<p>Hi
I am applying from the UK and got invited for an interview at the end of March the other day. The only problem is that i have no idea of what to expect from an interview for an American University because i never even thought i would get interviewed in the first place 
. The fact that it is happening in a Starbucks completely threw me off for starters :). I realise that there are no hard and fast rules for the questions asked at interview but i was just wondering if anyone could give me a clue as to the type of question that is asked. Are the questions acedemicaly orientated like they would be at a UK uni interview or are they more along the lines of âSo tell me about yourselfâ kind of thing. Any examples of actual questions other people (particularly other internationals but US aswell) have had would be really appreciated.</p>
<p>Iâm not sure about the specifics for American University, but most US college interviews are more along the lines of âtell me about yourselfâ. They wonât throw academic questions at you, most likely. I have a friend who was just accepted to AU. I ask him about it for you.</p>
<p>I think he meant american university, not specifically AU, right? I just assumed that since he said AN american university. </p>
<p>In any case, I think interviews in the U.S. are really informal. A lot of the time theyâre alumni interviews, and so donât even count so much in terms of decisions. While I havenât had one at Starbucks yet, both of the ones Iâve had have been just like a conversation with someone who happens to be an alum at the school you want to go to, lol.</p>
<p>Typical questions/things to talk about:
âTell about yourself
âWhy ___?
â3 adjectives your friends would say about you
âStrengths/Weaknesses
âQuestions</p>
<p>Those are very general and may not always be asked (I havenât been asked strengths weaknesses, but I did get a âWhat social issue are you most concerned with?â) If youâre applying to a specific college of a University, like engineering or business theyâll probably want to hear why youâre interested in that. </p>
<p>The questions are actually really important. They want to talk about themselves and their school, so donât say no when they ask you if you have questions. You can ask really specific questions about the school, but they might not know those. Donât ask questions you can find in the viewbook or a quick search on the internet. Good questions are like, âwhat was your majorâ âdid you find __ system a problem?â âare professors accessible?â etc. </p>
<p>Anyway, thereâs really no set format. My second interviewer didnât even take any notes. So each interview is bound to be unique, depending on how well you hit it off with your interviewer (usually shared interests are great). </p>
<p>Last things to remember:
âAsk them for a card/contact info in case you have more questions
âthe card is also handy so that you can send them a quick thank you note/email </p>
<p>Oh and usually they donât know anything about you. Alums donât see your application and sometimes donât know your interests at all, so tell them everything. Also, I donât think itâs necessary to bring a resume at all; you donât want to be looking down all the time. </p>
<p>I hope this was helpful! Good luck.</p>
<p>Hey I Know Interviews Arenât Required And Theyâll Contact U For OneâŠbut Is It True That It Means U Have A Really Good Shot If They Request One Of You?..and If SoâŠis It Bad That I Havenât Gotten A Request Yet?..how Long After U Apply Does It Take For Them To Ask For An Interview Anyways?..like 1 Month?</p>
<p>No, whether you get interviews or not does not have anything to do with your chances. More than anything they have to do with the efficiency of the Alumni association and your interview. Sometimes they âforgetâ to call you up for one. So, lots of people have been accepted without having gotten an interview. I wouldnât worry yet. For RD, they have until March 1 usually to get interviews in, so thereâs still time. </p>
<p>*this isnât true for all schools, just the ones that donât require them.</p>
<p>An interview definitely isnât requiredâŠbut a very good (or very bad) interview can lead to serious discussion by the adcom about your app. </p>
<p>The Yale alumni site is an awesome resource. Itâs been mentioned in a few other threads, but itâs worth reposting:</p>
<p><a href=âhttp://www.yale.edu/asc[/url]â>www.yale.edu/asc</a></p>
<p>Check out the âinterviewâ and âwriting the reportâ section, especially. Nearly all of your questions about the interview will be answered.</p>
<p>I also had an alumni interview, and it was also at a coffee house type place. It was very laid back- the night before the interview, the interviewer emailed me and told me to dress casually b/c he would probably be wearing jeans. Donât worry, itâll go fine. Good luck!</p>