<p>The alumni interview is your opportunity to present your qualifications to a Princeton alumnus. Last year 99.8 percent of all candidates for admission worldwide were offered the opportunity to interview with a Princeton alumnus. In 2009 alumni volunteers had personal contact with every candidate. Princeton is the only university that I know that attempts to contact every student from every country for an interview. The interviews are generally informal and casual. All interviews are suppose to be friendly and relaxed. Interviews are meant to be an exchange of information about you and Princeton.</p>
<p>This year the admissions office will notify candidates that an alumnus has been assigned to interview you. You should be prompt in responding to your interviewer's emails or phone messages; you do not want to create the impression that you are not interested. The interview may be held at the alumnus office, their home, a coffee shop, library or other mutually convenient location. If the interview is in a public place such as a coffee shop consider telling your interviewer that you will wear a specific item so that the interviewer can easily find you. Since there may not be very many high school students at the location it is generally easier for the interviewer to find you than for you to ask every person if they are there for an interview. An interview may also be conducted by phone or via Skype. If the interviewer suggests a time that is inconvenient for you tell them why that time is bad and suggest another time. Your interviewer knows that most Princeton candidates have busy schedules. </p>
<p>The Princeton alumni interviews are organized by the the alumni groups around the world. Princeton University sends information about candidates for admission to the chairperson of the Alumni Schools Committee (ASC) in each region. The regional chairperson of the ASC sends interview assignments to alumni that have volunteered to interview candidates. It is likely that there are slight regional differences in when and how the interviews are arranged and conducted. When you have your interview depends on how the local alumni in your area conduct the interviews. Some regions start interviews in December. Interviews in our region are scheduled shortly after applications are due on January 1. Regular admission candidates will generally be contacted in January or February and the interview should be completed before March. You do not need to contact the university to have an interview; an alumnus will contact you. If you want to have an interview and have not been contacted by January 31 it would be appropriate for you to contact your assigned interviewer, the regional chairperson for interviews, or admissions to determine when an interview can be scheduled. The date of your interview is determined by when your alumni interviewer is able to schedule the interview with you. Some interviewers are able to conduct their interviews quickly and some may be very busy and you will have to wait. The date of the interview does NOT indicate your chances for admission. It is simply the luck of the draw when you are contacted for an interview. If you are applying early action or early decision at other universities your Princeton interview may be months after that university's interview. Your interviewer knows that you are a high school student and does not expect you to be a polished interviewer.</p>
<p>If you review the factors for admission you will see that the alumni interview is considered but is less important than most other factors. Many parents and candidates believe that the interview has more importance than the interview actually has. A fabulous interview is unlikely to overcome poor grades or weak test scores. If you think that your interview did not go well do not despair; Princeton accepts many shy individuals who will mature and become more social by attending Princeton. One value of living in the residential colleges with people from different backgrounds is to help you develop as a person. Since your interviewer does not see any part of your application they do not have sufficient information to comment on your chances for acceptance at Princeton.</p>
<p>Since some universities provide application information to alumni interviewers why doesn’t Princeton? Princeton does not want alumni to act as if they are a gatekeeper to Princeton. They are not. Admissions is. The purpose of the interview is to provide information to admissions and to answer your questions about Princeton. The university does not want the interview report to cover the same information that they have from your application. The interview report should be based on information independent and different from your application. The purpose of the interview report is to help the admissions officers gain a more complete picture of the candidate.</p>
<p>Most alumni want to see more candidates from their city admitted so they are inclined to give you a good recommendation. The interviewer only receives the basic contact information; they do not see your application, SAT scores, recommendations or know your intended major. I have never received any information concerning the admission chances of the candidate. Go to your interview with a positive attitude. Most candidates have good interviews. The interview humanizes your application. If the admissions officer remembers your story that can enhance your application. If you had to overcome specific difficulties such as a serious illness or a death in the family it is appropriate to discuss these difficulties with the interviewer. Try to show that even though it was difficult you were able to surmount these problems. </p>
<p>Most interviews are conducted like a casual conversation that you might have with a relative that you have not seen for years. The interview should be a comfortable conversation. You will answer questions such as how do you like school, what are your favorite subjects, or are you still on the soccer team. Subsequent questions will follow from those answers. Just relax and be yourself. You will be more natural and the interviewer will get a good sense of who you really are.</p>
<p>Since many students cannot travel to Princeton for an interview all interviews are conducted by local alumni. You should be prepared to answer questions such as why do you want to attend Princeton? What were your favorite courses in high school and why were these subjects your favorite? What field do you plan to major in? I try to understand why a student wants to attend Princeton, the non academic qualities the student has that will enrich the Princeton community, and their intellectual qualities. Some interviewers will engage in a general conversation. There is no prescribed format; each interviewer is different. It is easy to determine which candidates are genuinely interested and have thought about why Princeton is a good fit for them. Most interviewers will ask questions about your academic and extracurricular interests. This is also your opportunity to ask questions about Princeton. Do not ask questions that can be easily answered by a quick review of the Princeton web site. Intelligent questions demonstrate that you are interested and prepared. Take this opportunity to learn more about Princeton. This is your opportunity to ask your interviewer what their life at Princeton was like. If an candidate is considering spending the next four years of their life at Princeton and they do not have any questions about Princeton then I question their serious interest in Princeton. </p>
<p>There is no set format for the interview. The university does not instruct alumni to conduct the interviews in a specific manner. The interviewers are volunteers; they are not selected and trained by the university. Each interviewer and each interview are different. Each interviewer will ask different questions. Some interviewers may ask questions covered in your application but many interviewers will try to explore areas unrelated to your application. It is a waste of time trying to compare your interview with an interview a classmate had. The interviews are meant to be open discussions that may go in very different directions. The interviews can last from 20 minutes to hours. A short interview may only indicate that the interviewer is a physician who has an early surgery the next date or has unexpected tasks they need to complete. It just depends on you and the interviewer. </p>
<p>Mistakes to avoid. Don’t tell the alumni interviewer that you are applying to Princeton because your parents told you to or because it is a prestigious university. Don’t tell the interviewer that you plan to major in a subject not offered at Princeton such as nursing or forestry management. Do not exaggerate or stretch the truth. An interviewer will have a poor impression if they decide that you have not been truthful. Don’t talk about activities that your parents forced you to participate in because it will look good for college. We want to find out what YOU are passionate about. Don’t be lukewarm about your activities; there should be something that excites you. Don’t make a lot of excuses for a less than perfect application. Don’t make negative remarks about other schools, towns, or activities. Your interviewer may have graduated from that school, be from that town, or that might have been their favorite activity. Remain positive. Don’t forget which interview you are at and start explaining why you want to attend Yale or Harvard.</p>
<p>I recommend that students prepare a resume for the interview. In the resume list your major accomplishments that show why you should be admitted to Princeton. Do not use abbreviations. Your selection to the U.S. team of IMO, IBO, IChO, or IPhO might not be recognized if you are interviewed by a classics major unfamiliar with the abbreviations. Your interviewer may not be familiar with the contests and clubs that you participated in. Your alumni interviewer probably did not attend your high school and may not know the abbreviations for clubs and activities that you assume everybody knows. I like a resume so that I am not writing copious notes during the interview; I can concentrate on the conversation. When I write a report to the university a resume refreshes my mind about our interview. Sometimes I will conduct three interviews in a week and will not have time to write my report until the weekend. Some interviewers do not want a resume because the interview report is suppose to be based on information not contained in your application. They want to concentrate on knowing who you are and not what you have done. I suggest that you bring a resume to the interview but realize that some interviewers may not want your resume. Most candidates that I have interviewed did not bring a resume.</p>
<p>General advice for college interviews and job interviews is to present yourself as a likable truthful individual. Be polite and act natural. Do not try to impress your interviewer; they might be a national expert in your best subject. Clearly detail your accomplishments. Princeton wants to admit students that are interesting and will contribute to the university community. A successful interview is an interview where you are true to who you are and you show your personality by giving truthful answers. People generally recommend for hiring and vote for political candidates that they like. Be confident-not arrogant. For example, I interviewed a candidate with multiple 800’s but he was not first in his class. I asked him why he was not first in his class. Instead of making excuses or criticizing his teachers he said his classmates were very intelligent and were hard workers. I was impressed by his modesty and gave him a good recommendation.</p>
<p>One of the factors considered for admission is the level of candidate’s interest in attending Princeton. You should carefully review the Princeton university web site and read about the courses in your intended major and student activities that are of interest. [Directory</a> -*Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students - Directory](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/odus/activities/organizations/directory/]Directory”>http://www.princeton.edu/odus/activities/organizations/directory/) You should consider reading the student newspaper to obtain a better understanding of the university. [The</a> Daily Princetonian](<a href=“http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/]The”>http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/) Read the web sites so that you sound like you know something about Princeton and that you can demonstrate that you have a serious interest in attending Princeton. You want to show that you know how Princeton is different from other selective schools and why Princeton is a good fit for you. It is a plus if you can be specific why a major at Princeton appeals to you or a specific activity at Princeton that you are interested in.</p>
<p>Interviewers are told not to discuss controversial topics, they should not report anything about the candidate’s appearance, and they should not speculate about the candidate’s chances for admission. After the interview the interviewer will write a report about you and the interview. What I write varies for each candidate. Since most candidate’s to Princeton are among the best students at their high school most of my reports have been very positive.</p>
<p>How should you dress? The location of the interview determines your attire. If you interview at a downtown law office then business attire (coat and tie) may be appropriate. If you interview at a coffee shop or home then business casual attire is appropriate. Dress neatly. Dress modestly. For men this could be a collar shirt and dress slacks. For women this could be skirt and blouse or slacks and a blouse. Women should dress as they would going to a casual event at their church, synagogue, or mosque. I do not want to have any reason to remember what you were wearing. You should wear clothes that you are comfortable wearing and show that you are serious about the interview. Plan to arrive at the interview with time to spare. This will allow you to relax and mentally prepare for the interview. Turn your cell phone off!</p>
<p>A thank you email to the interviewer for the interview is a nice touch. Very few candidates make the effort of this common courtesy. As the interviewer is writing their report it may help if their last impression of you is a good impression.</p>
<p>Unfortunately most well qualified candidates will not be admitted due to the small size of the freshman class. I believe that Princeton could quadruple the size of the freshman class and maintain the same quality of the student body. Stated another way I believe that Princeton is unable to accept three equally qualified candidates for each candidate that is offered admission. When highly qualified candidates are denied admission they may believe that they were unfairly denied. The alumni interview is one step the university takes so that each candidate feels that they had the opportunity to present their case for admission. Admission to the Ivies has become so competitive and stressful that Princeton wants to present a friendly face to the process.</p>
<p>If your interview is a disaster should you do anything? If you were nervous or unprepared then no. If it was a matter of personalities then no. If the interviewer made you uncomfortable by asking inappropriate questions, or was pompous and condescending, then I would politely inform the admissions office the nature of the interview. This communication would not be held against the candidate. You should only contact admissions if the interviewer was way out of line. </p>
<p>You will learn of your admission decision before the alumni interviewer. Do not expect a congratulations phone call from your interviewer in March. If you are admitted to Princeton and did not enjoy your interview attend the Princeton Preview days in April and visit with current students. Not every Princeton graduate is Mr./Ms. Personality.</p>
<p>I brought my resume to my interview in a folder. However, my interviewer seemed interested in casually going over my extracurriculars and engineering, so I didn’t feel the need to whip it out and limit myself to it. Will this be frowned upon as poor preparation?</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I was just contacted on Fri. to schedule an interview and was stressing a bit because I tend to be a more reserved person. Your article has put me a little more at ease.</p>
<p>I just set up an interview at Starbucks with the alumnus in my area. I asked her about the resume, and she told me it was unnecessary and to dress casually.</p>
<p>This may seem like a silly question but…who buys? I plan on getting to the coffee shop well ahead of time as we have a ski day at school that day - instead I’ll be interviewing, yikes! Since I will most likely be there first, should I wait to buy coffee or get mine and sit there and wait for the interviewer? I am not normally one to overthink these things but what is the etiquette?</p>
<p>I am proud of my daughter who recently applied to Princeton… We attended the information session & tour over the summer. I have to admit we were very intimidated walking into the small auditorium as everyone stared… We were absolutely being “sized up”. My daughter is what appears to be “first generation”. I had her right out of HS and was not able to attend college. I was willing to sacrifice everything as long as she were able to go to college/university some day. I sat quietly through the info session & tour- I purposely said nothing as I wanted to know how SHE felt about Princeton. I looked at her when we got into the car and said “Well, what did you think?” Her reply, “Mom, I belong here”. I would consider her to be an average to slightly above average student, her stats cannot compare to some that I have seen on this site. However, she felt the gentleman who spoke at the info session was speaking to kids just like her, encouraging her to apply. The student who gives 100% and that did NOT mean a 2400 on SAT’s with all AP courses, athletes, Kids involved in clubs, activities in/out of their school- really looking for the well rounded with a strong desire to learn & contribute to the university. He stressed the importance of the essay for the application- according to him it was #1!!!. My daughter spent MONTHS writing the perfect essay as well as sharing a very personal story to the Cornell West essay prompt for the 2011 supplemental. She was contacted by a Princeton Alumnae in our area for a personal interview (for the record- she wore winter white cords, sweater & a cute jacket from Banana Republic- honestly, you cant go wrong there, very conservative- yet young ;o)…) they met at Starbucks for about 30-40 minutes. She felt very comfortable and absolutely sent a thank you note by email to her interviewer. She did not have a resume but openly spoke about her activities/sports etc… I wish she would have seen the post by PtonAlumnus prior to her interview as it may have put her mind at ease… I wish all of you the best of luck and hope you take advantage of life’s opportunities big AND small!</p>
<p>Not a funny question at all, I went over this with my daughter as well… She arrived 10 minutes ealy. The interviewer was already there. There was no mention of coffee or even as opportunity to offer- it was a “hit the ground running” type deal. It was like they had a standing location for interviews & that was it. I personally would feel out the situation & offer to buy a cup of coffee for her.</p>
<p>Hey, just one question. If anyone could answer, I would appreciate it greatly. My interview is tomorrow.</p>
<p>So, I wrote down some questions to ask the interviewer in a notepad. Would it be seen as rude/unprepared if I actually took it out to ask those questions?</p>