Any advice on interviews?

<p>Is there anything i should know or be prepared for when i do my interview for MIT? Also, is the interview conducted at my home, or do i go somewhere for it?</p>

<p>You call your EC (Education Counselor) once you get his/her information online through MyMIT (sometime after the application is online) and arrange a meeting. </p>

<p>Be relaxed at the meeting, mine was very nice and I really can't complain at all. My suggestion, bring a High School Resum</p>

<p>why are you coming on campus june 24th? omared?</p>

<p>Interphase beggins the 25th</p>

<p>ooooo</p>

<p>.</p>

<p>1) Just relax
2) As omareduardo13 mention take a resume of your high school years
3) The interview is usually conducted somewhere....usually a<br>
coffeeplace(atleast mine was)
4) Get a list of questions you have together before the interview, it also shows<br>
preparedness.
That's all I can think of. ^_^</p>

<p>Just don't give them any reason to think you either lied on your app or that you're excessively uptight/strange/weird/etc. My interviewer was really nice - we actually spent the entire time talking about how different Cleveland is from California (she was originally from CA, as is a close friend of mine). I think I actually asked her more questions than she did me. Use it as an opportunity to get a feel for what MIT is like, and try not to be terrified because there is simply no reason to be! The interviews are basically a formality to make sure you're not a nutjob. Don't obsess too much over 'that one B in English from freshman year' or 'the single question you missed on your SAT', etc because you will seem as though you couldn't handle being around other smart kids. Show that you're passionate about something. Oh, and dress nicely. That's all.</p>

<p>I had mine at Starbucks! yummy. My interviewer and I got along really well. He was a SUPER nice guy and we had a nice conversation about something that had nothing to do with my application. We were just trying to get to know each other. And don't be afraid to ask your interviewer TONS of questions about MIT. They have two functions: to inform MIT about you, and to inform you about MIT. Use the time that you have wisely. It looks horrible if they ask you if you have any questions (and they will do this, i had five college interviews, and it's almost the first question every single time) and you don't have any. Research MIT before you go, and if you have any questions about anything like UROP or something, don't hesitate to ask. Bring paper with you. It's almost like you are halfway interviewing them as well. Ask your interviewer what he has done with his degree, what other colleges he got into and why he chose MIT, how it impacted his life, his favorite thing about MIT, etc. Get inside his head. And try to find something that you both have in common. If he looks at your resume and sees that you swim, for example, and he used to swim, then talk about that even if it has nothing to do with MIT. Just make sure that you don't talk too long about it. But definitely bring your resume so that he has something to work off of as far as the direction that his questions should go. Other than that, just be yourself. Don't try to act all smart because you think that your interviewer will be super smart and he won't be able to connect with you. They are doing this because they want to. So use it to your advantage. :D hope this helps!</p>

<p>As an Educational Counselor (EC) for a long time, I have a few suggestions. </p>

<p>First, relax and be as outgoing and communicative as you can. The EC you speak with wants to help the admissions office find reasons to admit you, but cannot do so if you are too shy or disinterested or nervous to talk. An EC does not have access to your application, so the only information he gets about you is what you provide in the interview. A resume can help, but is not necessary. What is most important is showing the EC how admitting you will enrich the MIT community. This is typically your passion for an academic subject, but can also be a unique background (first in the family to go to college, Katrina refugee, seventeen siblings), talent (piano virtuoso, card player, ice skater), interest (politics, human rights, horseback riding), or accomplishment (RSI, Olympic medal, startup business). Whatever lights up your eyes is what we want to hear about.</p>

<p>Second, dress like you would for a job interview. Most EC's won't judge you for what you wear (you should have seen what we wore at MIT), but it is always nice to be able to start the interview report with a nice comment about the candidate's appearance and poise.</p>

<p>Third, be on time. The EC is a volunteer who has a job and a family, so show some respect for his time by being a few minutes early.</p>

<p>Fourth, ask any questions you or your parents have. The EC is very familiar with what is going on at MIT and other schools. We are called "counselors" because we are in a position to give advice on the whole college process, including what other schools or departments might be a good fit for you.</p>

<p>Finally, feel free to bring whatever you want to the interview. If you're more comfortable writing down some notes of what you want to ask, don't worry about bringing them to the interview. Most interviews last 45 minutes to an hour, but I have had some go as long as two hours.</p>

<p>Would it be better if we emailed a short resume ahead of time so that they have more time to read it whenever/if they want to?</p>

<p>that's what I did. it's a good idea. we exchanged a couple of emails before my actual interview. we still keep in touch briefly.</p>