Fresh Questions for Alumni Interview

Parents Forum
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<p>Toward the end of the interview I ask, "Is there anything that you haven't gotten a chance to talk about or put on your application that you would like the admissions office to know about you?"</p>

<p>This way, they have had every opportunity to use the interview to their advantage. I also start off interviews letting them know that the interview isn't a modesty test. Harvard has many more excellent applicants than it can accept, so the interview is their chance to make the case for their own acceptance. I've found that it's important to do this because depending on their regional, religious and socioeconomic background, some students have been brought up to think that the most modest person will get the position. That's not true when it comes to things like Ivy League college admissions.</p>

<p>Even though I don't ask students where else they've applied, many students tell me that info anyway. I don't know why they do that because Harvard doesn't care, but I do find it interesting.</p>

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<p>Muffy333, I've always been weak at small talk and think I am not so good at asking the softball questions and getting much out of them. I suspect that some of you are much better than I at that. I suspect that both softball questions with in-depth follow-up and asking some thought-provoking questions can work well, but some individuals will have more success with one approach and some with the other.</p>

<p>I'm not crazy about asking the "Where do you see yourself in 10 years" question either. It probably causes the kid to assume that he/she, who hasn't been exposed to a lot yet, should have an answer. My perspective is different. I had two conventional jobs -- professor and merchant banker. Then, I became more entrepreneurial. Neither of the two businesses that I started and how I've occupied myself for the bulk of my working life are in industries that existed when I was in college. One was enabled by the decreasing cost of information technology; the other by academic study and to a certain extent globalization and increasing interdependence of companies. So, I feel awkward asking them to answer a question to which many sophisticated people probably shouldn't have a good answer. Some people might be certain they want to be doctors or lawyers or, as I mentioned, in one case a chemist. Even there, I suspect science and technology will within the next 15-20 years really change what being a doctor will be like and the skill sets required. So, choosing to be a doctor based upon what medicine is like to day or what it was like 15 years ago may be a mistake. I think they can answer the question well by stating the characteristics of what they'd like to be doing, but even there, I wonder how many 17 year olds have the self-knowledge to answer that question.</p>

<p>I once did a consulting assignment in which one of my consultants asked groups to think about what animal best represented their company and why. I cringed when I heard the question but he got surprisingly good things from it. I've never asked it again myself (internal cringe), but it clearly can work.</p>

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<p>Another good question: "Tell me about a class assignment that you enjoyed."</p>

<p>My follow-up questions get details about the assignment (and this may include getting some explanation about the subject if it's not one I'm familiar with), how the student went about completing it (including how they researched it. The student who uses only Wikipedia is very different than is the student who contacts through e-mail or phone various experts on the subject), and what the student learned through the project.</p>

<p>The student who enjoyed the assignment because "I got an A plus" is very different than is the student who enjoyed the assignment because it opened their mind to a new concepts.</p>

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<p>I'm a parent and not an interviewer for my college but took notice of this thread because my son had his first interview for college this week and came out of it floating on air--had anticipated a tough time because his interviewer presented a no-nonsense "I have to interview you for ___" in email and on phone but turned out to be quite personable and interested, even though his field is polar opposite my S's interest. But it was an enjoyable, in-depth 60-min.-plus interview (with email followup back and forth) and now, course, he's feeling more confident about his application package. I hate to bring him down to earth, but am not sure how much a great interview can have on an applicant's package--and you wonder if the kid comes out thinking "I aced it!" when perhaps he didn't. (Just as it seems that every kid with a Chances thread says his recommendations will be great because his teachers "love me"!)</p>

<p>I am in awe that you prepare in such depth and do multi-paragraph writeups! What a commitment! I'm guessing that you feel it is valuable or you would not continue to interview.</p>

<p>BTW, his interviewer said, "I'm not supposed to ask, but is _____ your first choice?" Answer was, of course, yes (as S hasn't applied anywhere he wouldn't want to really go, but this place among the top two of his 7-college list)!</p>

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<p>neumes,
Sounds like your S had a great interview. I hope he gets in! Sounds like your S also has some excellent interview skills!</p>

<p>Do remind your S that the college will make their decision based not only on his interview and the rest of his application, but also on factors related to the overall composition of the class. </p>

<p>This particularly is true of the top colleges that have such an overabundance of high stat applicants who clearly qualify for admission that the colleges are able to select students based on creating the most interesting, diverse class possible (with "diversity" relating to factors such as major, extracurricular interests, religions, socioeconomic factors, types of schools attended, etc.).</p>

<p>I've interviewed some students whom I absolutely loved, and wanted very much to see accepted. Still, some of those students were rejected. Fortunately, the students seemed to realize that the rejections weren't due to my disliking them or their bombing the interview, because I've run into some of those students since, and have had nice conversations and encounters with them.</p>

<p>In fact, one ended up going to our local second tier public (because she only applied to 3 schools: Harvard, another private that she was accepted to, but couldn't afford, and local second tier public), and being the meditation instructor one night when I attended a local meditation group. We hugged each other, and had a great conversation after the meditation.</p>

<p>One last thing: Whether or not your S gets into that college or decides to go there, he should send the interviewer a follow-up e-mail in April thanking him again for his time, and letting him know where your S will be going. It sounds like the interviewer genuinely thought highly of your S, would be interested in knowing his plans, and may even be someone who could help him get a summer job or other opportunities. Most alum interviewers interview because they genuinely like students, and many enjoy hearing from students whom they interviewed.</p>

<p>Also often alum interviewers don't hear from colleges directly about who is accepted, so it is nice when the students let their interviewers know the results of their application.</p>

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<p>I have on rare occasions asked where else the student is applying, but usually it follows from the conversation. Like, a student who confesses how nervous they are about getting in anywhere, and I'll ask if they have any safeties. </p>

<p>After reading CC for a few years, and seeing the frequent threads where students and parents agonize over how to answer that question, I will never ask it again. Other than to satisfy my own curiosity, there is no reason I need to know where else they are applying. I've learned that kids have both complex and inexplicable reasons for selecting schools, that while Sarah Lawrence and Tulane may seem incompatible choices, to some kids they make sense. </p>

<p>I've seen interview write-ups that say "Don't accept this kid, s/he wants to go to xx." And then I've seen that kid get in. I've asked admissions at my college about that. College admissions has gotten so competitive, they said, that there are no guarantees that the student will get into their first choice, so it is irrelevant information. </p>

<p>I also feel it is inappropriate to ask if the school is their first choice. It puts them in a very awkward position. They can't say it's not. And I know for a fact that in one situation, my college was not number 1 for a student I interviewed, who did get in and decided to go only after visiting all the schools s/he was accepted to. One of my "jobs" as an interviewer is to help them decide which schools they like, by giving them information and perspective on my college. And I don't mean that I give them a hard sell on my college -- I don't do that because the chance they'll get in is 13%. I am another source of information for them, along with the guidance counselor, their friends and family, etc. </p>

<p>I do like asking about their classes -- the subjects they enjoy, research they've done. I always ask what they are taking now. I love watching their faces light up when they talk about something they've explored in depth.</p>

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<p>northstarmom, excellent suggestion to write in April, no matter the outcome, as a courtesy and way of feedback. Thanks--I'll write it on family calendar!</p>

<p>sly_vt, this is what S discovered, that his interviewer gave him insight into the school that he hadn't really considered from that angle, so it does seem the interview serves more than one purpose.</p>

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<p>I tell them they can call me anytime, even if they get rejected (I always call the ones who get accepted -not too many). I really like it when they do call after a rejection and tell me where they are attending so I can tell them how much I liked meeting them and I know they will love that school. Don't like it so much when they want me to call the admissions office and find out WHY? WHY?</p>

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<p>Maybe you could ask non-cognitive questions testing them on their character and moral values?</p>

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<p>the interviewer from yale asked me if i was following anyone or anything currently in the news and why. that sparked a lot of conversation.</p>

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<p>I think a great and revealing topic to ask teenagers about is what kind of music they like, who is their favorite band and what do they like about the music they listen to.</p>

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<p>I always ask how would they spend a "free" day (on the off chance that these busy kids ever get a free day)</p>

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<p>I was asked about what I would do if there was a pink elephant sitting right under me. It was pretty interesting. I didn't do very well at answering the questions (we got onto the subject of quantum physics, and I ended up being so lost on Feynmann equations and all that) but I did like it. It was rather original.</p>

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<p>I liked that question about what you would do with an extra day, month, year...</p>

<p>It would be hard for me to say day, but month and year are easier, because I could never get a month/year off, but a day is at least possible.</p>

<p>And I'm wondering about one of the questions that was asked earlier- about which actor would portray you... What does that say about you? I'm not really familiar with a ton of actresses and I'm not sure what information that gives... Maybe if they asked how an actor would prepare to portray you?</p>

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<p>shawbridge,
Several years ago my daughter interviewed for 2 Ivy's. The first one was a standard interview with an alum, nothing impressive. It was no different than any other interview she had for other schools, jobs, internships, etc. My daughter didn't get accepted, after the interview experience she was not heartbroken.
The second interview, the alum asked her to bring 5 things that would show him what she was like that was not obvious from all of her papers she sent in with her application. It was an interesting exercise all around.
She spent a good deal of time thinking about what was really important to her, not necessarily what she thought the alum wanted to hear. She started gathering things on the dining room table. She had a hard time picking just five from the huge pile, but did. She found herself making connections between items when she was deciding on her 5. She started to see themes and had several AH - HA moments.
She was able to really think about what she wanted for herself from a college and what she wanted to do when she grew up.
She had a great time in the interview, was relaxed and said she really opened up and found that she was more honest with this alum than in other interviews. She answered the questions, but didn't feel like she was being questioned. She said she never paused and thought about what she was going to say before she started to speak. She said she never answered the question the way she thought he would want. She said it was more like a conversation, albeit exhausting and stimulating at the same time.
By the end of the interview she realized she really didn't want to go to the school. She realized she was in love with the idea of going to the Ivy, but not in love with the Ivy and the Ivy couldn't truly support her passion.
She came home very upbeat and happy she didn't make the jump that was looming in front of her. She felt that if she had had another alum interview her, or didn't interview at all, she probably would have gone to the Ivy.
She went to another University, graduated with Honors and followed her passions and her dreams - something the Ivy wouldn't have given her.
She wrote to the alum to thank him for the interview and for opening her eyes. He wrote back that he was sorry the school had lost her, but after meeting her he knew she was making the right decision.
After seeing the impact of this alum interview on my daughter, if I was doing them, I would borrow his idea.
It would be a good ice breaker and will help to steer the conversation. You may even get a glimpse into the student before you, not listening to the student saying things they think you want to hear.
Good luck. I am sure your interviews are great in any event.</p>

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<p>Interesting approach, eastcoastmamma. I'll have to try at some point. </p>

<p>Thanks for everyone's help. For this year's interviews (yesterday and today), I tried a combination. I started out trying to put the interviewee's at ease by asking which elementary school they'd gone to (which I was pretty confident I knew). Then to the softball questions with as much intelligent follow-up as I could muster. I mixed in a few of the questions suggested here: "What would love to do if you had an extra day next week free?" to one kid and "What would you love to do if you had a year before you went to college?" to the other. In one case, I learned about a seemingly fairly buttoned-down kid's love of fantasy novels (sci-fi types). I tried the volume of the Mississippi River question. One kid sort of froze. The other gave me a very literal solution -- I'd get in a boat with sonar to measure length and depth and make some assumptions about width. I asked one both kids what they'd like me and the adcom to know about them that didn't really come through on all of paper version of the submitted in the application. One kid, who'd won departmental honors in virtually every subject in virtually every year, said, "It's not just about the grades. It's about the learning." I was trying to figure out if this student received all these awards because of extreme hard work and organization or real intellectual strength but I could not tell.</p>

<p>While I did learn a lot, I do feel that I didn't get a clear sense of either kid's passions. Both were nervous and one was intensely shy at the beginning but warmed up as we went along. Incidentally both were public high school students who could use a couple of days of coaching about how to present themselves and what they were passionate about. The private school kids I've interviewed in previous years seem to be much more polished, although it is not clear the substance was any better than these two.</p>

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<p>I avoid personal questions. As jonri has pointed out, sometimes the answers are so difficult and emotion-laden that it could derail the entire interview. Sometimes people cannot discuss certain personal topics without breaking into tears or anger. It is not my business to ask a total stranger things like that under conditions where they will feel obliged to answer.</p>

<p>My kids do not "white lie". They consider the distinction between white lying and lying as quibbling. They either answer, or get very uncomfortable when asked things that they don't want to answer. Their friends are pretty much the same. </p>

<p>My college has no special interest in recruiting people who are deft at deflecting inappropriate inquiries. They are looking for smart intellectually engaged people. Some of these come from difficult backgrounds. The college does not want to put these people off by making the interview unpleasant.</p>

<p>My alma mater makes clear that the interview serves largely to make the application process less impersonal for the student. It is a sales job for the college, and the interview report rarely affects the admissions decision. I tell the students that early in the interview. I always follow that with the "anything you think the admissions office should know that does not come through in your application?" question, but I don't dwell on it if they have nothing to offer.</p>

<p>My college tends to intimidate many people. It is famous, and people think they know things about it that are not true. The "rich kids school" remains an obstacle to overcome. For that reason, the college has longed stressed being careful to avoid giving the impression of wealth, establishment, power, or status in the interview. They recommend against interviewing kids in your office, because that can be incredibly intimidating to many people. Perhaps not to the kid whose mom is managing partner of a big law firm, but likely to a kid whose dad drives a truck. Even if the kid is not intimidated, the college worries that it sends a message "if your family does not belong to the right country club, you do not belong here". Same problem with interviewing in your home. People forget where their homes stand in relation to national norms. If the student's apartment could fit inside your living room, don't interview at your home.</p>

<p>I try to interview applicants at their schools. This is a comfortable familiar environment for them. If they are applying to my college then they are doing very well at school. The initial small talk about the room and the school gives them something to break the ice.</p>

<p>As for questions. To get to know them, and perhaps come up with something that may not be on the application, I try to find out what stimulates their brains. I usually ask some version of "what are you reading?", but that is not necessarily a book. It could be web sites, computer manuals, newspapers... I want to find out how much they know and how deeply they think about something that is interesting to them. This may or may not be school-related. If they do not have something beyond their school work that turns on their brains, or if they do not have time and energy left to pursue it after the homework is done, then they probably will not like my college.</p>

<p>I avoid topics that would be inappropriate for social conversation or a job interview. I would NEVER ask a kid about their religion. 1. none of my business 2. don't want to imply that their religious beliefs could possibly have an influence on their admission 3. Don't want to imply that we are expecting a recommendation from the bishop. If a kid brings up theology in the "what are you interested in" question, or says that religious extracurriculars are important, we pursue that, but I always make clear that my college has room for atheists and people of every imaginable religious persuasion.</p>

<p>Same approach to politics.</p>

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<p>shawbridge, not every kid has passions. I know that if you'd talked to me in high school I had some enthusiasms. I liked art and math, and reading historical fiction and fantasies. I loved British History, but passion? Not really. My older son is passionate about computer science, but he can't explain why he loves it and if you ask him to talk about what aspects he's working on now - it always quickly became totally incomprehensible to the layman. (It would have been so much easier if he did more obvious things like design games!)</p>

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<p>"What would love to do if you had an extra day next week free?" to one kid and "What would you love to do if you had a year before you went to college?" to the other. "</p>

<p>I think that one would get even more useful information by asking "What did you do the last time that you had some extra time?" IMO what students actually have done probably is a better reflection of their interests and what they have to offer a college than their fantasies about what they would do.</p>

<p>" I tried the volume of the Mississippi River question. One kid sort of froze. The other gave me a very literal solution -- I'd get in a boat with sonar to measure length and depth and make some assumptions about width."</p>

<p>This is an example of the type of question that Harvard tells alum interviewers not to ask prospective students. The interviewers' handbook said such a question could be appropriate to ask applicants to certain graduate programs, but it's not appropriate for aspiring undergrads because such students lack the sophistication and technical knowledge to be able to handle them. The skills providing a good answer would require are skills that the student could be expected to learn as an undergraduate.</p>

<p>" I asked one both kids what they'd like me and the adcom to know about them that didn't really come through on all of paper version of the submitted in the application."</p>

<p>Great question. Regardless of how they answer, you've given them every opportunity to shine, and their answer or lack of answer reflects who they are.</p>

<p>"While I did learn a lot, I do feel that I didn't get a clear sense of either kid's passions."</p>

<p>IMO that's because most kids -- and most people in general-- don't have passions. Some that do have passions don't also have passions and an interest in college or the grades/scores to get into at least some colleges.</p>

<p>That's why colleges, particularly top ones, are so thrilled to see kids with high scores, high grades AND passions that such students have better than average chances of getting in. </p>

<p>"I try to interview applicants at their schools. This is a comfortable familiar environment for them."</p>

<p>I used to ask kids if they'd like to be interviewed at their schools. Not one said "yes," so now I interview at local coffee shops. I used to interview at my home, which isn't so imposing to be intimidating to most students. However, after I had a student who was deferred drop by unexpectedly to give me a present, I decided it would be better to not let students know where I live....</p>

<p>"My college has no special interest in recruiting people who are deft at deflecting inappropriate inquiries. They are looking for smart intellectually engaged people. Some of these come from difficult backgrounds. The college does not want to put these people off by making the interview unpleasant."</p>

<p>I think that is true of all colleges. I know that mine, too, emphasizes that in their interviewers' handbook. The handbook specifically says that due to the ratio of applicants to spaces in the class, most applicants will be rejected. The college, however, wants the interview to leave students with the impression that they were respected and treated politely and kindly during the interview.</p>

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<p>I'm allowed to interview at my house as long as someone else is there. I have a lot of teenagers living with me so that isn't a problem. I've also gone to the applicant's house if that's more convenient. The local diner or Starbucks has too many people who might know me or the kid, and I personally HATE food interviews. I dropped my fork down the sleeve of my dress once. And because I've given money to sports programs at the school I once got a massive handbook on all the rules for interviewing recruited athletes which seemed to suggest I could not offer them a soda or their eligibility would be ruined.</p>