According to the schedule, the first group of Banneker-Key interviews took place this week.
Can those who attended post any information for the students with the second and third interview dates? One example – in the past, some students reported that one interviewer was pretty aggressive. The interviews seemed to vary a great deal depending on who is doing them. Any information that parents or students can provide could be helpful. Thanks in advance!
D2 is in the third round. So I’d be glad to post a summary of her experience, but it will help next year’s students rather than this year’s.
I’ve been wondering the same thing. D2 has her interview on Monday. She’s trying to decide what to wear (business casual?) and whether or not parents should come for the day.
And here’s the thread from last year discussing the interviews. I’m sorry that no one who interviewed this week has responded so far, but perhaps they’ll do so over the weekend. Best of luck to your daughter!
My son went to interview a couple of years ago. The interview was pretty mellow, a couple of professors as I remember. The day starts with a reception and there is a lunch in the middle. I think a lot of parents were there with there kids and I felt like the events were geared toward impressing both parents and kids. You might consider that students interviewing this year are in direct competition with your child for the full ride, not sure I would want to give pointers if I was in that position! My son wore a suit and many of the boys had on suits. I would dress to impress. The greeters in the morning were all dressed nicely and we met with professors from my son’s department many of whom were dressed nicely. Good luck!
@Arlmom2, my D interviewed last year. My sense is the interview committee wants to meet the student, whose application they have thoroughly read. They ask questions about the student’s essays and short answers to determine whether they are consistent with the student’s academic background, experiences, and professional goals. The university wants students who will use, not squander, the resources given them. The expectation for B/K scholars is they will be thoughtful contributors to the university’s academic environment and have an entrepreneurial spirit that inspires “Fearless Ideas.”
@Hawk-I hello! could you elaborate on what you mean by " determine whether they are consistent with the student’s academic background, experiences, and professional goals." I understand them checking the validity of your essay, but i am moreso confused by how they will question your app’s consistency with your future goals.
Thanks, @Hawk-I that’s helpful. I’m probably going to sound cynical, but I wonder whether they’re quizzing kids about their apps and essays in part out of concern that students aren’t writing their own essays?
… or there’s something in the student’s application essays or answers that the committee genuinely finds interesting and wishes to discuss further with the student.
@Arlmom2, I think everyone’s experience is different. As far as we can tell, they leave it up to the individual faculty members to ask whatever they want. Last year our son was interrogated about his choice of major (in a somewhat hostile fashion), but the discussion didn’t touch on his short answers or essays at all.
@Hawk-I I was responding to what I thought was your emphasis on the interviewers trying to see whether the students’ applications and interview responses were consistent. Apologies if I misunderstood.
@itllbeok I think your comments about last year’s process were part of what raised my concern as a parent. I have no problem with faculty members having leeway in choosing questions. But Maryland is also presumably trying to recruit these talented young people. I’m not convinced that is done effectively by interrogating them! Thanks for your advice, both here and in other parts of the cc forum!
@Arlmom2, I honestly believe that most students do have relaxed, fun interviews on B-K day. Unfortunately that was not the case for our son and at least one other student we spoke to who had the same interviewer. However, I think this particular interviewer was an outlier, and it was just bad luck that our son ended up with him. Apparently there was an administrative-type person sitting in with the faculty member, so hopefully his antagonistic demeanor was duly noted and he wasn’t asked back for this years’ B-K interviews!
@Arlmom2, I agree with @itllbeok that everyone’s interview experience will be different because each student possesses some quality (when reading the application as a whole and taking into account those 26 evaluation factors for academic merit) that the university found compelling or intriguing enough to offer a B/K scholarship to attend the university. The day is not meant to induce stress on the students but provide an opportunity for the students to meet other students and learn about the university, and for the committee members to meet the students. The questions asked of the students are not quiz-type questions with correct or incorrect responses. Rather the questions asked are meant to elicit a conversation. My daughter’s interviewers certainly asked questions that made her think on her feet but she was never made to feel uncomfortable during the interview by aggressive interview tactics. The university tries to match students with interviewers who are in the student’s intended field of study so that a deeper conversation can occur. Of course, as parents we want success for our children. I probably was more nervous for the interview day than my daughter! So, no offense taken in your response because I know how you feel. Trust your D2. She will do fine during the interview. She’s worked hard to get to this moment. And she will decide on the best college fit for her to attend next fall. We hope that decision is to attend the University of Maryland. Best wishes!
Did anyone get an email concerning today’s interviews? (University isn’t opening until 10 due to “inclement weather”) I never got any kind of email from them though.
Apologies for posting this on two different threads, but D2 only just realized that she didn’t know exactly when she needed to be there in the morning!
Quick question about the program – not the interview – are the college sessions in the morning just informal meet and greets, or is there a formal program? In other words, if it runs from 9:30-11AM (BSOS), does D2 have to be there right at 9:30AM? She knows that the Academic College events are optional, but she did sign up for BSOS.
I’d be grateful for any help anyone can provide!! Thanks in advance.
@Arlmom2 That’s a good question. I was assuming we should be there for the entire session, but now I’m not certain. I guess if no one responds we will assume it will be a formal presentation.
