I have a college interview this Saturday... and my mother wants to go with me?! -_-"

<p>That sounds wonderful, Icekilla! :)</p>

<p>Ok…did I miss the part about what Mom did for 4 hours? Great job!</p>

<p>Icekilla - congratulations on a good interview. I would like to caution you on being too optimistic. As an interviewer, he doesn’t have much of influence on who gets admitted, and he probably doesn’t really have any inside information on what it takes to get someone admitted (a lot has changed since he went to MIT). There are many posters here who interview for their alma mater, but they are still baffled about the whole college process. </p>

<p>You should talk to your college counselor at school, find out what’s your school’s placement rate at MIt, and how you compare to admitted students to MIT from YOUR high school. </p>

<p>If you really want to go to school in the US, make sure you have back up schools. There are a lot of great engineering(STEM) schools outside of MIT.</p>

<p>I’m very well aware of that, but at least it’s something, don’t you think?</p>

<p>I’m an international student, from Mexico. I’m the first person ever from my high school who is applying to MIT. I know it won’t be easy, but having that kind of backup from him means a lot, and in my book, this succesful interview and the impression I left on him means a battle won from this war.</p>

<p>My mom didn’t come with me, after all, but she was alright.</p>

<p>I’m seriously excited, we also talked of my backups and he wants to help me with my other essays too.</p>

<p>I’m an alum interviewer for an HYP. I prefer to meet or say hello to the parents before or after an interview. I do this so that the parent can get a favorable impression of my college in case applicant gets accepted. Subtly, I’m selling them on the college as much as they are trying to sell themselves. At the end, I ask the parent if he/she has any questions and make myself available to answer questions down the line. After all, if the kid gets in, I don’t want him/her to choose another school!</p>

<p>FOUR hours? I don’t know about your mother, but now I’m concerned. (And I’m another one of those alumni interviewers.)</p>

<p>I actually think that tying you up for four hours is disrespectful of your time and the rest of your family’s time. (Even if your mother didn’t go, you must have had one of the family’s cars. And you could have had some other family event later in the day.)</p>

<p>More than that, I also suspect that any interviewer who spent four hours with an applicant could, in fact, be creepy. Maybe this guy isn’t a dirty old man, but I have to wonder: if he’s taking this much interest in you after having met you once, and offering to put yet more time in on your application, what’s his angle? Admittedly, some people are generous and altruistic; but a lot of people are not.</p>

<p>I’m kind of raining on your parade, I guess. Sorry. I do hope it all turns out to be as good as you think.</p>

<p>LOL No need to worry! Everything went fine! I took the bus to go there, his wife was around. He was talking a lot about both schools at times too (MIT and the Uni of Guadalajara), I guess that’s why it took longer.</p>

<p>It is Mexico, people spend more time with each other. This alum probably also didn’t have hundreds of applicants to interview either. As OP said, he is going to be the first one from his school to apply to MIT.</p>

<p>I don’t believe OP has taken standarized tests yet, until that result is in, it would be very hard to have any indication of how he/she will do with the US college process.</p>

<p>Now for a maturity moment. Yes, you are keen to move on in the world – you are just dying to get moving. But the reason that you are budding with intelligence and energy is because you have family that loves you and enables you to even consider a college career. </p>

<p>Quit whining about your mother. It is a scary world out there and you are her dearest treasure. Start showing her that you can take care of yourself by showing yourself to be a mature and aware family member (that means making your bed, filling the car with gas with your money, emptying the trash, offering to make dinner, and otherwise acting like a thoughtful house guest). </p>

<p>One of the reasons she may be terrified is she may see how you treat your belongings or how you take things for granted. (I say “may” because it is surely possible that you are the world’s most thoughtful and helpful daughter). It is very typical for a parent to think “My God! She can’t even handle her laundry and she wants to go to MIT?”. In your mind, the two may not be connected, but, I assure you, the two are connected in hers. </p>

<p>Grump less. Work a heck of a lot more (not just on grades but on making Mom happy) and you’ll find she will feel more confident about your abilities on your own.</p>

<p>I forgot to add “Good luck!” I very much do hope you find an exciting path forward.</p>

<p>It is Mexico, not Main Street, USA. No reasonable parent would allow their kids to drive themselves to a strange, unfamiliar place. When in Mexico, my firm has a driver/bodyguard for me wherever I go, and I am very mature.</p>