<p>A woman called me today to set up an interview. She’s going to come to my school and do it during one of my frees.</p>
<p>Does anyone know what kind of questions they ask during interviews?
Also any ideas on questions i could ask her so that i look prepared lol?</p>
<p>compliment excessively on her looks.</p>
<p>ask her what part of penn she hated (cuz you've only heard/seen good things so far) and it's beginning to sound too good to be true...</p>
<p>standard questions are asked--greatest challenge, proudest accomplishment, biggest strength, biggest weakness, etc...</p>
<p>The most important question is why do you want to go to Penn. I HATE it when people (especially those who apply ED) can't answer that question in an interview.</p>
<p>how'd you get an interveiw?</p>
<p>a woman on the interview committee in my area called me today and asked if i wanted to do an interview</p>
<p>i've already turned in both parts of my app but i'm not sure if that makes a difference in deciding who gets interviews or not</p>
<p>All my interviews went very well (sans Tufts). I can't say that I am a great interviewer or anything, but since they went well, I can just let you know what worked for me:</p>
<p>You will usually be asked why you chose to apply to Upenn. If you are applying ED, this may be asked too. Make sure you can answer both questions if necessary. If you can't answer these questions then it will really hurt your whole application -- why should the adcoms accept you if you don't even know why you want Penn? Many other students are dying to get in and have definite reasons why they want to be accepted. Otherwise you are not taken as an applicant with a serious intent to attend if accepted. I would suggest mentioning unique things about the school and why you would be a good fit (this allows you to talk a little bit about your interests and ECs that you are strongly involved in). I never found it necessary to bring in transcripts or resumes or anything like that (my Yale interviewer asked me to bring one beforehand but he never asked to see it in person). Usually that information will already be interpreted by the adcoms. </p>
<p>Basically use the interview to say things that were not mentioned anywhere else in the application -- things that will create a more accurate image of you in the minds of the adcoms. I think turning down an interview is a bad move, but if you are not given an opportunity to interview, then don't worry about it. Even a bad interview won't keep you out (my Tufts interview was horrible but I was still accepted there). Sometimes you and your interviewer just won't click. Usually though your interviewer will be alright (at worst!). I've also been asked questions like "How would people characterize you?", "What can you contribute to this school?", "Can you think of a time where you did something great for the sake of doing it? Where nobody else knew you did it?", etc. The questions can pretty much be anything.</p>
<p>The hardest interviews tend to come from the older ones (in my experience), where sometimes things get more political. My Yale interview was essentially a 1.5-hour long political grilling session after a 1.5-hour long interview about Yale itself. Questions ranged from oil prices to East Asian cultural history to third world countries to government structure. It was an insanely hard interview... um... just hope yours is not like this. Anything else will be cool.</p>
<p>Here are my main ideas for what not to do:</p>
<p>-Don't do anything cheesy like spew forth compliments for the sake of doing so. They will set off your interviewer's ******** meter. You must avoid setting that meter off at all costs. Otherwise you may as well spill coffee on your interviewer and leave. Well, perhaps not. But don't do it. </p>
<p>-Don't dress up in a suit hardcore-style. I've never had an interview where the alumnus wore a suit, so neither should you. If anything it will just make you more dressed up than everyone else in the room, including the interviewer. Good luck with the awkwardness if you try this. I would just recommend a nice polo and slacks. I am assuming you are a guy. If you're not, then wear the equivalent? I guess?</p>
<p>-Don't ramble on and on about stuff you did and how you accomplished this and why you are so great, yada etc and so forth. If there is a team you were on, I would talk about what the team accomplished as a whole and how you contributed and interacted with the other members. This way you can show you're capable of teamwork. Talking about yourself for an hour will only make you seem self-centered. Granted, this is an interview about yourself and the school, but you must figure out where to draw the line.</p>
<p>-If you can help it, don't make it sound like you're a prestige whore. Nobody likes a whore. In this... case. Telling your interviewer that you are only applying to Ivies will set off the "I'm a Total Whore" detector (your interviewer will have many detectors, mind you). I dunno, throw in a few safety schools to your list if you are asked to recite it. If I told my interviewers about the 15 schools I was applying to and how, like, 5 or 6 of them were Ivies, it may not have looked so good. I don't know. Just my advice.</p>
<p>-Don't be late. </p>
<p>-Offer to sleep with your interviewer only if you know you can get away with it. I doubt anyone's reading this far into my message anyway as I have now realized how long it is. But yeah. If you've got the goods, don't feel shy! Show off those magnificent melons of yours and let em have a good squeeze if you are so inclined. If you are a guy, hitting on your interviewer will be much more difficult. I guess you'd just have to emphasize how good you are with your tongue and hands. Maybe hint at your ideal shaft proportionality. Regardless, people use sex to get ahead these days. It doesn't hurt to start now!</p>
<p>-For the love of God do not brag about your insane triple 1600 SAT or your 5.infinity-billion weighted GPA or your 1 out of e^(ad infinitum) rank. Please. Don't be an ass or a score-whore.</p>
<p>-Don't forget to ask for the interviewer's card and do not forget to send a thank you note. It's amazing how so few people do this even though you hear it mentioned over and over. It doesn't take much to get a card, write for a little bit, and send it. Especially if you're only applying to like, 6 or less schools. Just do it, the interviewers will like it!</p>
<p>I've probably answered way too much -- more than was requested. But I am bored and I am procrastinating on all sorts of homework. Regardless, I hope this answers any of your questions.</p>
<p>haha thats a lot of info and yes i did read the whole thing...it really did help thanks!</p>
<p>i'm actually a girl, not a guy like u assumed lol, and i'm not too worried about being to dressed up b/c the interviewer is coming to my school so i will be in uniform. My school's uniform is a blue dress with a white collar/cuffs and saddle shoes. On occasion, outsiders have told girls from my school that we look like maids or people who work at IHOP...so i'm not too worried about looking to dressed up</p>
<p>what school did u end up going to if u don't mind me asking?</p>
<p>Did you have to ask for an interview or do they randomly call you after you submit part 1 of your application? How does this work exactly? Thanks!</p>
<p>legendofmax , you bring some excellent points! too bad im finished with the applying process, or else i would have used some of your useful advise (lol except for sleeping with the alum-haha if that works in your boat lol!!!)</p>
<p>There are a lot of threads about interviews at Penn.</p>
<p>FOR THE RECORD: Students are randomly selected for interviews by the Secondary Schools Committee. If you are selected, an alum will contact you.</p>
<p>CMH22888: I currently attend Penn.</p>
<p>vanillasky: Hey, if it works...</p>
<p>Can we call up the committee and ask for an interview?</p>