<p>I just got back from my interview, which, um, could have been better. It wasn't terrible in a tragic or amusing way. It was just that my interviewer didn't really know what to say and neither did I. </p>
<p>It was an alumni interview, by the way. It lasted hardly 25 minutes. My interviewer didn't seem to think that I was stupid, rude, or a bad person or anything, but I'm afraid he might write something like that I'm not a good match for UChi or it's not a good match for me. I just couldn't verbalize why I want to go there so much. </p>
<p>Would a comment like I don't belong at UChi be lethal, or would the adcom rely more on my Why Chicago essay? What effect will this have on their decision? I will try not to panic while I await your responses.</p>
<p>Ria, why was your interview so short? During my interview I just kept on talking to rid the silent moments - I guess it worked. </p>
<p>First he asked me "Why Chicago?" Then he asked the pointed question what I wanted to do at Chicago and how would I utilize my Chicago education. This lasted about 30 minutes.</p>
<p>After talking about Chicago, he suddenly took out this year's list of essay questions and asked me to verbalize the essay question I wrote. After that he pointed to another essay question I haven't answered and told me to answer it impromptu(in my case, he chose the second question since I wrote about the first one). This lasted about 30 minutes also.</p>
<p>Then he suddenly asked if I knew what syllogisms were (which replied "yes"). He asked me to make a syllogism that worked fine and another one that seems as if it works but really doesn't. Another 15 minutes.</p>
<p>Then we started to talk about politics in Korea, philosophy, my religious background, hobbies, exctracurricular activities, special achievements, etc. 30 minutes.</p>
<p>Finally, we ended with my asking a bunch of questions about Chicago. 20 minutes.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how your interview was structured, but by the looks of it, my interviewer prepared what to ask me before - while yours on the other hand, preferred things to go more impromptu. </p>
<p>I have heard that these interviews are not "as" evaluative as many think, so you shouldn't worry about it too much.</p>
<p>I think the main reason why my interview was so short was that I was a little off. I can't blame my interviewer, but to be honest, he didn't really know what he was doing and admitted that. </p>
<p>He asked me why I wanted to go to UChi, and I as soon as I mentioned academics he told me to not mention them. So I said how socially, it must be great to have so many brilliant people with such diverse interests, and he said that people there aren't really social.
He asked me what I do in my free time, and the first thing that I said was that I read a lot. Again, he told me to not mention anything academic. Then I said that I like to watch movies, but he hadn't seen any of the ones I mentioned. I asked him what he likes to watch and he said that he doesn't really watch movies. He said he only really watches baseball on TV. I tried to talk about baseball (big mistake, I know nothing) and he just kind of stared at me. I said that I'm really passionate about music (I play in my school's band) and he said that he didn't want to know anything that had to do with my school.</p>
<p>I asked a few questions and he responded to them very briefly. He didn't seem to enjoy UChi too much.</p>
<p>I guess from this post I make it sound like he was testing me, but he really wasn't. He wasn't trying to put me in a challenging situation to see what would happen. He seemed to have very poor social skills so he couldn't really carry on a conversation. But like I said, I didn't do as well as I could. I've had other interviews that have lasted much longer and gone much better. I don't know what happened, exactly.</p>
<p>um that is the typical U of Chicago grad, not very happy with the experience. The only thing i have noticed from U of C grads is that they are generally successful and happy with the diploma, not with their college experience.</p>
<p>Kimfuge.. are you saying that your interview was over 2 hours??</p>
<p>Hopefully you won't be penalized for your interviewer's bitterness. Maybe he figured that the adcoms already know about your academics and wanted to find out what you do outside of school. </p>
<p>My interviewer was very proud of U of Chicago and his geekiness. I kinda got annoyed because he wouldn't stop talking about HIS experience there and his friend who teaches at Harvard. He couldn't really answer some of my questions. Since I'm also a very talkative, outspoken person, the interview went on for over an hour. I wish we had gone more in depth though. I was hoping for some intense discussion on current events.</p>
<p>Ria 215, do you feel that you are a strong candidate, or borderline? If strong, I don't think that it will matter. Your interviewer was not good- he should not be interviewing anybody. If I lived in MA, I would offer to do another alumni interview for you. If you are rejected, definitely check into whether the interview was a cause, and complain. However, I suspect that you are a solid candidate and will be admitted.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone.
I think I'm a strong candidate (top 5% of my class, 2250 SAT) but I don't know. I'm awful at judging my own essays. I thought they were really good, but then I read them again and didn't like them. I'm trying to forget them so I can stop tormenting myself. My reccommendations could probably be a little better (they won't be bad, but I don't think they'll be outstanding either). My ECs are decent. I'm probably borderline :(
If anyone's curious I posted a more complete list of stats here: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=116655%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=116655</a></p>
<p>bball87, that is the most ridiculous generalization I have ever heard, and it is especially untrue at uchicago. Unlike other schools, UChicago is designed for a very particular type of student, and it is that student that gets in and does well. Unlike many other schools, where the objective is a diploma and the hopefully well-paying job that follows, UChicago students care about the time they spend there, while at those other schools the students just grit their teeth and deal with whatever education they get for that diploma. They are not unsocial people, i dont know what your interviewer was talking about, and they most certainly are not all like that. This interview was definately an annomoly, and occasionally someone comes to uchi without belonging here and graduates depressed. It happens.</p>
<p>You are not borderline. You will be accepted. I can't imagine them ruling you out due to that interview. They know nothing about the interviewers. There is no training- they just sign up, no questioning about their approach or anything like that. It will not be given any weight. It is more of an opportunity for you to meet an alumnus and ask questions than for the alum to judge you. At most schools, recommendation letters only carry weight in extreme cases. I would not worry about those, either. Most recommendations are formula letters. I do not think that you will have a problem getting in.</p>
<p>I too agree that Ria is not borderline and will most likely be admitted. But how about for those who "are" borderline? How do the interviews come into effect? Thanks</p>