<p>I'm flying out to St. Louis tomorrow for my interview with an admissions rep at Washington University in St. Louis on Monday. I was incredibly grateful for this opportunity -- the university actually contacted me and is paying for all expenses incurred on my trip, everything from food to flight. (On Monday, in addition to my interview, I'm scheduled for an overnight stay in the dorms with a student host, tour, campus information session, and to sit in on a couple of classes.)</p>
<p>Whether or not you've interviewed at WashU or any other universities, I'd love to hear your experiences (with the interview/visit/scholarships/any random anecdotes you'd like to share). I know that there's a thread dedicated solely to interview experiences, but I'm freaking out a bit since this is my first college interview and I desperately need an academic scholarship. :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help!</p>
<p>Edit: And I know this is going to sound superficial, but I don't want to make any faux pas right off the bat. The letter I received in the mail merely said to bring casual clothes, which I was quite reluctant to do since I don't want to interview in jeans. I ended up deciding to wear a black sweater dress with some purple detailing around the neckline, a cardigan, some black, opaque tights, and a pair of slouchy suede boots for my interview. Good enough or no?</p>
<p>Your outfit sounds great. It's something I would recommend for my daughter. Try not too much jewelry or makeup.:)</p>
<p>You must be an outstanding candidate for them to fly you out. It sounds like they are trying recruit you (court you), so I think they'll try to impress you as much as you are trying to impress them. </p>
<p>It is important to be yourself and be confident. If you have done any research or any special EC, then arm yourself with information, let your passion come through. If there is something special about you that you want to let the interviewer know, figure out how you would bring it into your conversation. Sometimes they will ask for your opinion on some current events (presidential election, CA proposition 8, Iraq war, or even Sarah Palin), they tend to invoke strong feelings with most people. It is not advisable to have no view, or worse still to have no idea. Think before hand what you would say, like you would write a paper. But I would not get into a heated debate with the interviewer if his/her view should be different than yours. If you don't know the answer, it is better to say so than to try to make it up. </p>
<p>When the interviewer speaks, listen very attentively, do not interrupt (look at him/her in the eyes, nod your head and keep a smile on). People in general like to talk and want to be paid attention to. They will determine if it is a good meeting by how they felt afterwards, not necessary what you've said. Don't be afraid of silence, let the interviewer fill it. When you first meet the interviewer, refer to him as Mr. or Ms. ___. Bring a notebook to take notes. If he/she should ask you what other schools you are looking at, be vague, say you are looking at number of schools very similar to Washington U., but finance is very important to you, WU is on top your list, say something positive about kids you've met (over night experience) and the campus. Yes, people also like compliments.</p>
<p>Be confident, upbeat and gracious of their hospitality. Good luck.</p>