Common interview questions?

<p>i have an interview for Brown Univeristy this sunday
it's going to be at a restaurant (Hos' Hut)</p>

<p>so if you guys can help.. :]</p>

<p>1) what are the common questions they ask?
i want to prepare for the interview at least a little bit. some people say "just be yourslef" but i would like to at least care about the interview and prepare before i go. i still will be myself, just more prepared :]</p>

<p>2) do i have to eat? its going to be around lunch time, but she said it shouldnt take more than 30 min. so im guessing we wont eat..? if i do eat, who pays??</p>

<p>I'll answer number 2 first...if it is going to be a short interview, I probably wouldn't eat--order something to drink if you want, but food seems like an impediment to me. I am sure others will disagree with me, but the interviewer will probably offer to pay and that is fine. Have money, of course, but don't feel like you NEED to pay--technically, you are the guest of the interviewer, and the guest doesn't pay. I don't think that food will play into it (although it is a little bit of an odd choice for an interview location...I would prefer a Starbucks or the like). </p>

<p>As far as what the common questions are, I had my Brown interview 2 weeks ago, so I think I can be of some help here...You will almost certainly be asked why you decided on Brown--have a good, honest answer for that. I was also asked about my academic and extracurricular interests, and what I did in my free time, and of course, she asked me if I had any questions. Pretty typical interview questions--no curveballs anywhere. Good Luck!</p>

<p>i dont think i'll eat. she has an interview right before me too, so im guessing that she wont eat either.</p>

<p>thank you! :]</p>

<p>can anyone add to that?</p>

<p>Yeah, I agree with advantagious's comments about the eating. Order a drink if you feel more comfortable with "something to do"--I have always gotten a coffee at my interviews at Starbucks so it seemed more casual to me. </p>

<p>I had my Brown interview a couple weeks ago, and some questions were:
- Why Brown?
- Tell me about yourself (mention extracurriculars, hobbies, maybe a little background about yourself if it helps explain who you are, etc.)
- Tell me about your high school
- What academic subjects are you passionate about?
- What did you do last summer?
- Definitely be prepared to ask a few questions about Brown, as that took up the bulk of my interview.</p>

<p>The first question my MIT interviewer asked me was - "What makes you so great?". A bit stumping.</p>

<p>None of the questions were direct though. He was more or less asking me to describe every aspect of me, so it hard to know where to start.</p>

<p>Answer: "I think everyone has something "great" about them, but speaking for myself I would have to say that these qualities make me stand out: (and list them)." </p>

<p>If you do order food, taste it before salting (something that some job interviewers look for. It means, "does this person look for facts before jumping in." Jumping in is not a desirable quality.) But if given a choice, don't order food. It gets in the way, it's hard to look dignified when you eat and it could cause a mess. Stick with coffee, tea or some other drink and claim that you have already eaten, but thank them for the offer of food. </p>

<p>Questions I'd expect:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Why do you want to attend X university? (answer should be beyond the scope of location, climate, dorms, football, reputation - have an idea of what unique opportunities are available at that school (research?) and know how your goals fit into that.</p></li>
<li><p>Tell me about yourself. </p></li>
<li><p>How will you contribute to X university? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>General tip: ALWAYS be postitive (don't bad mouth teachers, parents, peers or other institutions).</p>

<p>"tell me about yourself"...super common, and in my opinion, the most difficult...what you start with is crucial--ECs, family, etc...that shows her (in her mind) what is most important to you...</p>

<p>how would your friends describe you?
how will you be remembered/how have you made an impact?
general questions about ECs...
how are you prepared for college?
what do you like/not like about your hs? (also important...don't slam it...negative comments do not come across well)</p>

<p>that's about all i can think of...good luck!</p>