<p>FWIW, there are many posts available on this topic.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/283957-rd-applicants-interview-advice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/283957-rd-applicants-interview-advice.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/810532-brown-interview-faq-answers.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/brown-university/810532-brown-interview-faq-answers.html</a> (from the Brown forum; still applicable to Yale)</p>
<p>You shouldn’t need to bring notes. Just bring an open mind and questions to ask your interviewer, who will almost certainly ask if you have questions about his/her experience at Yale.</p>
<p>As for the Why Yale question, you really don’t want to look like another CCer who’s just applying because it’s, as you say, “great” or prestigious or whatever else. Put some real thought into it and ask yourself why you really want to go to Yale. Is it the culture? A specific class or professor or program? For me, it came down to a story my dad told me about when he was at grad school there. Kind of silly, sure, but then I started looking into the school and realized how wonderful it is. Residential colleges (with gyms and practice rooms! heaven for me right there), a community of students who have wonderful friends and love their school, really fabulous a cappella groups, etc. (Sadly, all this happened after I submitted my app with a subpar Why Yale answer, but I digress.)</p>