<p>^ my friend had an interview who cursed the whole time. she's VERY conservative, so she was like...Uh, can you stop? Needless to say, it didn't go very well</p>
<p>As for awkward, i also know somebody who said that they're 50% brains and 60% hard work...yup.</p>
<p>At one interview, the admission counselor brought up penguins for some reason (can't remember exactly why). So he started talking about how penguins look so innocent, and my dumb*** imagination goes off and says "yeah, they're probably all diabolical and are going to take over the world or something". So the next ten minutes were spent discussing strategy, means and motives for the attacks. He participated as much as I did in the conversation and had his own weird insights on it. We both agreed that penguins would someday rule the world and use polar bears as their servants and guards.</p>
<p>anyway, thank god he was completely crazy too, or that could have got really awkward.</p>
<p>have u seen madagascar that is what penguins are really like</p>
<p>I have a friend who was interviewed by Cornell and the interviewer asked him why. He was prepared for the question and used the same answer for every other school. He responsed without thinking "Well I really want to attend Columbia because of its..." not really sure if it was Columbia but he said the wrong school. He was rejected but we had a good laugh about it so its all good.</p>
<p>At my Barnard alumni interview, she asked how I heard about Barnard. So I was describing how I came to really adore the school during my summer program and said, "I fell in love!" She was really taken aback because she thought I was telling her about my love life and I had to explain that it was the school I was in love with. Luckily, we had a good laugh and the rest of the interview went very well.</p>
<p>At one interview, after telling me about how passion about the school was very important in the admissions process, the guy asked me to list all the colleges I'm applying to in order of choice. I never thought about which ones were my top choices since I just decided on a list of college to apply to. So for three minutes, I tried to explain that I really didn't have a list in order and that his school was a top, top choice. very awkward.</p>
<p>Grinnell...</p>
<p>Cell phone...</p>
<p>My interviewer didn't like Dropkick Murphys</p>
<p>Who doesn't like Dropkick Murphys!!?! Crazy interviewer. </p>
<p>MIT interview definitely had the potential for awkwardness but it turned out okay. She asked me what I thought about the election (this was before it) and everyone's campaigns and such, and I was talking about how crazy everything was and just blurted out how much I disliked Sarah Palin. She stared at me for about five seconds, and I thought she was going to turn out to be a big republican supporter, but then she said 'oh my god I know! She is such an idiot!'. So it was all good, and we sorta bonded over the shared dislike.
(not meant to offend if you liked Palin or anything, just a story.)</p>
<p>I interviewed twice. The first time I had a very understanding interviewer, but second time my speech impediment messed things up, so I'll let colleges judge me on my essays instead of my gibbering attempts at verbal communication >.<</p>
<p>Me: Hello, my name is Heather, I was supposed to interview here today? Are you (interviewer's name)?
Interviewer: let me guess.. british?
Me: no, but I get that a lot (I have no 'r' sound. I guess British is preferable to Elmer Fudd)
Interviewer: South African?
Me: No, but I get that a lot too.
Interviewer: Where are you from, then?
Me: ummmmm... Memphis.
Interviewer: No way! (proceeds to interrogate me more on the subject, asking me to repeat things every time I open my mouth because, evidently, I was especially unintelligible that day)
Me (attempting light, subject-changing humor): I'm from the far, far away land of no speech therapy (this came out "I-I-I'm from the fa, fa away. land of no speech theppy", which kills some of its humor. You see my problem)
Interviewer: .... No need to get all huffy (and she was huffy for the rest of the interview and I heard her make fun of my accent to another admissions person as I left)</p>
<p>so no more interviews for me, no way :) And when I get to college I'm going to offer myself up as a guineapig to the speech pathology grad students or something so I can find a way not to have to pay for speech therapy!</p>
<p>tinuviel- That interviewer was an imbecile, utterly clueless and insensitive. At some point after April and May, you may receive a form to fill out from the college asking you about your application and interview experience with their school (if you are accepted and do not choose to attend.) That is the time to let admissions know your interviewer was an oaf.</p>
<p>Good luck in the rest of your application season.</p>
<p>Columbia interview:</p>
<p>Interviewer: So why do you want to study Oceanography?
Me: Well, mostly because I love both science and the ocean and I believe that if I combine the two passions I can participate in research that could help understand the ocean more...
Interviewer: You don't have to study something to make a difference in the field, you know.
Me: ...
Interviewer: So are there any other reasons?
Me: Well, yeah, with all of the environmental issues affecting the ocean, if I learn more about the ocean, I can assess these issues accurately and participate in environmental activism...
Interviewer: But WHY do you want to study Oceanography?
Me: Oh, I have a copy of my admissions essay on me... I printed it for a friend and she gave it back to me... it's on the subject of why I want to study Oceanography, do you want to take a look at it?
Interviewer: ... no.</p>
<p>Oh, and she asked BS questions like "why do you like to be creative" and "how does someone who likes science also like creative writing... what similarities between the two attract you?"</p>
<p>Worst interview ever. And she kept asking me "why columbia" even after I had said three concrete reasons why (one was a research institute affiliated with Columbia...)</p>
<p>ironmetal250, it sounds like that interviewer was out to get you or something! wow that kind of scares me for my columbia interview. eeeeh i hope i get someone nice!</p>
<p>I had one for CMC that was going wonderfully, until a certain breakdown of communication..</p>
<p>My interviewer is a representative in my State's House, and so I asked where he thought he'd be in a few years (like in what way he wanted to continue politics) and he said "I'm hoping for a minimum security place, with some nice green grass" etc, and I was slightly nervous/brain dead still and I didn't get it at first. He said with a smile, "Don't be stressed! lighten up a bit" as I realized what he was saying and started laughing.</p>
<p>Not that bad, but then I tried to make a joke that, "Yeah, that's what my goals include too!" and then 'not really', 'just kidding' stuff, but he thought I was kind of critiquing being in politics, that I didn't want to do that (when I was trying to say that I definitely didn't want to be in prison), and said, "Well, I mean you have some experience with that stuff, I see you're in student government.." It was such a bad miscommunication. But at least we got it cleared up, and it's something I can laugh about now. And that was the only bad part of the interview, so I was pretty happy overall :)</p>
<p>@Anonymous315</p>
<p>Grinnell people didn't like Dropkick Murphys? That is pretty surprising... were you interviewed by an adcom or a senior? even if it was an adcom, im pretty surprised... :D</p>
<p>I totally lolled at the TC's story.</p>
<p>I have an older brother who goes to Georgetown, and the guy that interviewed him there ended up interviewing me a week ago. This had some of the most awkward conversations I have ever had.</p>
<p>Interviewer: Oh my, I remember interviewing your brother about 4 years ago, right?
Me: Actually, it was two.
Interviewer: Oh. well, do you like comic books?
Me: What?
Interviewer: Comic books. You know, stuff like X-Men?
Me: Uhm...I've never actually read any comic books.
Interviewer: Oh, I just thought that since your brother liked them, so would you.
Me: No, sorry I don't.
Interviewer: Well, I do. I read comic books quite a bit actually.
Me: Uh...that's nice.
Interviewer: I personally love the X-Men.
Me: uhm...</p>
<p>^ it went on for about 30 minutes.</p>
<p>I was setting up a college interview for Georgetown with an alum that lives in my area. He called me to set up a time and a place and I was so nervous about making an impression on the telephone that I was stuttering and confusing. After making a meeting time and place, we were saying our goodbyes over the phone and I was so happy I didn't say anything utterly retarded my mind must have gone on autopilot because I responded to his farewells with a quick (and clearly audible) "Love you too" <strong>click</strong> --facepalm--. I don't know what I was thinking but I must have felt like I was saying goodbye to one of my parents or something haha</p>
<p>Oh and not to mention, with that CMC interview, I had set up the interview through emailing the guy, so luckily I was able to google him and find what he looked like, but he had no clue who I was. My first name is unusual, can be pronounced a few ways and can be a girls or guys name. Well I go up and introduce myself and he was surprised and goes "Oh, I thought you were going to be a boy named <em>(pronouncing it a different way)</em>__!" And that means that he also thought I was black, when I'm white. Pretty awesome :)</p>
<p>haha cman have u had the interview yet?</p>
<p>@cmain: At least you'll be able to have a chuckle when you finally meet the interviewer.</p>
<p>During my interview, I was nervous, and I guess figeting with my pen....and somehow...the pen clip got stuck in my hair and I couldn't get the pen out of my hair. Talk about embarassing, and bad impressions, this pen hanging from my hair.</p>