Hello everyone,
I guess this question applies to all schools that interview, but I figured that since I have my Yale interview on Saturday, I would ask this here. Can someone please tell me what the purpose of this question is? In my past interviews, I have not felt like I had a really good response to this question. Thanks!!
Besides what’s in your application, what are one or two items you’d live Yale admissions to notice about you.
You get to choose what is basically your best argument on “why you?”
I always ask the question, “what if anything, do you want me to include for the admissions committee that you may not have been able to put in your application” or something to that effect. Some of talked about new awards or accolades. Some talk about a personality trait that they feel may not have come across in their writing. Some have even talked about challenges they have endured and/or overcome that they were hesitant about talking about in writing on their application. Some say they don’t have anything to add and that’s quite alright too. I’d rather someone say that than to make up something just for the sake of answering the question.
Hope this helps.
I’m not sure the purpose of that question, other than to torture 18-year’s old’s on their first round of interviews and watch them squirm.
I do like @TPerry1982 's version of it though. FWIW: My son and daughter were never asked that specific question (or TPerry’s version of it) in any of their college interviews, including Yale’s.
Ultimately, I suppose you should answer the question as if composing the last sentence of the interviewer’s report for them. It could be something generic, along the lines of . . .
Or, it could be something more specific pertaining directly to your strengths, as @T26E4 suggested.
Thank you everyone! @gibby I was asked that at 2/2 interviews lol: Penn and Harvard. Thank you for the advice @T26E4 and @Tperry1982
And I should not reiterate my why Yale response, right?
It’s difficult to say without knowing your response to the “Why Yale” question, but why not? You could certainly reiterate your response, but after an hour’s conversation with someone you might want to connect on a deeper, more personal level.
@gibby I was just thinking that restating my why Yale answer would be pointless to a degree since admissions has the actual paragraph right in front of them
I understand, but paraphrasing why Yale is a good fit for you could (if repeated by your interviewer in their interview report) reinforce the reasons for your acceptance.
Thanks @gibby I really value your input. I will try to come up with a solid answer!
As an interviewer for the last 20+ years and a psychologist, I don’t really have a set way my interviews go. My best interviews are those that are just a great conversation between me and the applicant. If there is something that they are really passionate about, once they get to talking, they can usually give me a good insight into themselves.
However, all students are not gregarious and I do not expect more introverted applicants to start blurting out their life story and their hopes and dreams. For them, gentle prompting with some general questions usually gets them to open up. If they have not seen it, I show them the “That’s Why I Chose Yale” video on Youtube. That usually opens up a great discussion. I always have my Ipad ready for that.
I love doing interviews and being a teeny tiny part of the admissions process.
@Tperry1982 I hope that I get an interviewer like you! I find it more awkward when interviewers just rattle off questions from a list.
I’m a Duke interviewer. I often ask the same thing at the end of my interviews. There are many different angles I can take when writing up my evaluation. Since I am blinded to what the student puts in the rest of their application, I ask them what they want me to focus on. This is mainly so they can highlight some other aspect of their life that hasn’t been covered elsewhere (essays, recommendations, etc).