I don’t see anything wrong with it… Of course, if I received that email, I’d go into a panic frenzy, because my counselor doesn’t speak English…
Alright, so my interviewer emailed me and asked what time would be good for me. Then I said any time would be good, and in the same email asked if I should bring a resume. In his response he suggested a time, which I agreed to, but he ignored my question about bringing a resume. Does this imply that I shouldn’t? If I should, what should I put on it, just my most important activities?
gjo2012, Your resume can be similar to what you put on the common app EC page so it is clear what areas you have participated in or have special interest. If you have anything you are especially proud of what you have accomplished, include it. I would bring one just in case.
rainbowgirl, it may work in your favor to have the interviewer contact your counselor so he/she may bring up something your counselor mentioned about you saving you from having to have to promote yourself. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
one more question, is it ok to say that I’m not interested in politics if asked about it?
I probably would say something like "politics is one of those subjects I stay away from discussing " and follow with a suggestion you talk about a subject you are interested in. Unless you plan to major in something that has a political component eg history you probably won’t be asked since it is such a controversial subject overall.
thanks 10char
It is suggested. Stay away from anything potentially controversial: political views, religious beliefs, and even views on things related to your college, such as alcohol use on campus, labor relations, sexuality, etc.
You can say something like, “I think of myself as holding diverse views that are too broad to be put under a single label”, etc. and then change the subject by asking your own question.
Should I follow up with an email or something. Feels awkward if I were to do so seeing that it was 2 weeks ago.
I would. Just say something like I have been very busy at school but just wanted to let you know …
MY PRINCETON UNIVERSITY INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE (on 1/21/2012):
Before I start my story, I just want to tell you that I am an Asian girl in case someone out there is wondering.
It took me a while to find the law offices where the interviews took place, but I managed to get to the Lobby 5 minutes before the appointment time. The security officer was really nice. She asked for my name. I spelled it out for her. Then she opened a glass gate to the elevator bank.
I arrived in a waiting room. There was a reception desk with two ladies sitting there. One asked me right away, “Jenny?”. I was surprised that they called me by my nickname and not by my official name. She told me they’ll be with me shortly.
I sat next to an African American girl who entered the elevator before me. She was scrutinizing a stack of notes that she brought with her. I was like “Oh crap. I’m so unprepared”. Opposite to me, there were an Asian boy and an Asian girl talking about their schools. They were the only ones talking in the room. Then an interviewer called the boy in.
The silence in the waiting room suddenly got really awkward so I decided to approach one of my opponent, the Asian girl, since she seemed to be outgoing and talkative. She was kind of startled by my sudden approach but we started talking. She asked me “Is this your first interview?” I said “Yeah. What about you?” “This is my third,” she shrugged. No wonder why she was so laid back. She told me that there are about 20 kids at her school who applied to Princeton. Imagine my face.
She got called in eventually. I spent the next 10-15 minutes staring at my shoes, at the floor, then back at my shoes again. It was raining hard outside. An Indian girl and her mom entered the waiting room and sat next to me. The girl was wearing a T-shirt, a light jacket, and jeans. I was wearing a black skirt, black tights, black heels, and a semi-formal top with my hair tied up in a pony tail. FYI, there was no dress code.
A man called my name. I sprang up right away and shook his hand. He directed me to a room at the end of the hallway. He was walking so fast I literally had to RUN behind him. The receptionists were probably laughing at me. He opened the door for me and told me to take the seat at one end of the table. He sat at the other end of the table. We were separated by an empty chair. He took out a notepad and asked my name, my address, my school name. I gave him the resume that I had put next to me on the table. He gladly accepted.
“Tell me about yourself”. I told him that I moved to the United States a year ago. And our conversation started there. He said it must be a huge change going from Asia to the United States. I told him some of the problems I faced (not having friends, huge school size…etc). He asked me about my previous school, how is it different from this current school, about my parents’ professions, about the cultural shift, and about my future dreams. I told him I wanted to volunteer in Africa. And he introduced me to the Princeton in Africa program. Then he said he majored in History at Princeton and asked me about my country, Vietnam, and how it has changed after the Vietnam War.
He also asked me “How’s your writing skill?”. I held myself back immediately because I did not want to sound overly confident. However, I subtly changed the topic by saying “My writing style is kind of…weird.” He laughed, “How so?” I said that I like to incorporate the rain or water into my writing. Rain and water are recurrent motifs in my works. He glanced outside and was like “Then today must be a good day for you!” (there was a thunderstorm outside). I also told him the rain reminded me of my childhood. I used to take a shower under the rain, splashing mud and all. He was pretty amused by my story. “That must have been fun!”. I was a bit embarrassed. Then we talked about the people at my school (a suburban high school in Georgia, relatively unknown). He asked, are they “narrow”? I said No, it’s maybe because they haven’t seen much yet. Then we talked about random topics.
Throughout the interview, I made ONE self-depreciating joke. I said “I walk around the school like an exotic creature”. He lol-ed, “What was that…‘exotic creature’? Haha That was very funny”. And I think he wrote down what I said on his notepad. ^^"
After that he asked me “What other schools did you apply to?” That was another dangerous question. I told him honestly (Princeton, Amherst, U Chicago, U Washington and two other schools). He was like “Interesting set of schools you have there. I understand why Amherst and U Chicago. Why U Washington?”. Was he trying to test my determination? I quickly directed the answer back to the rain. “Because Seattle is a very international city and because it has the highest amount of days with rainfall…” He laughed again. “You have a very strange fondness for the rain, I see,” and added, “It must also be a fine institution.” I nodded. I didn’t want to go on and on too much about another school. I told him that Princeton is still my first choice.
At the end of the interview he asked me, “Who drove you here?” I said my uncle. He asked “Where is your uncle, in the lobby?” I said “Uhhh in the parking lot.” He said he wanted to meet my uncle. I told him that my uncle doesn’t speak English. He was like Ohhh okay. Then he asked whether I have any questions. I asked him two questions. “How was your first day at Princeton?” and “How did you change as a person?” He said he felt at home immediately the day he set foot on campus, and that he has become a more cosmopolitan person. However he didn’t sound very enthusiastic answering my questions.
When we left the room he handed me his business card (he’s a lawyer) and told me to contact him if I have any questions. He also encouraged me to send in the art supplement because I wrote on my resume that I am skilled in the Arts. I shook his hand one last time and thanked him again. He smiled and told me if I didn’t have any other reason to go back in there (the waiting area) I could just go ahead and get in the elevator.
How I prepared for this:
The night before, I went on Princeton’s website and researched about environmental activities and volunteer activities. I wrote down some questions that I planned to ask (I wrote down like 5 but asked 2). I also prepared answers to questions like What’s your favorite subjects? What do you want to do in the future? Etc.
What I would do differently:
<ul>
<li>Pay more attention to my sitting posture.</li>
<li>Not say “Umm” before every single answer.</li>
<li>Try to articulate more, and speak in full sentences.</li>
<li>Practice with an adult or a friend beforehand.</li>
</ul>
Sorry for the super long post! I hope it alleviates your anxiety. (:
Oh I forgot. The interviewer also asked me, “If I were to advocate for you, what would I say?” And I gave him a few highlights.
My Princeton interview is in an hour… I hope I don’t get asked the advocacy question, cause I’m bound to fail it
Raspberry19: Sounded like you had a really good interview! Thanks for posting that, it was insightful!
I just got called to have an interview with a Yalie at a law firm next week, yay! I already searched this thread (and numerous others), but I haven’t read anything concrete about what girls should wear for an interview in a law/business office setting. I know that guys are usually advised to go in suits, and girls aren’t supposed to wear any flashy jewelry/low cut tops/overdone makeup, etc … but can anyone get more specific on that?
Is it expected for girls to show up in a dress shirt, blazer and black pants? I can’t explain why, but I think it’s overkill to wear both a dress shirt and a blazer and black pants considering you’re supposed to be yourself… would a plain tank top (not low-cut, obviously) and a blazer (and perhaps a scarf…) be appropriate for a girl?
Thank you everyone, and good luck on interviews!
Hi Nutellagirl (love the name!)
I think instead of a plain tank top, a slightly dressy shirt/blouse + a blazer and dress pants would give you that professional yet casual look you’re looking for. Even if you wore a dress shirt + blazer, accessorizing with a scarf with add just a touch of casual to the outfit. In a law firm, I think it’s better to be overdressed and more business-like than underdressed.
I’m sure your bright personality will shine through, through your attitude, confidence, and the way you talk, so don’t worry too much about it!
Good luck!
Yay, thank you Stiina!
Good luck everyone, 9 (?) more days to go…
I would like to send a thank you note to my interviewer but all I know about her is her phone number. Would it be appropriate to send her a thank you text or should I just not bother at all?
kimisizer, I actually think that would be very thoughtful and perhaps memorable. Good luck!
I had my Dartmouth interview today and my Yale interview yesterday. Both interviewers asked me what schools I applied to. I mentioned Columbia. Both interviewers then talked about Columbia for a couple minutes in almost unadulterated praise. What the heck?
Also, my Dartmouth interviewer asked me what my top choice was, and I told him Yale. Is this a major problem? I was just trying to be honest, but I probably should have told him that I didn’t have a top choice or something.
Wow, I’m dismayed by some of the posts in here. I do alumni interviews for my alma mater and we are given clear guidelines on subjects to avoid. Politics is certainly one of them. Also sexuality, religion, ethnicity… Most of it is just common sense.
Also, it is supposed to be a conversation, not a cross-examination!
If you feel that an interviewer has asked any questions that are inappropriate or is otherwise rude, please report it to the college!!! The college does not want an interviewer who makes the school look bad. Really. You would do them a favor by reporting this person, and future applicants will be spared from a bad experience.