two things happened here:

  1. Your interviewer wasn’t very good at his job… haha.
  2. The interview is supposed to let UChicago know what you’re really like. He probably wanted to see how you reacted to offensive remarks. Since you held your composure, you probably did well!</p>
9

<p>^ Remark 2 above is extremely unlikely; that’s not a possibility I’d take seriously. Even if it were simply a test, they’re still offensive and inappropriate things to say during an interview.</p>

10

<p>agreed w/ oxaliswombo. call the admissions office or alumni association, or whoever is in charge of alum interviews, and complain about his wildly inappropriate behavior.</p>

11

<p>Wow. I actually cannot believe that was a real interview. Please contact Admissions! That is absolutely ridiculous!</p>

12

<p>Thank you so much for the reassurance! I was hoping to hear that from someone else. I’m working on relaxing, but it’s not going so well. If I contact admissions, it won’t be until after I hear a decision. I don’t want to appear to be making excuses or anything. Several girls from my school are applying and wanting to do an interview, and I’d hate to make them go through what I went through. But he is the only alumnus in our area, so I wonder what will happen. Anyways, thank you so much, everyone!</p>

13

<p>Stop being so uptight and coming on here to cry for people to comfort you.</p>

14

<p>Yeah, I’m being so “uptight” because it bothers me that a representative of my number one school accused me of being close-minded simply because of my faith. I see your point.</p>

15

<p>I’m simply trying to make the point that the interviewer was simply trying to figure out:</p>

<p>1) How you act under pressure
2) Who you really are</p>

<p>I doubt the interview would hurt your chances, but I don’t think it would hurt to ask for a second interview.</p>

16

<p>@test101,</p>

<p>I think it is illegal for an interviewer to ask such personal questions as religion. No one would make such a fool of him or herself in order to “test” an applicant. What that interviewer asked was wholly inappropriate. I have NEVER heard of such conduct. Don’t try to rationalize the interviewer’s behavior. It is so disrespectful and plainly ignorant for someone to classify all adherents to one of the world’s leading religions, i.e. Christianity, to a specific character trait, i.e. “closemindedness,” simply because this person is Christian. If this interviewee were Jewish, I would call this a form of antisemitism.</p>

<p>@LCrocks, I am really sorry about this interview. I hope that interviewer has not warped your image of UChicago. It is a great school, full of happy, OPEN minded people from many faiths, including Christianity. :)</p>

17

<p>on the other hand how much can an interview help. like if my interviewer thought i was amazing and said i was the best person he has ever interviewed?</p>

18

<p>Alumni interviews for colleges aren’t about figuring out how you act under pressure, and under the unlikely circumstance that this person was simply posing as a misogynistic bigot, this doesn’t make the conversation any more appropriate. These interviews are about showing the school’s real character and determining if the student would fit in there, not about “testing” the student to see how she reacts to the offensive.</p>

<p>Think about it – let’s say it was all just a test, and the interviewee passed this test. What is the interviewer supposed to report back to the admissions office? “The student didn’t get enraged when I asked her what religion she was and then stereotyped her based on her answer, so she must be a good academic fit for the University”? This doesn’t make any sense. The far more likely alternative is that the interviewer is just a disagreeable person who shouldn’t be talking to students about the University. The alumnus is a bad interviewer who likely made the University as a whole look like a poor option for the student. (And that’s a shame. LCrocks, I can say as a first-year that I have met nobody at the University this close-minded and ridiculous. Don’t let your interview taint your image of us!)</p>

<p>test101, you are incorrect. You are perhaps a bit too paranoid when it comes to college admissions. At no school is the admissions office out to get you; meanwhile, the college interview is far too formal and pivotal an event to spend playing mind games.</p>

19

<p>MooMoo52 - While I doubt that an interview could send you from the “definite no” pile to “definite yes” pile (or vice versa), I feel like it could be the tipping point between those two piles if you’re not all the way in one or the other. That’s the main thing I’m worried about.</p>

<p>nondairycreamer & OxalisWombo - thanks for the insight! Don’t worry, I haven’t let it reflect badly on the University itself! When I visited, I met so many amazing people and had such a great time that one bad experience can’t ruin it for me. :slight_smile: Still my top choice!</p>

20

<p>LCrocks, so sorry to hear about this interview-- we certainly don’t want our applicants to have this kind of negative experience with our alums, and while our interviews are meant as a time for us to learn a little more about you, they are never supposed to be a “grilling”! LCrocks and other students, please do not feel afraid to reach out to us-- either before or after you have received your decision (doing so will not reflect poorly on you in any way!)-- if your interview is anything less than a positive experience. <a href=“mailto:collegeadmissions@uchicago.edu”>collegeadmissions@uchicago.edu</a> is the best place to reach us.</p>