Hi! I’m someone who’s pretty anxious about speaking to someone one to one in search a formal situation. I know it’s something I need to get over, but can anyone tell me what to expect when it comes to the personal interview? What sort of questions should I prepare, what should I talk about, that kind of thing?
Thanks!
My interview was pretty casual. When you walk into the Admissions building, they’ll give you a sheet to fill out where you’ll write your stats (GPA, SAT, etc.), as well as personal interests/hobbies. Be prepared to answer the standard questions you’d expect, i.e. Why Hamilton? What do you want to pursue/major in and why? Explain some of your extra curriculars? Who do you see as a role model in your life?
But for the most part, try to talk about the things you’re most passionate about (they’ll ask you about the hobbies you wrote on the sheet). That’s what they’re primarily looking for anyway. They want to see passion, devotion, and a general interest in Hamilton and your hobbies. Once you’re talking about things you enjoy, the conversation tends to flow pretty smoothly from there. So I guess, try not to worry about it too much as if it’s a stuffy, business-clad interview, and just have fun. I think I ended up recommending some TV shows for my interviewer to watch.
Best of luck!
You may want to look at your interview as a focused conversation on topics of interest to you (academics, your future, Hamilton specifically . . .). If you bring a sincere sense of inquiry and curiosity to the talk, its nominal formality could simply serve to sharpen your presentation.
My son’s interviewer was an employee. When the two of them walked down the steps afterward, they were chatting and laughing like old friends. As luck would have it, they both played the same musical instrument so a lot of the interview was spent discussing music and each of their interests. Good Luck!