<p>I’m going to be having my Brown interview soon, and I have a bit of a conundrum. I know my interviewer well, since he’s my brother’s ophthalmologist and my dad’s friend. I’ve also known his kids since elementary school. </p>
<p>Anyway, he knows that I like biology and probably want to go into medicine. However, at the last minute I decided to apply to Brown for environmental science because a) I have done a ton of environmentally related EC’s, whereas I’ve never done anything related to biology; b) ES is a less popular major; and c) the programs are actually really good and extremely interesting. </p>
<p>However, I know my interviewer is going to want to talk medicine (he was a biology major). How do I explain my sudden shift in concentration? I feel badly because I know he was trying to get me to study computational biology, but I’m not sure that I have the mathematical chops.</p>
<p>Just talk to him honestly. You can read some of the interview FAQs here, but the bottom line from the questions we get Brown is making sure they’re reading your application correctly.</p>
<p>What I mean by this is, they ask us to find out what your curiosities are in and out of the classroom, why you want to come to Brown, and how we would perceive you working in the Brown community. It’s not about gotchas, and in fact many interviewers (myself included) will see your slightly being unsure and following what looks interesting as very typically Brown. Going into medicine does not mean studying biology by any stretch, so a consistent set of ECs involving the environment resulting in an academic interest is hardly something to count against you. I would guess at least half of all pre-meds are not doing biology or even science as a concentration.</p>
<p>Yes, the alumni interviewer for our area called me. </p>
<p>Modestmelody, that’s very reassuring. After all, I really wouldn’t want to go somewhere where they were said ‘you must study this and this’, since I’m not one of those people who have had their future career planned out since first grade (still don’t!). Hopefully I’ll convey how much I love Brown and the interview will go smoothly. The application process has definitely inspired quite a bit of self-reflection on my part, but I’m glad that I’ll be exploring something I have a true interest in.</p>
<p>This person should not be interviewing you. Brown rules are that someone who knows you well SHOULD NOT be your interviewer. Not sure what you can do about this, but he should know better.</p>
<p>Well, we live in a rural area, so I know all of the two Brown interviewers (actually, I know many of the elite school interviewers… it’s just pretty hard not to). I doubt Brown is going to care that they know that I played the pumpkin in the second grade play.</p>
<p>Just be honest and explain why (you did ES extracurrics and decided that you were more fit for that major over medicine). Don’t fret too much about the interview. Adcoms don’t take the interview into a huge account. Plus, the interview is mostly for you to have someone to talk to about Brown so you can learn more about the school.</p>
<p>For the most part of my interview, my interviewer talked about the school and her experience there and then how I could fit in at Brown (e.g. programs, classes that would fit my interests). Not so much “what’s your GPA; what are you interested in and why; why should we choose you to be at our school.”</p>