<p>I’m thinking about doing an interview for my transfer application. I know it’s recommended to interview, but I’m terrible at interviews. I always get very nervous and even the simplest question (like why I want to go to BMC) I can’t answer.
I’ll perhaps go to the campus and have an interview with a a faculty member.
Should I go for it? If so, what should I expect?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Definitely go for it! I hate the “why BMC” question too. It scared me so much while I was doing applications, and it still scares me now, since a lot of professors liked to include that question in beginning of the semester small talk.
I try to not think of it in interview terms, and instead try to imagine how I would explain it to a best friend over coffee in the same way I would explain why I like a certain book or movie or love interest. If you can do that, it might help to write those reasons down right away and go over them periodically before the interview so you won’t blank while you’re in the middle of it. That’s basically what I did, and I think it helped.
My interviewer was extremely nice, and I bet most of them at Bryn Mawr are. They just want to get to know you. Interviews aren’t supposed to be judged performances, although that’s what it feels like while you’re trying to prepare for them.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr doesn’t have any alumni in my area. I live halfway around the world from Bryn Mawr, so a campus interview is also out of the question. So my only option is a Skype interview… which I don’t have.</p>
<p>In other words, if I had the opportunity, I’d do the interview.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it too much. I was accepted without an interview - heck, I even <em>declined</em> an interview that was offered to me. I’ve read somewhere that interviews rarely influence admission decisions except in extreme circumstances. Apparently colleges conduct them because they establish a closer bond between the applicant and the college, which means that you are more likely to attend if accepted. Think of interviews as a marketing scheme :)</p>
<p>I’ve decided not to do the interview. Hell, I’m even wondering if I even want to go to BMC anymore. Every time I call the person is rude, and every time I send an email they never reply. They might offer an awesome French major, but I’m afraid I might be surrounded by a-holes were I accepted…
The reason I decided not to do the interview, though is because I don’t have skype nor any money to travel to Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if going through the transfer process is a reason for your experience to be different from our daughter’s experience, but she is loving her first year and has met so many wonderful people, both in admin/profs and in the student body. I’m sorry you haven’t felt much warmth from your contact with the school, but I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to someone having a bad day. I’m not sure why you’d not receive a response to your email… but again, I’d give it another try before you write them off your list. I wish you the best of luck.</p>
<p>Which department did you call? And what did you call about? Some administration departments are more friendly than others.</p>
<p>So sorry to hear about the rude people you’ve encountered, devotchka! Sounds like you ran into some really stressed-out folks! That should not have happened!</p>
<p>Interviews are no longer weighed the same way they once were. This seems to be the case everywhere. Still, asking for an interview shows interest and that helps make a positive impression. And interviews give YOU a chance to ask questions …
any possibility that your local library could help you skype? Can you practice a little beforehand, if you decide to skype, so you’re comfortable with the process?</p>
<p>macnell: Thanks for the kind words. I decided to go ahead with the application anyways. Their French major is just way too good to pass up! Although I never got a respond to my emails or phone calls, I won’t dismiss the school based on their Admissions Office. :)</p>
<p>felicitywut: It was the Admissions Office. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume they’re very busy with a plethora of applications.</p>
<p>Ottoline: Thank you as well for the kind words. I got a laptop this xmas, so I’m looking to install skype. I know it’ll show I have a lot of interest in the school if I go ahead with it, so I haven’t discard it just yet.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone!</p>
<p>Hi Devotchka; glad to hear that you are still going to apply to Bryn Mawr…I know it is hard to separate the admissions experience from the college experience. As for the interterview, my daughter was accepted without an interview or visit. At many colleges, interviews are just a courtesy; so if you aren’t confidant or comfortable with interviewing, give yourself a break and pass on the interview. Best of luck!</p>