Hello. Apparently, I’m going to be interviewed at the University of Rochester next week by an admissions officer. I have no idea what these are like. What should I do in order to prepare myself for it? They even told me it’s not a big deal, but I’d rather not have a bad interview go against me. If anyone has any suggestions or links to old threads that have alread discussed this, I’d be a happy young man.
<p>Head to Barnes & Noble and take a look at some of the "how to prepare for your college interview" guides. They're really helpfull in having a list of common questions.</p>
<p>According to the admissions office at University of Rochester, this interview is supposed to be "informal." Can an interview mean the difference between acceptance and denial? Should I still be aptly prepared for it?</p>
<p>I went to an interview for U of Rochester last year. By 'informal' I think they ment that it wasn't really directly meeting just you and the interviewer. When I went, they had a WHOLE bunch of students show up at this hotel, and in one of the rooms they had about 20 alumni. You were randomly assigned one after someone else had completed an interview. It was really a discomforting way to hold an interview--being that there were at least 10 other people in the room being interviewed at the same time. However, they may be conducting them differently according to your geographic region.</p>
<p>But nonetheless, the questions were real and I treated it like any other interview. FYI: Be prepared now matter what (my interviewer's "stumper" question was "What are you weaknesses?")</p>
<p>Hope this helps</p>
<p>I'm supposed to attend an information session and tour the campus, so my interview is right after my campus tour. I think it's going to be with an admissions officer. Thanks for the tips anyway. I'll keep all of this information in mind. :)</p>
<p>Some interviews are also 'nonevaluative', meaning that the interview is more like an info session. </p>
<p>It's possible that that's what they meant, but don't assume so.</p>
<p>Yes, the interview could just be nonevaluative. This means that it is for your benefit in order to answer your questions and to address any concerns about the school that you may have. You could check with the school on whether or not the interview is used as part of the admissions decision. Sometimes, the biggest effect of an interview is the fact that you showed up because colleges like to admit students who showed interest in the school.</p>
<p>If I had to give one piece of advice to someone going to an interview, it would be to know something about the college already and therefore have a list of questions ready to be asked. I can guarantee that at some point, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions. It shows a lack of interest not to be able to ask something.</p>