<p>I just got an e-mail from a man saying he would like to meet for an alumni interview to discuss the school. I am freaking out right now and I don't know what to do. Does anyone have any tips? Will this greatly affect my admissions?</p>
<p>Just relax and be yourself. One question they are likely to ask is why Cornell? especially, why Cornell over the other schools (implying..because there are a plenty of great schools)?</p>
<p>I just found out I have an interview with someone who graduated from my high school. She seemed so excited, and I'm getting really excited as well!!</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>cornell claims that interviews do not affect the admissions decision, rather it is just a chance for you to get ot know the school better. i beg to differ. i interviewed (yes, that is how is really is) an alumnus who graduated from the same school that i was applying to, engineering. therefore we got along really well. he only asked me three questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>how did you get interested in cornell and why is it your early decision choice</p></li>
<li><p>tell me about yourself and your interests</p></li>
<li><p>how do airplanes fly in terms of lift (followed up with) then how do acrobats fly upsidedown</p></li>
</ol>
<p>you are expected to come up with a list of questions to ask. as i said before, this interview is a great chance for you to better understand cornell. ask questions that are not obvious or could be found online or through a brochure. ask questions like, "what quote best describes your cornell experience"</p>
<p>overall, prepare questions to last about an hour. rememeber, to always pay attention and to take notes</p>
<p>best of luck</p>
<p>i don't think i would recommend that you "take notes" unless you mean mental notes. approach it as more of a casual conversation... at least that is what mine was</p>
<p>take notes to show genuine interest and that you prepared. dont take copius notes, but jot down a few comments and/or answers. trust me, it works</p>
<p>I printed out a list of questions ahead of time and took it with me. Mine was more formal because it was on-campus, but it's still a great way to organize your thoughts and remember everything you wanted to ask.</p>
<p>I printed out a list of 10 questions to ask my alumnus...he answered one. Seriously, all he could tell me was that Cornell has great frat parties. Don't expect much.</p>
<p>Mostly they try to have a conversation with you and gauge your interests and enthusiasm for the school. If you have time, get one of those books about job interviews. It well expose you to some standard questions such as tell me about yourself, describe a problem and how you handled it, etc. If possible have a parent or friend give you a practice interview and tape-record it; play it back and you'll probably note areas you might want to improve.</p>
<p>One thing that is guaranteed is that you will be asked if you have any questions. This isn't just to fill in time, its a key part of the interview. They want to see if you've looked into the school and have done your homework; if you ask questions easily answered from the viewbook or website then you aren't demonstrating the interest they are looking for.</p>
<p>Lastly you should know that most college interviews with alums aren't the make/break decision so many kids worry about. Sure if you admit that you're only applying because you're parent forced you to or confess to some crime that will get back to the adcoms, but in general the alums aren't a trained interview force and so it isn't a crucial factor. The main purpose is that colleges know you are applying to their peers as well as them, and they want some face-to-face contact to push them ahead of the peers. Some others disagree with this viewpoint, but its one I've heard from people who should know.</p>
<p>Alright,</p>
<p>My mother is one of the people who conducts these alumni interviews, and I've sat in on more than two dozen of them...they don't count for anything at all really.</p>
<p>Its purpose is to allow you to meet someone that's knowledgeable about the school that can answer any questions you may have. You just chat for a while about cornell and your interests, and that's it. It doesn't affect your admission AT ALL unless the alumnus claims you're mentally unstable or something...</p>
<p>Basically, this is how the system works: The alum logs into the CU website to a specific place, and imputs their information and yours. They mark that they had an interview with you, what day it was, and whether or not they had known you previously. Then there's a box where they can write a few sentences about you...a FEW sentences, the box is no bigger than the quick reply box on this forum...just enough space to say what you're interested in or what you like about cornell...and that's it. I'm not even sure if the admissions officers use this information anyway, it would be pointless.</p>
<p>So don't get too nervous about it...just relax, be yourself, and try to find out as much as you can about Cornell from someone who had been there for a while and knows how things work.</p>