I’m applying to a handful of selective schools. I am the best writer in my high school, with pretty good stats and a smattering of impressive extracurriculars; I enjoy science and the quantitative side of things more often than not but have nothing to show for it. I am interested in history, linguistics, and politics, and see myself going into journalism and fiction writing in the future.
I just had a Yale interview this morning with a distinguished economist in his late fifties with a background in physics. He was friendly and helpful, but I felt that our frames of reference were too wildly different for me to seem impressive to him. (For instance, after inquiring about his background and time at Yale, I stared blankly as he listed the names of economists and game theorists he had worked with, showing only a glimmer of recognition when he mentioned a few people I was loosely familiar with - Janet Yellen, John Forbes Nash, Jr., etc.) Some time toward the end of the interview I had run out of questions to ask him, and accomplishments to list, and he noted my anxiety and told me not to worry. “I’m not making the final decision, but I’ll tell them good things about you, like, '[swordfish17] is a sharp and articulate young man. . .” I appreciated his reassurance, but I don’t want him to damn me with faint praise.
Anyway, I have a Columbia interview some time in the next month with a recent graduate in - wait for it - economics, which is a fascinating field, of course, but I’d sound much smarter talking to someone who values the things I know something about, and whose realm of references coincides at least slightly with my own. I’m not expecting to get into Yale - nor was I ever set on it - but I’d like to hear any advice you folks may have about future interviews.
You don’t need to necessarily need to talk about your intended major so much. I had a Vanderbilt interview with a Finance major which is probably the last thing I would want to do, but our interview happened to last an hour and a half because we talked on other things such as background, school atmosphere, my extracurriculars, opportunities in Nashville, etc. I do understand your desire to talk about things you’re highly interested in; I just had my Huntsman interview and we talked about global politics and business for an hour which was amazing. But there are so many other things you can ask that don’t have to do with your intended major.
That Yale interview sounds perfectly fine, and in almost all cases, interviews don’t really matter much anyway (unless you show up and can’t speak English, act completely inappropriately, stand up your interviewer, etc.), @swordfish17
College interviews aren’t about proving that you’re smart. Lots and lots and lots of test scores and items on your transcript will do that for you.
The interview gives the college a small window into who you are as a person. (Essays can’t really do that, because no one can verify just who actually wrote the essay.) They give the college some idea as to whether you are articulate, personable, social, and generally a good fit for their school. It’s their version of a college visit.
So don’t feel that you have to talk economics. Speak about Columbia, about NYC, about your summer job, about your hopes and plans for the future… have a conversation and let the topics wander.
@anxioussenior17 That’s a good point. Maybe I should’ve tried harder to control the direction of the conversation, and prepare a few more topics/questions in advance next time.