<p>It was a pretty weird interview... I walked in, and my interviewer only asked me one or two questions about myself. I told him that I was a prospective computer science major, and he started asking me a bunch of random, crazy questions. Questions included things like "What accounts for the difference in living standard and economic policies between America and India?", "How are computers used to model patterns of financial stocks? " and "how are computers used to predict weather patterns?" Anybody else have a similar interview experience?? He really caught me off guard... lol.</p>
<p>That's a typical Asian interview. Was the interviewer asian? Hope that never happens to me...</p>
<p>My son's interview was great, although I do think that Yale's interviewers want to see if you know more than just what you learn in a textbook at school. Many of us know that type of student, who can have perfect grades, but can't carry a conversation about world events, etc. Your interviewer may have assumed that based upon your major you might have interests in those issues, but I realize that they were complicated ones (I have would not have a great answer for). My son's interviewer asked a couple of questions about him and then asked him some tough questions that typical kids at his school, even top ranked ones, wouldn't have the answers to. Luckily, the interviewer and my son had mutual interests.</p>
<p>Yes my interviewer was Asian... Indian to be specific. But still those questions he was asking me were ridiculous. I had a common interest with him: computer science. He did a PhD there, and really didn't know a lot about the undergraduate program.</p>
<p>My Yale interviewer was Asian and also asked a bunch of questions related to what I said about myself. I was talking about how music is a big part of my life, and she asked questions like "Who is your favorite composer?", "Why are _____ & _____ your favorite composers?", "What are you playing right now?", "Who is that by?", etc.</p>
<p>I'd rather get an interview like krytonsa's. But are they even allowed to do that? Isn't there an interview guideline or sth. that Yale gives out to the interviewers?</p>
<p>There are interview guidelines. They don't prohibit you from probing when a interviewee takes the conversation down a certain path, but suggest not asking pointed, off the wall questions that are unrelated to a candidate's interests. From what I see from the Yale interview threads, some interviewers aren't reading the guidelines. But what can you do? It's a bunch of volunteers and the vast majority do a good job.</p>
<p>As an aside, I don't think you should be allowed to interview for undergrad unless you attended as an undergrad.</p>
<p>yea my interviewer really did not know a lot about yale because he was a phd.</p>
<p>My interviewer talked to me about God and religion in the modern world, the difference between philosophers and lawyers, whether third world subjection is necessary to support a high standard of living, etc. He also asked me to explain poems I've written.</p>
<p>All college interviews should be as cool as this.</p>
<p>(All this related to my application in various ways, definitely following the guideline AdmissionAddict said.)</p>