Favourite Awkward Interview Moments

Applying to College
241

<p>i had some extremely awkward moments with my swarthmore and vassar interviews. my swarthmore one was with an admissions counselor and i was so preocuppied with sounding smart i would just go into compeltely random topics and then half-way through realize i was blabbering and stop. </p>

<p>For my vassar interview, the alumni lady wouldnt stop staring. She wouldn't blink or look away or anything it was so awkward. I tried fixing my hair, putting chapstick on my lips, looking around ..etc but she wouldnt stop staring it was so annoying i didnt know what to do..</p>

242

<p>right after my interview at wustl (which actually went well) the person who interview me (admission counselor) asked me where i was going next. i said "office of undergraduate admissions". then she just kinda looks at me then goes "um you are already here". to make it everything better i blurted out "oh crap im so stupid"...she just kinda stood there and smiled at me (prolly wanted to laugh in my face)</p>

243

<p>I would have KILLED to have applied to Rice- seems like a completely fantastic school, but it's too far away.</p>

<p>Frappuccino- I applied to Swat and Vassar too- my interview at Swat was also relatively awkward. I wish I had gotten an alum instead of a senior... I kind of think an alum would have been easier to talk to. </p>

<p>Vassar interviewer sounds a little scary (I HATE eye contact weirdness) but I don't think I'll be getting an interview there so it's okay.</p>

244

<p>My interview for an Ivy went horribly...not me but her! (I never thought I'd be able to say that but, sadly, it's true)</p>

<p>I: so why do you want to go to My U?
Me: It's kind of like Other U, that people wanted me to go to, in that they both have lots of opportunities in so many different things. Of course, it's different in many ways, that further interest me - it's in a city, so that means even more opps to do different things (etc etc)
I: Actually, My U isn't like Other U at all. [So, what, her school doesn't have lots of opportunities]? I mean, everything at Other U is all about the earth and agriculture and stuff [I know she's wrong here, but instead she talks for 5 minutes about how all the colleges in Other U are actually all about the earth and sustainability and stuff.]
...a little bit later...
Me: Well, something I really noted was the emphasis on flexibility, I am so far from pre-professional that a great deal of flexibility and array of choices are very important to me, the whole My U thing really seems to emphasize learning for learning's sake (blablablabla talking about this kind of thing for a while)...
I (when I stop): Did you apply to Brown? It sounds like you'd be a much better fit at Brown. I don't really see how you'd fit at My U. Everyone's really pre-professional at My U, I would not advise going in there and just taking what interests you. Really, in your first year just take some easy classes and have a good social life [this coming from a girl who I'm guessing did not have much of a social life at all], and then just take your classes for your major. Most people do too many outside activities to double-major, so I wouldn't recommend that either.
...right near the end of the interview, which started out with us discussing theater, one of my interests...
I: Oh, I guess I see more now how you'd fit at My U. [I'm thinking at least she'll say like "I can see you're very interested in learning new things" or "You seem pretty intelligent" or at least throw me a bone here! but instead...] I mean, it does have a pretty active theater group.</p>

<p>The whole time, I was kind of in shock. Half my mind was still focused on "selling" myself, and making it sound like I appreciated what she was saying...but the other half was just like "***? You're telling me that everything My U says about itself is really just a lie? In this huge U, everyone is the same - exactly like it sounds like you aren't actually - and I'd have no way of fitting in?"
There goes that school from my list!</p>

245

<p>Aaaah! I spoke too soon! I WILL be getting an interview with a Vassar alumna (hurrah!), so I'll be sure to make note of all the awkward moments so I can post them here for everyone's amusement.</p>

246

<p>My Princeton interviewer spent the entire time telling me how I should definitely apply to Amherst and how much I would love it there. We talked more about Amherst than Princeton.</p>

247

<p>Hmm why not, I guess I'll share some interesting stories too :]</p>

<p>MIT: I met my interviewer outside his house, when he was driving his son to a piano lesson. I have no idea how he knew it was me... it was pitch dark and I was in a car O_o. So I had to wait in our car for him to come back. Then in the beginning of the interview his dog was barking and jumping all over so he had to lock him in the kitchen, where he looked with sad puppy eyes through the glass door at us through the entire interview... aww.</p>

<p>Brown: Nothing too interesting happened.</p>

<p>Princeton: Freaky. The guy my interviwer interviewed before me had like a parallel life to me. Originally from same country. Lived in the same city for a while. Dads have the same job. Have some of the same EC's. Just... kindda cool but kindda creepy.</p>

<p>Dartmouth: Went really well. The guy was so nice. The only thing is that we had the interview in the staff room of the high school that he teaches at, and the chair I sat on had a broken spring or something. So it was kind of hard to sit through the interview... literally.</p>

248

<p>Hm, I had several awkward interviews.</p>

<p>My Chicago interview, though, had to have been the worst. One of my best friends is a junior there now, and was decent friends with the '07 alum who was to be my interviewer. Now, this girl and I are complete opposites in many way - she's quite a partier/frathouse type, and she thought it would be funny to show me a drunken facebook picture of said interviewer in advance of the interview...</p>

<p>I get there, down the hall from a Harvard interview (I go to a NE boarding school - they come interview here), and sit down.
Him: "I'm not going to ask you weird questions."
Me: "Yeah, I heard you would ask me what vegetable I'd be, if I were a vegetable." (I did hear this!)
Him: I'm...not going to ask you that. But just for fun, what would you be?
Me: Tomato. (a pause). Damn it, that's a fruit.</p>

<p>And later.
Me: My friend, X, goes there.
Him (distastefully): Oh, so...she's....your friend.
Me: ...yes?
Him: Yeah, well...she's - she's an interesting character, *Sarah, yeah. She's...had some issues. She's...still finding herself.
And the interview proceeded to turn into a gossip session about "Sarah." Not fun at all. He was nasty, condescending, and thoroughly soured me on Chicago.</p>

<p>My Harvard interview was awkwardly good, though. The boarding school I attend is famous for its seminar-style teaching, in which all class is conducted by means of round-table discussions, without the teacher talking. I dislike it violently, preferring to learn material first and discuss it later.
She: "Why Harvard?"
Me - so sick of Exeter, I figure I might as well be truthful: "I sat in on this amazing lecture on Oscar Wilde. And I realized - I'm so sick of seminars. And while some people aren't attracted to the incredible lecture-centricity of Harvard, I really just want to sit in a chair, and not say anything, and listen to someone brilliant tell me something interesting and learn it. I am so sick of debating, and discussing, and partaking in this Harkness system where the nicest-sounding argument wins, regardless of whether it's true or not. I'm sick of trying to prove that X is Y based on one paragraph in a textbook - I don't know what I'm talking about! I can't! I just - oh, I just want to LEARN SOMETHING ALREADY!" By this point, I was in full-on accusatory mode.</p>

<p>After an awful silence, she smiles and says. "Wow. That's actually a really good reason." And the interview went well from there.</p>

<p>From my interview at Oxford
Interviewer: Have your studies of US History influenced your take on religion in America?
Me: Oh, yes [begins a long protestantism/capitalism/calvinist ethics spiel.] Now, Albert Finney, the theologian...
...there is a silence.
Me: Oh, God. Did I just say Albert Finney.
Lovely British Man: I believe you did.
Me: Yes. Wow. I cannot believe I just said that. I meant Charles Grandison Finney. Wow.
And then I burst out laughing.
Me: Well, now that I got the embarassing part over with...</p>

<p>Happy ending - I got an offer from Oxford, my first choice, and withdrew the applications to the rest.</p>

249

<p>this didnt happen to me, it happened to a friend of a friend, but it's still very amusing</p>

<p>this friend of a friend, drove three hours to visit and interview on campus at gordon college. it was in april, and it was very warm, so he didn't want to wear his suit for 3 hours, so he figured that he'd change when he got there. upon his arrival, there was no where to change, so he parked in a deserted spot, stripped down to his boxers and was changing in the back of his car. he looks up, and there is a horrified woman who was standing over him, her face red as a beet. looking like a deer in the headlights, they stare at each other awkwardly for a brief moment, then she leaves and he continues to change.</p>

<p>this woman turned out to be his interviewer.</p>

<p>hah he ended up getting in though</p>

250

<p>rollz4, wow.</p>

251

<p>What color jelly bean would you be and why? We did not prepare for this one, but we still laugh about it. She said yellow.(She is my happy child) I thought the right answer is rainbow!(multifaceted)</p>

252

<p>this thread again! I have a new interview experience to share...not as bad as some of them out there, but still not great. So, I was a finalist for some college award. When I arrived there I got a time for an interview the same day. It said that it was informal (come as is). Well, it turns out I took this too literally. </p>

<p>My interviewers were 3 current college students and an adult. I pretty much blabbered on an repeated everything I said in my scholarship application letter, with several additions of "um...," "like," and "lemme think" (I wrote the application the night before the deadline, the letter filled with completely fluffy/ridiculous descriptions of why I was deserving/suiting of the scholarship). Then, they kept on prodding me for questions. I asked a few, but after about the 13th time they asked me about the languages I spoke. Out of a way to fill the awkward silence, I geniusly said, "I took french for a semester but was too lazy so I dropped the class." Then I realized that admitting that you were lazy isn't exactly the best thing for an interview. I tried to save myself by adding, "so I self-study it instead," but the damage was already done. </p>

<p>And they still kept prodding me for questions- "anything else?" "are you sure?" "no questions at all?" "What about student life" "What about the weather?" "What about clubs?" "You can ask the students about their experiences." Needless to say, I am fairly certain that I'll not get the award. But I still love the college!</p>

253

<p>Had an interview with an admissions officer from a small LAC a few months ago, but I was too lazy to post this earlier lol. And it's not as awkward/funny as some of the stories posted here, sorry!</p>

<p>Anyhoo, so he asks me to give him five words describing myself.
I'm a bit taken aback, I wasn't really expecting this kind of question. So I go, "Open... Laidback..."--which he already knows because I've been going on and on about how I just like to go with the flow, I'm super non-competitive, I'm very tolerant of other people and differing opinions (I know it might sound very conceited of me, but it's true), blah blah..--awkward pause, can't come up with another word! So, I offer, "Self-conscious?" 'cause I figured it wouldn't be so bad if I gave a not-exactly-positive adjective for myself, right?</p>

<p>After another long and not any less awkward pause, I shrug and say, "I can't really think of anything else." UGH, I suck :(</p>

<p>But the rest of the interview was okay, we had a pretty good conversation, and except for that one other question about some politics/terrorism issue (ack! Good thing I managed to BS my way out of that. I'm not sure if my BS was actually any good though), it was a pretty cool interview.</p>

254

<p>I only have had two college interviews, but my Vassar one was SO much better than my Swat interview. Instead of interrogating me, the conversation was very natural.</p>

<p>So bad news guys, no huge awkward moments...</p>

<p>Aaah, and if you go to Starbucks, I don't recommend the white hot chocolate. It's disgusting. And definitely don't look at it- the lid is on there for a reason!</p>

255

<p>Interviewer: So, it's May 2009, you're done your first year of college. What surprises your friends the most about you?</p>

<p>Me: Well, hopefully it wont be the freshman 15!</p>

<p>Interviewer: I see...</p>

<p>Me: Haha no, that wasn't my answer!</p>

<p>;_;</p>

256

<p>LOL. This thread is absolutely hilarious. I have been laughing for like twenty minutes, its too addictive. My own story is quite embarrassing. I had just finished applying to all my schools and was quite satisfied that I had finished this process. After two weeks, I received an e-mail notifying me that X's Alum network wanted to have an interview with me.</p>

<p>I was pretty excited but scared. Soooo, I decide to find out all the materials they give their interviewers and prepare in advance for all the questions. On the day of the interview, I walk into the Starbucks and he finds me (I was staring at everyone looking for signs :) ). So, we walk out of Starbucks and walk into a book store nearby where we couldn't find an empty table so he just sat in a chair (next to a bookshelf) and I find another chair(fifteen feet away) and drag it so that I am right in front of him while every1 was staring at me. He basically just stared at me for a while, but I was like "hey I had to do it."</p>

<p>Next, the interview goes quite smoothly and he seemed like a cool guy who I would hang out with everyday. Obviously, hes smart. He asks me about the other schools I applied to. So, I tell him about them and especially about Stanford. Since recently, I was rejected in EA from there, I guess I felt vindicative. I kind of let it slip that adcoms at Stanford aren't the greatest. </p>

<p>He tells me "My wife studied at Stanford"... Uh-oh!!! Imma like about to run away to the next city and change my name when he hits me with, "She now works at the Stanford adcoms department."</p>

<p>omg, but its ok. He was so chill though, so he probably let it go. He told me I was good and would put in a very good word for me. Thank god!</p>

257

<p>I heard SO many stories like that, so I would be WAY too paranoid to say anything negative about any other schools.</p>

258

<p>I went off about another school at my Columbia interview today. He mentioned Olin Engineering, and I realized that it would be an opportunity to discuss the core curriculum and how I'd rather be well-rounded at Columbia than lopsided at an engineering specialty school.</p>

259

<p>At my ONLY interview ever...</p>

<p>In email, he told me he was a 5'8'' Asian Guy. So I get to the coffee shop and there are SO MANY ASIAN PEOPLE. (I, not knowing any Asian people and going to a 95% black school was culture shocked haha). So I go up to one of them and say, "Dr. Woo?" "No," comes the reply. So I'm like crap, what am I going to do. I order a tea latte and THANKFULLY the interviewer comes up to me. Yay.</p>

<p>And then during the interview he asked what I liked to read. "Um, newsweek...technology mostly. Wikipedia." Yeah, wikipedia. -_-</p>

<p>And then at the end of the interview we shook hands, all that stuff. And then I waited for him (for WHAT reason I don't know...what, are we going to walk out together!??!) and stood there while he packed up his laptop. He was like, "this is gonna take a while, so..." Haha, and I left and said bye again.</p>

<p>But overall, I think it went well. He was a good interviewer.</p>

260

<p>LOL kevin. I had almost the same experience with the whole waiting for your interviewer thing. It was so awkward, but she was too nice to be like "uh, you can leave now" so I just stood there for three minutes while she packed up her stuff. We walk like three steps to the door together, then part in opposite directions.</p>