<p>An alumi from Brown called me and asked if I want to have an interview
she said it's not required..</p>
<p>i researched a little bit and decided it would be better for me to not do it, so I was wondering how i could say no to her :(</p>
<p>I'm calling her back today later, but I dont wanna just go</p>
<p>"I dont think I would like to have an interview"</p>
<p>is there any nicer way of saying this?</p>
<p>There is no nice way to do that. Not interviewing when offered an interview indicates that you're either not interested in the college or have something to hide such as being extremely sociallly maladept .</p>
<p>oh really? :( then I probably should do it..
im so scared!</p>
<p>any other replies?</p>
<p>If the only reason you're trying to avoid the interview is being scared, then read the above thread for info about interviews.</p>
<p>Please trust me on this: Everyone has to learn how to handle interviews. The best time to do this is when you're in high school. Interviewers understand that for most high school students interviewing is a new experience.</p>
<p>Future employers, graduate school admissions committees, scholarship committees, etc. will not be so forgiving.</p>
<p>So, my advice is to read the CC board and use Google to find as much info about college interviews. Then, do the best job that you can. Realize that perfection isn't expected, and seeming nervous or doing something awkward is not the kiss of death for college interviews. Refusing to show up, however, could be the kiss of death.</p>
<p>Another helpful thread: To</a> Interview or Not to Interview?</p>
<p>It would look very bad if you turned down their request for an interview</p>
<p>thank you so much everyone!
i think im just going to do it :)
it seems like it neither can hurt me nor help me too much
i'll just go for it as well.</p>
<p>I need to call her back right now :S
how should I address her?
should I address her by her last name? but i dont know if she's mrs. or ms :/ she sounds like middle aged tho (40-50?)</p>
<p>any ideas? :)</p>
<p>When you call, say something like, "May I speak to Dorothy Smith? This is James Jackson returning her call about the Xxx College interview."</p>
<p>It also is perfectly fine to ask her how she'd like to be addressed. Some like to be called by their first names. Some prefer a title, which may even be "Dr."</p>
<p>Best of luck to you. And, the more you do things like this, you'll find, the easier it gets. I used to be very shy. I know. :)</p>
<p>Ms. :) If she offers to be called by her first name, you may graciously accept. </p>
<p><em>Handshake</em> "Thank you for taking time to see me, Ms. Smith."
"Please, call me Rachel."
<em>With a smile</em> "Thank you, Rachel."</p>
<p>Also, about your handshake. :) When she extends her hand, take it firmly- if she gives one of those flimsy shakes, don't break her fingers, but be confident. Mantain eye contact at all times. If she gives your hand a squeeze, return it, let her stop first, and let her drop your hand.</p>
<p>If you want to go to Brown, interview and practice beforehand with someone firing some practice questions at you. </p>
<p>If you don't want to go to Brown, call the woman and tell her, "Thank you but I'm not interested in interviewing at this time."</p>
<p>Listen to Nacy Reagan. Just say no!</p>
<p>I had a Brown interview and it really wasn't that bad, and I'm a pretty terrible interviewer. Overally, it went pretty well, so don't sweat it. Just do your best :)</p>
<p>thanks everyone!! ah im scheduling it on tuesday.
hope everything goes well.</p>
<p>do you have any other tips for the interview? :)</p>
<p>I thought that the title ms. is the one that does not distinguish women on the basis of marital status (unlike miss. and mrs.).
Just use that to address her if you don't know.</p>
<p>since it's Monday you don't have a lot of time to prepare :( For the benefit of others reading this thread, its a good idea to have an interview or two at schools you aren't so strongly interested in before you start with your favorites in order to get the butterflies out ...</p>
<p>In any event, the OP can google to get info on job interviewing or get a book from the library about it. College interviews are going to be largely the same. Expect open-ended questions such as "tell me about yourself", "give me an example of a problem you've faced in school and how you solved it", and more school-specific questions such as "why are you interested in Brown", "what makes you a good fit at Brown". As you can see there is no "right" answer but rather an answer that comes from you and conveys a sense of you to the interviewer.</p>
<p>As for general advice, keep things on a positive note and don't criticize your parents, school, or teachers. Suppose you're asked about you about your B in physics (this won't happen with an alum interviewer because they don't have your transcript, but I'm just making a point). Maybe Ms. Jones is the worst physics teacher in the district, but blaming your grade on her is going to sound like sour grapes. Emphasizing the positive would mean talking about the steps you took to get additional help and what you learned from the experience.</p>
<p>Also I can guarantee you that at some point the interviewer will turn and ask if you have any questions. This isn't just to kill time, it's a key point. Have you thought about the school enough to see yourself there and have some questions based on this? Do your questions show you've done your research and aren't asking things that are obvious from the web-pages and viewbook?</p>
<p>see also the thread "toughest interview question was..." at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=295423%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=295423</a></p>
<p>What if there is a health reason? My daughter was offered an interview for one of her schools "early this week" but she is recovering from surgery. Will that negatively impact her? She emailed the individual just explaining her situation and that she had to unfortunately decline.</p>
<p>Go to the interview, if timing is a problem then ask for a reschedule.. I had great experience with interviews, not only do they prepare you for real interviews later in life, but you get to ask questions to people who (depending on the school) are on top of their respective careers.</p>
<p>For one of my interviews I had an ibanker who interviews college grads, he asked me some of the questions he asks them. Great experience.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What if there is a health reason? My daughter was offered an interview for one of her schools "early this week" but she is recovering from surgery. Will that negatively impact her? She emailed the individual just explaining her situation and that she had to unfortunately decline.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It's a legitimate reason, I honestly can't think of any reason a college would be like, "omg she had surgery, but doesn't want to do an interview, that shows such a lack of dedication, let's just reject her"</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure you're safe there. You might want to reschedule though.</p>
<p>Cvjn,
Depending on the school, a good inteview could boost one's chances, so your D should also see if it's possible to do a phone interview. I'm assuming that she's well enough to do that.</p>