<p>So i had my yale ALUMNI interview after school...and pretty much, it was kinda horrible. i mean, i showed my interest in yale very well...facts about the school, especially the chemistry research department that they just built cuz my intended major is chemistry and stuff like that.....but as for other stuff, i was very stuttery and shaky and circomlocuting and saying ummm a lot. It was my first interview ever, college or not, so i was so intimidated and very nervous. my stories didnt really make sense and my responses were very "wierd." BUT, the interviewer was really nice and i THINK understood, and she was encouraging and stuff....but i'm afraid she's gonna say something like "he's not articulate and can't make good conversation and thus i wud recommend him with hesitation or something".</p>
<p>how much do these alumni interviews really matter? i am so scared i just messed up my chances at getting into yale...not that they were very good anyway but still</p>
<p>I doubt if you helped yourself, but it is only an interview. Consider all of the things that are more important for the adcoms to consider. They are looking at your entire academic record including difficulty of curriculum, gpa/rank and standardized test scores. Then they consider your EC's, essays, and GC/teacher recs. It is not reasonable to think that they are going to put too much importance on a half hour interview with a volunteer alumni.</p>
<p>If you don't get in, please don't go around for the rest of your life telling people that you didn't get into Yale because you screwed up the interview. I hate that. Of course, if it makes you feel better, I guess it's okay to go ahead. Good luck.</p>
<p>alum interviews are not given that much weight unless they raise a red flag. Examples would be a student who said they're applying just to see if they could get into Yale, who said their parents made them apply when asked "why Yale", admits to cheating in school, etc. These things happen more often than you'd think!</p>
<p>On the other hand, alum interviews that don't uncover a big issue just don't carry that much weight. The qualification for being an alum interviewer is generally 1) applying. That's it; alums sign up, receive minimal (if any) in-person training, get a few brochures on how to interview, and then a list of kids to call. Clearly you can't expect consistent results from a setup like this, and adcoms know it. Suzy may be proud of Yale and bound to see only the "best" get in; Shelly may be proud of Yale and want to get a kid from her local HS in every year. The adcoms have no way of knowing whether a rec came from a Suzy or Shelly, but you can easily imagine they'd review the same students quite differently.</p>
<p>That being said, its always a good idea to practice something before you do it. You can bet when Brett Favre throws a pass in a game its not the first time they've tried that route. In your situation you could have done practice interviews with friends, parents, etc. At college before you interview for internships or jobs most career centers offer "mock" interviews where they tape you. And its always a good idea to apply for a few jobs at places you aren't dying to work for just to get some practice (and maybe you'll learn something about them and WANT to work there!).</p>
<p>LOL I wouldn't stress out about it at all. I too was very shaky during my interview at USC. What made me more uncomfortable was that the admissions lady was completely emotionless except for the one time I made her smile during the interview. I had the weird sensation that she was looking down on me, like I was boring her. I smiled the whole way during the interview and kept my composure. </p>
<p>I felt so horrible after the interview, I wanted to jump off a cliff or something, but I realized that even if I had a bad interview, I kept my composure even though I felt like I was a failure.</p>
<p>If it was just being nervous that was a problem, then you should be fine. At least you showed that the interview meant something to you by being nervous. (At least you didn't act calm as if you didn't care).</p>
<p>Armani; my heart goes out to you! As an newer alum interviewer, I try to look beyond superficialities, to learn as much about you as I can, in a very short amount of time, in a somewhat stilted setting. What I look for is depth, a spark and the passion-thing. I have interviewed articulate kids who don't have a whole lot to say and tongue-tied kids who I know I will have a difficult time drawing out. Don't feel like you've failed, the interviewer is used to dealing with all sorts of people, plus it is partly their responsibility to delve beyond the surface. I partially agree with mikemac; try to practice with an adult, possibly your cc.</p>
<p>I had a Harvard interview, and though it was not an unpleasant experience, there are much more fun things to do than answering loaded questions like "What do you want out of college?" to complete strangers who have a pen in their hand. My interviewer told me that his job was to make the best case for all his interviewees possible, that he was not some kind of operative hired by Harvard to root out unworthy pretenders. So I think you can look at it this way: an interview is designed to only help you.</p>
<p>Hey nbachris2788, I am about to have my interview and I am wondering what it was like for you? Can you give me a synopsis of it? For example, for kind of question s do they ask? Plus verrry important, does the interviewer had a copy of your application while he or she interviewed you? I'm worry because I do not know what to bring for the interview: a copy of my aplication, resume or just my presence. Hey, thank you very much!!!!!!</p>