<p>I'll be attending one of the Trustee Scholarship interviews in two weeks. Do any past winners have any tips/thoughts on the interviews?</p>
<p>How heavily does the interview affect your scholarship chances? Is it the primary deciding factor? What kind of things do they ask? Mostly about the students achievements, or more demanding theoretical questions?</p>
<p>Any input from past winners would be greatly appreciated!!!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I’m a current candidate for presidential, but I heard we should read the newspapers for a few weeks to keep up to date on current events</p>
<p>I’m a Trustee scholar. I’m a business major and therefore interviewed with Marshall. My interview was pretty relaxed. It was a professor, current business student, and someone from the business admission office. If you’ve been invited to interview, odds are in your favor that you’re going to get the scholarship. There was just an article in the Daily Trojan with approximate numbers I’m sure you can find it on their website. Be sure to reread your application and know what you wrote really well. Be able to talk about what your ambitions are. What kind of career/industry are you interested in? What do you plan on getting involved in here? My interview was definitely not “more demanding theoretical questions”. Speak honestly and be yourself. SC invited you here and really wants you. They’re courting you just as much as you’re trying to impress them. Enjoy yourself, learn a lot about the school, try to get a good night sleep the night before (do NOT go to the row with your host), and be yourself during your interview.</p>
<p>“Be sure to reread your application and know what you wrote really well.”
I am an international student and also a trustee candidate.You mean that getting familiar with the application essays is quite important.So would they ask questions related to the essays?What kind of questions is that?Can you give me some examples?THX!!</p>
<p>The interviewers will have read your application.They won’t be so much interested in your stats and school record as it’s already established that they are good enough to be a candidate for the scholarship. They will be interested in your ECs, what you wrote in your essay etc., why you want to come to USC, your ambitions,…basically they want to get to know you better. The important thing is that you are yourself.</p>
<p>In my daughter’s case, we thought she completely blew it after she got really mad at one of the interviewers after he mentioned he’d like to make a meal of an endangered marine creature that was the subject of her 4 years of extensive preservation research and which happens to be a great delicacy in some countries. She proceeded to give the guy a firm lecture!
I guess they appreciated her passion and commitment, and that she voiced her own strong opinions… and she did get the Trustee.</p>
<p>The interview is conversational in tone, rather than being a question and answer thing generally. The ECs or interests you have generally are the openings to the conversation, at least that was my D’s and her friends’ experience.</p>
<p>They askedm e questions about my ECs that I had written about in my essays. Also, look over the quick takes that you put down. Reread your essays so that if they reference something in them you know what they’re asking about. I don’t remember any specific questions. Honestly, don’t stress about the interview, it is nothing to be intimidated/worreid about.</p>
<p>As a trustee recipient and interviewer, the main pieces of advice that I have is read over your application again, especially if you made any particularly funny or controversial comments. You will probably be asked about them. I remember a question I got during my interview was, “Why did you choose the quote that you did? How is it important to you?”. Note, they didn’t tell me what my quote was, so I needed to remember it.</p>
<p>The other thing that interviewers are looking for is someone who is actually interested in going to USC. We don’t want to give it to someone who is just going to end up elsewhere. So show really passion and knowledge about the school.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input!</p>
<p>As someone who took two gap years…I barely remember my application! Hopefully they will focus more on my years off as opposed to my application answers from 3 years ago!</p>
<p>Biggest tips for interviews:</p>
<p>Smile, try to relax, speak up (have energy) and give specific answers. </p>
<p>About USC: If asked: What attracted you to USC? You could answer: It’s ranked among the top colleges, so it’s a good school. Or you could answer: Marshall has such a great focus on global business, and I’d love to travel to Singapore with the LINC program as a freshman because it fits so well into my interest in… (and on)</p>
<p>About your goals:</p>
<p>If asked: What do you see yourself doing after undergrad? You could answer: I’m interested in grad school maybe, I’ll have to wait and see. Or you could answer: I’m interested in business in Asia and there is a special Japanese language program (give name) in Tokyo I would like to attend for a year before applying to grad school.</p>
<p>If asked: Tell us about the Chamber of Commerce Award you received as a sophomore. You could answer: It was a certificate for the work I did coordinating bake sales at my school. Or you could answer: I convinced local bakeries to donate their unsold goods at the end of the day, and we donated all the breads and rolls to our local homeless shelter. They couldn’t take the cookies and cakes, so we decided to sell the day-old cookies at school to raise money for those shelters. You know, day-old chocolate chips still taste great.</p>
<p>Be yourself. If you normally use humor, don’t abandon your personality. If you are normally more serious, don’t start cracking forced jokes.</p>
<p>The interviewers know you are young and will be very kind.</p>
<p>Try to avoid:</p>
<p>Putting down USC, even off-handedly. Don’t mention your dream school is Yale, and then Harvard, and then Stanford, and then, and then, and then, and then USC. For these two days, look around and focus on what you love about USC.</p>
<p>Partying the night before, oversleeping, or forgetting you are the guest at Explore (it would be kind to thank your host student.)</p>
<p>Sounding like it was your father or maybe consultant who actually wanted you to apply to USC, helped you write the essays, and has all the passion that was portrayed in your application. 
<–joke! </p>
<p>Best of luck to all. We really root for our cc friends and would love to hear how it goes.</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips everyone! Im already nervous and its still a few weeks away. </p>
<p>
Thanks haha! should I tell you who I am so that you can root for me for real? (kidding)</p>
<p>by the way, is it really that common for host students to want to go partying??</p>
<p>Try to answer questions with more than one word. </p>
<p>Mention the person’s name after being introduced. </p>
<p>Think ahead and plan on a couple of questions to ask about the university in case you are asked for questions.</p>
<p>Be confident, but not cocky.</p>
<p>Look through the website about your major. It might be a good idea to know something about the most prominent professors in your school. </p>
<p>Be sure to thank the people who interviewed you. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I’m also a Trustee Scholar and an interviewer. Just be real, that’s the best advice I can give. This interview isn’t about showing off your stats, it’s about showing who you are and why you’re special. Try to be calm and relaxed. My interview was not intense at all; it was just like a conversation.</p>
<p>I am a Trustee scholar, and I have to say, my interview was very simple. I am a music student, and they didn’t even really ask much about music. Again, like other people are saying, its more measuring your abilities to be friendly, personable rather than rattle off your successes. For example, I am a huge NY Yankees fan and we started debating Dodgers and Yankees. Also, they asked what my favorite movie was and I said Pirates of the Caribbean and we then started discussing how disappointing the sequels were. It is very relaxed, and unless you have zero personality or say some racist stuff, you should be good to go.</p>
<p>could anyone give me an idea of how long their interview was. Don’t mean to sound like I hate long interviews; just want an idea for idea’s sake.</p>
<p>Usually between 20 and around 35 minutes. 30 minutes seemed to be the usual with my D’s group. Some shorter, some a tad longer. A shorter one does not mean anything bad, just depends on the timing and interviewers…my D’s was 25 minutes and she got the Trustee.</p>
<p>Also, could anybody tell me what appropriate attire for the interview is? I’ll be flying across the U.S. so I have to decide my luggage - can’t carry every possible item of clothing with me. Also, I don’t want to be the only guy wearing a suit.</p>
<p>^i’ll be wearing a suit :)</p>
<p>^ As will I. :)</p>
<p>(though if its too hot, i might just wear a vest instead of a jacket)</p>