<p>So I got the call from my interviewer and took down his information. We’re meeting in a few days.
Guess what I find out from a simple google search? He’s a reverend who spends most of his time blogging about religion and anti-atheism.
Guess what? I’m an atheist math/physics major. It’s kind of hard to talk about my interest in physics without my views of the universe coming up. This should be interesting.</p>
<p>Um… Is this a waitlist interview, or did it happen a few months ago? I’m kind of confused.</p>
<p>Interview now?</p>
<p>I am confused…</p>
<p>Aha, gotcha. I stalked your posts and saw you’re a transfer student.</p>
<p>Well, try to steer clear of the topic, is my advice. If he isn’t a physicist, it’s unlikely he’ll initiate an in-depth conversation about cosmogony or whatever. I hope.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>If the interviewer is a University of Chicago alumnus and a regular interviewer, you can rest assured that he has met (and gotten along with) many, many atheists. If he has tried to exclude atheists from the University . . . well, he hasn’t been too successful at that.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it at all.</p>
<p>JHS opens up an interesting strategy–engage the difference straight up. If Chicago is an intellectual place, then it cannot thrive without thoughtful, respectful engagement between people with differing viewpoints. Demonstrate that you are open to a range of viewpoints and also capable of the sort of discourse that makes Chicago a vital epistemic community.</p>
<p>Right, that’s a really good point. What is special about Chicago is NOT that people avoid discussing contentious issues, but that they discuss them all the time in a respectful manner in which people defend their positions vigorously on an intellectual basis but listen carefully to others, acknowledge when others have made good arguments, look for areas of agreement or common ground, and think critically about their own positions. There’s probably no better way to show that you belong there than to engage in that kind of dialog. (On the other hand, it IS high risk. If you aren’t confident you can discuss this without getting emotional or dismissive, then don’t try.)</p>
<p>I’m not worried about getting emotional or dismissive, but after reading his multiple blogs that are nothing if not condescending and holier than thou, I feel broaching the subject would completely distort his view of me. It’s in an hour, let’s hope for the best</p>
<p>Oh man, apparently it was his brother I had found! This guy was a super cool chem PhD, yay</p>
<p>When would you request an interview if you are planning to apply EA for a 2016’er, the timeline on UofC website says summer, so do they mean late summer…it just seems early?</p>
<p>Random, but I figure id ask now.</p>
<p>lol, I’m glad it worked out okay for you! The moment of the reveal must have been awkward, though.</p>
<p>@alexandraD i asked after the EA deadline lol</p>