<p>Does anyone know what to expect at the Dedman interview? It’s this Saturday, March 27. On Friday, there are activities planned for the whole day (get acquainted, attend a class, Humanities Research Ctr tour, some dinner/social stuff at Town Lake) and the interview slots are on Saturday.</p>
<p>(I’m probably more nervous than my D, who seems to take everything in stride…)</p>
<p>It’s nervewracking, but not that bad.</p>
<p>They will ask about your essays. She needs to know them front and back. They’ll probably also ask something about current events, especially any related to your interests. Know the news really well. They may also ask about activities on your resume and their significance to you.</p>
<p>At my interview we started talking about one line in my essay and went off on relatively related topics for 20 minutes. Seeing how well you can think critically to challenging questions is a big part of it.</p>
<p>They definitely know your application materials front and back when you head in–your daughter needs to know this stuff just as well.</p>
<p>If she doesn’t know the answer to a question, the best answer she can give is “I don’t know.” Don’t dig holes for yourself that you might not be able to get out of. They understand that you don’t know everything–that’s why they’re offering you over fifty grand!</p>
<p>The boat ride and dinner are all important, as well. You meet a lot of the interview committee and get to make conversation about it.</p>
<p>Watch out for Dean Musik–his questions were particuarly challenging when I interviewed.</p>
<p>I wish I could remember more about my son’s interview last year. I do know there were 3 or 4 profs. If I get a chance to talk with my son before tomorrow, I’ll see what he remembers and post it.<br>
I was really surprised at how quickly the decision was made. He got a call within 3 or 4 hours of his interview.</p>
<p>I spoke to my son and he said there were actually 5 or 6 profs conducting the interview. There didn’t seem to be a theme to the questions they asked him. He was asked questions on many different topics. One of the profs was a bit adversarial, but there were several who were more cordial.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks, you guys (especially theloneranger). Until I got your message and printed it out for my D, she was viewing tomorrow as just a day off her normal school routine. Or maybe a day like the Dean’s Scholars visit day, which was all fun and information (seemed like more of a recruiting day to me) with only ~20 minutes of interview time. </p>
<p>Thanks to your helpful/great advice, she printed out her essays and resume and reviewed them, and caught up on some national news. So she should be better prepared for tomorrow and Saturday.</p>
<p>It’s probably best to consider the whole two-day period one big interview.</p>
<p>Anyway, again… many, many thanks!!</p>
<p>Hey cpq1xtbu, thank you too! I just noticed you went to the trouble to talk to your son and get back in touch. I really appreciate it! Being in a room with 5 or 6 professors interviewing you sounds kind of intimidating, especially for a 17-year-old. Yikes.</p>
<p>Just wondering, what IS the Deadman interview?</p>
<p>I don’t want to make it sound too scary. My son did enjoy the 2 days. Most of the time it was like a recruiting event. The interview was the only part that was more “serious.” Even then, I know he didn’t leave the interview feeling like he’d been raked over the coals or anything. But they are deciding which students to award the scholarship to, so they need to ask some probing questions. Good luck to your daughter!
AAli – it’s for the Dedman Scholarship, which is a liberal arts scholarship awarded to 5 students each year.</p>