<p>I just received email from a Dartmouth alumnae.. she wants to interview me next week. Never have I expected that somebody from Dartmouth would contact me in person. I'm just.. speechless. </p>
<p>I'm quite nervous about it b/c I have no experience with interviews and I'm extremely bad at talking (plus English is not my first language). </p>
<p>Dartmouth is one of the two reach schools to which I applied.. I don't think I have a chance to get in, but I showed (or at least tried to show) a lot of effort throughout my applications, resume, essays, and application supplement. I want to do my best even though the result is pretty obvious. I'll gladly accept any kind of advice at this moment.. wish me the best luck!! T.T</p>
<p>Most interviews turn out not that stressful after all, so have a little faith in yourself, and you'll be fine. Just don't try to be someone you're not.</p>
<p>If you're really worried about bombing your interview (I bombed my Cornell one, mostly because I kept second-guessing what the "correct" answer was), then politely decline, and it won't hurt your chances. I wasn't offered an interview for Dartmouth, and I still got in.</p>
<p>The important thing to remember about Alumni Interviews are that they are just as much of a chance for you to learn more about Dartmouth as it is for Dartmouth to learn about you. Alumni interviews aren't about double-checking your SATs (most of the alums don't know what a 2000 SAT score means since the scoring changed) or finding out what your GPA or Rank was in school (Dartmouth already has all of that information in your application). The interview is really for people who have already experienced Dartmouth to get to know you personally and get a feel for the kind of fit you would be for the school that you'll spend the next four years of your life at.
True, the alums submit a report/recommendation for you after the interview to the admissions office and that rec follows your application through the process, but, being only the opinion of one or maybe two people, it is just one of the many factors in the decision, and not even a large factor, considering not every applicant will get an alumni interview.
I was nervous going into my interview, then my alum interviewer spilled her hot chocolate all over the table. After that, I figured I couldn't mess up worse than that, and made th eentire process a lot easier.
Just relax about it and think of it as an opportunity for more information and not another hurdle for acceptance.</p>