<p>Can anyone give me some advice for my Dartmouth interview? I'm having it in feb.</p>
<p>Err on the formal side with your outfit (I wore black pants, heels, and a nice sweater) and be on time. Don't let your parents come with you or meet the interviewer. I brought a clean folder with some paper so I could take notes (although I didn't need to take notes often, I think it made me seem more serious and professional). Be polite. Ask the interviewer how he/she is, compliment their home, pet their dog, etc.</p>
<p>Expect the interview to be half about you and half about the interviewer's experience at Dartmouth. If you don't know anything about Dartmouth, check out the website or read the summary in Fiske's. Know about the D-Plan and read up on other things that interest you, like Greek Life, the Outing Club, the NH Primary, etc. Think of questions beforehand to ask the interviewer -- you can even write these down and bring them with you. Like, what was your fav thing about Dartmouth? What would you have changed about your experience? What was your major? These questions are great for getting the convo started up again after an awkward silence.</p>
<p>You probably don't need me to tell you this, but make sure you are comfortable talking about a few things you are involved with in and outside of school (clubs, community service, etc). Overall, sound enthusiastic about the school and the interview. Channel your nervousness into excitement, not shyness. Good luck!!</p>
<p>hey a question about interviews-- i was contacted for one last sat, but had to decline due to a prior debate commitment. I explained that i still really wanted to interview and asked to reschedule, but i got the email last thurs and now its mon and ive had no response...should i be worried?</p>
<p>well u declined it, so I think they won't give you another one for sure... I guess you can only wait</p>
<p>I just had my dartmouth interview last night. I wore descent clothes (button down shirt, nice pants...) and arrived about 5 minutes early (the person lived about 200 ft away from me so timing wasnt an issue). Well, it turns out that I had a double interview, thats right, two interviewers for poor little me. The interview was by far the most intense one I had ever had. The discussions and questions were very intellectually based and quite thought provoking. We talked about everything from my high school sports, to why I was interested in engineering (very in depth), and then into what I was the most afraid of in terms of world concerns. We discussed the diversity in my high school, we talked a bit about the role of the government in todays society, and I believe we finished up with a few questions of mine, just asking the interviewers what they majored in, how they liked the school, and what their occupations were now. By the end of those questions, they said I had to leave because they had another interview, of whom was another student from my high school. </p>
<p>Oh yeh...In my discussion about why I wanted to do engineering, I may have gone a bit to far in talking about why I never liked english, and history...saying that the english curriculum in high schools basically attempts to beat literature with a stick in order to pull out as many literary elements as possible, and then later commenting on the fact that literature is very subjective, and there is no distinct line between right and wrong (as there usually is with math). To make a long story short, my interviewers were an English/history major and a government major. </p>
<p>So be careful about what you say!</p>
<p>I just want to make sure....Dartmouth WILL contact US for the interview, right? because nobody has contacted me yet... =/</p>
<p>Me neither.</p>
<p>I have a double interview as well, either next week or the week after (they suggested two dates, but I haven't decided which yet). I'm pretty intimidated, especially if they're going to ask political questions like Shananigans_NY's interviewers... I'm more of an art/science/literature kind of girl.</p>
<p>wow... double interview, that sounds intense in itself, haha... so do u remember any questions u found especially challenging? I'm just glad I always read the Economist, so I should be fine, ^^</p>
<p>I kinda set myself up for the political questions. The way the conversation was going almost required me to talk about politics. I would be prepared to talk about how you think your education at dartmouth will help you later in working towards creating a better world (something along the lines of that).</p>
<p>I had my interview today... it was wondefull! </p>
<p>Does ne1 knows how much is it factored into admissions? (ceteris paribus)</p>
<p>could u give a short report? I think the general concensus is that it's not hugely important, so it won't make or break you</p>
<p>I got contacted last evening and the guy wanted to do it tonight at his house so I'm reading about stuff on Dartmouth. He specifically said that the interview's stress-free and it's supposed to be relaxing so hopefully he won't drill me with political questions (although since I've just done a massive U.S. government paper maybe I'll be prepared). Yay for this being m last interview =)</p>
<p>Wow, he didnt give u much time, ^^... but good luck to you! dartmouth interviewers seem to be the nicest amongst the ivy interviewers so u'll be fine.</p>
<p>Dartmouth alumn was very nice. He said interviews didn't count alot for admissions and sometimes they don't even refer to it. I gave him my resume and he asked me what I liked to do and we talked about possible majors, etc...all the standard college interview stuff. Things were pretty laid-back and relaxed. He told me alot of good stories about his time at Dartmouth and also he talked about his son, who is a freshman there.</p>
<p>Hi,
My interview is next week, but I do have some questions that some of you might be able to answer. I'm meeting the alumni at his office, and I'm not sure what would be considered appropriate attire. I wanna make a good first impression and show that I'm taking the interview seriously, but would dress pants and a jacket be over the top? </p>
<p>I have already prepared or at least thought about what I wanna ask him, and what questions I might have to answer. I know that interviews aren't supposed to make or brake an application, but could a good interview "balance" out something not so good in your application (like for instance slightly low SAT scores)?</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>are you a guy or a girl?
I think that your suggestion is fine. pick a conservative jacket, black fleece or something.
(I was very surprised that one of my interviewers whom I met at his office on a Sunday was in a full suit... I mean EVEN cufflinks... and he was the only one at the office...)
dress conservatively, but not so much that you look obviously uncomfortable.</p>
<p>I don't want to be a downer, but don't expect the interview to matter that much. Really really really amazing ones are very rare and even they don't count significantly towards decisions. good luck!</p>
<p>oh and read the paper and catch up on this week's politics. and know what your favorite book/author/musician is and why. be prepared to have an in depth discussion of them.
I guess your interview might help a little bit, but don't stress about it.</p>
<p>I'm a boy. </p>
<p>I do realize that the interview doesn't count for much, but I checked the Collegeboard sites yesterday and found out that about 10% of all students admitted in the class of 2011 had SAT scores in the same range as me. So there is still a slim chance (trying to stay positive) :)</p>
<p>Um...Ima wear jeans. Hope that's okay. He called it an "informal" interview not a "wear-your-dress-pants!" interview, so...uh. Hmm. I, uh, hope that's okay. </p>
<p>.... so I'm trying to rationalize a potentially bad decision, but hey. Anyone else took the more casual approach?</p>
<p>Alright, I already had my interview.</p>
<p>-My interviewer was very nice, and overall it wasn't anything crazy formal. I wore khakis and a nice fleece shirt, and I felt that I could have dressed a little more casually, but I also felt very comfortable with the outfit I chose (I didn't feel underdressed either).
-The classic interview questions come up- "So, why do you want to go to college?", "What do you want to study", "What is your favorite hobby", etc. Some of this might be testing you (if you lied on your app about activities, you probably won't be able to keep the deception up), some of it might be seeing how truly dedicated you are to your activities. Or, they might tell you that they haven't seen your file ;)
-My interviewer had me at her house, which was nice, because it was one on one and there were no nosy strangers. If you're going to a Starbucks or something, I'd recommend being early and getting a table ASAP.
-If I went to Starbucks and the interviewer was kind enough to offer me something, I honestly would have ordered a small coffee and thanked her for it profusely.
-Don't be stressed. These people LOVE the school, and they want you to love it too.
-Be careful with your remarks when you talk about fields of study. Saying that something isn't "my cup of tea" is a heck of a lot better than saying "it's boring/dumb/not a real major" and finding out that your interviewer (to your horror!) has that degree. I didn't do it, but I've seen it on the awkward interviewer thread.
-The best advice that I can give you is to be completely honest. Sounds cheezy, but it's easy to say "I hope to further my education and Dartmouth is a highly prestigious university...". For me, my major of interest is highly involved with my current self employment and what I want to do when I get out- that's the main reason.
Additionally, don't kill yourself, but if you're lacking in some areas, say that you're hoping to improve them. I told my interviewer that I didn't feel confident in my foreign language and I hoped that through the "drills" (I know a current student- his F.L. ability skyrocketed) and study abroad (60% of students or something crazy opt to do it) that I could improve my ability.</p>
<p>I'm kind of surprised (I think the CC posters have something to do with that ;) ), but relieved. Give yourself credit for what you've done so far, but don't be an obnoxious twit or bring your perfect attendance certificates with you. Don't worry if you didn't take 7 APS, all 5s your junior year. Don't even be nervous. These people are pretty normal, and if you're honest, you should do well :D</p>