I had my Loomis Chaffee interview yesterday. It went for 53-4 minutes, with approximately 40 minutes spent on the student interview.
Considering that the Loomis website states that around 20-30 minutes are allotted for the student interview (and 45 minutes for the entire session), is this a good sign?
The interviewer seemed nice/interested in what I have done, and I was able to “connect” with her as we figured that we liked the same book, but what worries me is that I didn’t have good answers for questions like, “Which class do you dislike?” as I did not have an answer for that, and stuttered a lot. I did write a thank-you note, and the interviewer told me that she’ll email me back an answer to my question (about a club in the school).
Judging from what had happened, is this a good sign? How significant is the interview? Are there any tips for improving?
Unfortunately, no, the length of your interview doesn’t mean anything, good or bad.
You should prepare by preparing answers to the questions you stumbled over. Expect to be asked what your favorite and least favorite book/class/activity is.
Yes, it is is good the interviewer was engaged and had lots to talk to you about.
However, unless you were interviewing with the Dean of Admissions, the interview is a relatively small part of the admissions equation. The interviewer may give a positive review to the Admissions Committee, but the AdCom will evaluate many factors, and the interview will be but one.
Based on numerous conversations we’ve had with other boarding school families and admissions staff, the interview rarely is the reason for admission, but it can sometimes be the reason for a rejection.