Did My Interview Go Well?

Applying to College
1

<p>I just got out of an early morning college interview for Rice (I'm from Washington State), and I am not sure if it went well.</p>

<p>It lasted about 45 minutes, the alum interviewer seemed friendly, smiled frequently, and seemed willing to go "off script". He didn't take any notes, though, and didn't ask for my resume. The first 35 minutes basically revolved around my background etc., and when I said something related to an experience he had, he would describe his experience and how it related to Rice. Then he asked me if there was anything in particular he should tell the admissions committee, and then after I answered that he let me ask him some questions about Rice, and his answers were interesting.</p>

<p>Did the interview go okay? Also did it go on long enough, or how long are interviews supposed to take?</p>

2

<p>Sounds standard. You should know that in most cases the alumni interview counts for little because it is difficult to train and standardize interviews by a wide group of volunteers. They will matter, no matter who the interviewer, if red flags are raised (offensive comments, admitting they were forced to apply, local knowledge of the interviewer that something the applicant claimed is false).</p>

<p>I don’t know about Rice in particular, but keep in mind that at many schools the “interview” really serves 2 purposes, neither of which is related to screening applicants! First, it allows a personal point of contact with the applicant for schools that are competing for students with other similar schools. Second, it helps alumni feel involved with the school which has benefits in terms of donations, etc.</p>