<p>I've read countless posts about how relaxed and great Rice interviewers are, but I just had an interview last week with an alumni, and it was TERRIBLE. She grilled me with questions, wrote down everything I said, and wasn't very friendly. If anything, she actually made me less enthusiastic about Rice... even my questions about Rice just generated a half-hearted nod/answer. We didn't click at all. Will this hurt my chances of getting in? Does this happen often?</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear that, orbitmist. It is sad that you had a bad interview experience because Rice is so much better than that.</p>
<p>My son also had one of the relaxed, great interviews. It made all the difference for him, and now he is happily attending Rice. I hope you will not allow this to dissuade you from applying. If you haven’t already, please arrange a campus visit if at all possible. The students are so kind, smart and friendly.</p>
<p>I’m sure you know that Rice can’t control every interview situation, but I think they really do care if someone is having a bad experience. After it’s all said and done (i.e. your acceptances are in next spring) you would be doing Rice a huge favor by letting them know about your rude interviewer. That person should not be interviewing prospies. </p>
<p>Good luck, and please give Rice a second chance!</p>
<p>If you get a chance, come down to Houston and see whether Rice is right for you.</p>
<p>It’s hard to say how common or uncommon grueling alum interviews are – but my son had one, too. Lots of friction --they disagreed a lot, and he left the meeting with far less interest in Rice. This impression eventually receded – and his Owl Days visit made it clear that Rice was truly the place for him! </p>
<p>Orbitmist, the fact that your interviewer was busy taking notes in front of you could actually be very positive. While her social skills were hopeless, she obviously thought you had lots to say and wanted to be sure that she remembered it all for her report to Admissions. Doesn’t sound like she was cut out for the task socially – but it’s very possible that she wrote a solid report about you. Hope the next steps go well for you!</p>
<p>Visiting Rice was what sealed the deal for me - I wasn’t really any more drawn to it from just researching it than I was to any of the other top schools. I attended admitted student programs almost everywhere I got in, yet there was still no question after Owl Days that I was going to Rice.</p>
<p>Inevitably, every school will have some incompetent interviewers. Try to look past this and visit if possible. Remember, the interviewer is one former Rice student. If you visit, you can meet dozens of current Rice students.</p>
<p>I agree with the above post, though, that it may not be as bad for your application as it sounds. Even though she grilled you, she may still see something positive in your answers to talk about.</p>
<p>It went terrible? I have an interview tomorrow!!!</p>
<p>If you get the chance, visit the campus if you can.</p>
<p>What type of things did you talk about? I’m somewhat nervous about my interview tomorrow…</p>
<p>My interview went pretty poorly too, and I’m now a freshman here and it’s great.
Absolutely do NOT make a judgment on Rice based on your interview.
So yeah, your interviewer isn’t representative of what Rice is actually like, haha.</p>
<p>Definitely come down to Rice for an overnight visit. I’ll make sure I match you with an overnight host that is awesome, and you will see that your interviewer doesn’t represent Rice very well.</p>
<p>And interviews are not an important part of your app, so don’t worry about having a bad one. It won’t hurt you very much at all, if at all.</p>
<p>If you don’t mind me asking, what were your SAT scores? I’m thinking of applying ED, but my SAT scores aren’t within the average rate.</p>
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<p>SAT scores are only a part of admission. Being slightly lower than average will not automatically disqualify you from admission, especially if the rest of your application is strong.</p>
<p>I just finished the main essay and it was a challenge. My writing hasn’t been challenged like that before but I think I did great on it. I literally had to start from scratch several times and edit it numerous times in order to yield a stellar one. Overall, I think my essays, recommendations, my being in the top 5% of my class, and my interview (don’t know if this matters) are some of my strong points. I don’t have the best grades compared to those who posted theirs on here but I did take all AP’s and advanced classes throughout high school.</p>
<p>It was after the interview that I realized that Rice was a match. Even if I don’t get, congratulations to those who do. If I do get accepted, me = :))))))).</p>