<p>Are there any tips such as dressing up, what to talk about and all that good stuff? This is my first interview so anything is helpful. Thank you. :)</p>
<p>Business casual is generally the accepted dress. If in doubt, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. In fact, you can joke about being overdressed if need be.</p>
<p>The interviewer is going to ask you about your interests, clubs, classes, and will try to get to know you on a more personal basis in order to add another dimension to your app. DEF will ask you about your most difficult decision or greatest challenge. </p>
<p>Go in with a positive attitude, and try to get a feel for the interviewer. Obviously, you don't want to joke around with a really serious, straight-laced interviewer. DO NOT try to give them a resume, your application will serve as your resume, this is just to get to know YOU. </p>
<p>All of the interviews I've had have been really comfortable and fun. Oh, and make sure to have some questions for the interviewer, esp. about campus life and academics (because most likely he/she will be a student, and will know what he/she is talking about).</p>
<p>Well my interviewer is like 60, he is a doctor, so that should tell me how i should act. So any other suggestions?</p>
<p>This is a weird thing to have to say but be prepared to answer the question "Why Swarthmore?" And the interviewer will want more than "small classes" and anything that comes with the typical liberal arts education. He wanted specifics, more than the campus and liberal arts. Luckily I was prepared but I know a few people that weren't and it made for a very awkward conversation.</p>
<p>I wore black slacks and nice shoes and shirt and I didn't feel overdressed- my interviewer was dressed basically the same way.</p>
<p>My S interviewed on campus during a visit a few years back (he graduated in '07) and wore khakis and a nice shirt. You can modify this "seasonally." I respectfully disagree with pinkiwi's advice about a resume. He did take a resume in to the interview and the interviewer did look at it and start certain parts of the conversation based on what was on the resume. I remember there was a specific conversation based on a somewhat unusual summer job. Since you are at an advantage using your own resume, which presumably only contains topics in which you are conversant (;)) why not bring it with you? If the interviewer doesn't want to use it, he won't.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody. When I got the letter they sent me a little thing to fill out with some basic information and also my activities, so I guess that will the resume. Should I type the information on there to make it look professional? And thanks Brillar for the heads up, I kind of thought that they would have asked to weed out some people. Once again, thanks.</p>
<p>When I got there they gave me a paper to list ECs, and my interviewer asked me about the things I had listed on there. That's why they say to get to Parrish a little early- there's a paper to fill out. To save time, you could bring the sheet you got in the mail with you. I don't think typing it is unnecessary unless you have bad handwriting, but it couldn't hurt.</p>
<p>About how long was your interview in total Brillar?</p>
<p>Hahaha... mine was SO short. I'm kind of ashamed, it was less than 30 minutes but it went well- My interviewer said I reminded him of one of his friends (who I also know). I don't know, I didn't have a lot of questions since I'm friends with a couple Swatties and they are always willing to talk about Swarthmore- I guess I should have saved more questions for my interview. </p>
<p>A friend of mine had an interview that was about 45 minutes or more. Some say that a longer interview is better but it isn't always- sometimes length is determined by the personality of the interviewer. Or at least I hope so. Most of the Swatties I talked to had interviews around a half an hour, some more than that and some less.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. It goes by really quickly, and can even be enjoyable if your interviewer is cool. I would just go in with two or three key points about yourself that you want your interviewer to know--just try to naturally work them into whatever question he throws at you. </p>
<p>I wore a blazer and a matching skirt, and felt a little overdressed, but it was fine. Better over than under.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Mine was at a small little coffee shop, so I wore jeans and a sweater. Lasted about an hour long, just a rather casual chat about my ECs, interests, Swarthmore questions, etc. Yeah, had that little paper and gave it to her in the beginning; she used it to jump into various questions.</p>
<p>Lots of awkward moments, though...but that's a whole other story :)</p>
<p>So what exactly did those awkward moments come about?</p>
<p>From the Home Simpson "doh" Department of real world interview mistakes, I can tell you what not to do:</p>
<p>Don't sit down for an interview with a gay Swarthmore student and talk about how you and your friends are rude and obnoxious to the gay students in your high school.</p>
<p>Well, here's my favourite awkward moment of the interview:</p>
<p>At the very end of the interview, as I was getting up to leave, she remarked, "Sorry, I obviously made you talk too much because you barely drank anything!"</p>
<p>So the Italian soda I ordered was HUGE, and of course I barely made a dent in it. I don't think I talked that much. Anyway, I didn't want her to feel bad about not letting me drink (didn't want her to feel bad, ha. I should have just said "Oh it's okay." Silly me, overthinking everything)! So I replied, "Oh no, I don't really like cold drinks."</p>
<p>BUT THEN! Okay, I must think differently during interviews or something (seriously). So I'm thinking - but wait! I don't want her to think that I don't like cold drinks and that I only like hot drinks! This is so tragic! What should I do!</p>
<p>So I add in like 2 seconds later, "Well, I don't really like hot drinks either..."</p>
<p>She looks at me strangely. I realize what I have just said. Now she thinks I don't like hot drinks OR cold drinks when I really like both! Ah! It was tramautizing. </p>
<p>There was an awkward silence, until she finally said:</p>
<p>"So...you like...lukewarm drinks."</p>
<p>I died a little bit on the inside, but nodded vigorously. Then she gave me a REALLY strange look and I grinned sheepishly.</p>
<p>SO TRAGIC! It was devastating. So I'm obviously not getting into Swarthmore because of that. I can just see her writing on her interview report: "likes lukewarm drinks." Then the admissions people will read it and it'll come down to the final decision, and they'll decide that they don't really want people who like lukewarm drinks. Then my application will be tossed out the window.</p>
<p>:) This is a good idea for a thread. "Awkward interview moments." I think I'll make one, hehe! I'm certainly full of them.</p>
<p>Haha, that is the most amazing awkward moment ever. Mine were much less majestic. Definitely less funny. She'll probably look back on it and think it was hilarious- you'll probably get in because of it.</p>
<p>Interesteddad- Someone did that? Ouch. Even if their interviewer was straight (mine wasn't), that would be a really odd topic. Especially for a spec- I'd think that most prospective Swatties wouldn't spend their time making fun of gay students.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Interesteddad- Someone did that? Ouch.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes. Although the spec did apparently admit to sometimes feeling a little bad about harrassing gay students. And, I'm sure the spec will have no idea why a rejection letter came from Swarthmore (despite perhaps having "perfect SATs"). The spec had no idea the interviewer was gay -- not that it should have made any difference.</p>
<p>Very few Swarthmore applicants are bigots. Most people apply to Swarthmore because they want to go to school where that kind of behavior isn't acceptable. It's a great example of how to blow an interview by being braindead about the school you are applying to.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There was an awkward silence, until she finally said: "So...you like...lukewarm drinks."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ha. That's a great story. A quintessentially Swattie response.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about it. I hardly think your little moment will cost you a shot at Swarthmore. In fact, it would make a great hook for a "Why Swarthmore?" essay. I love the way you told the story.</p>