<p>Should I interview for Columbia? I live in KS, so it'd be hard to go out there for an interview. So, I guess an alumni interview, tho I don't think this does anything for any college heh. I dunno, I bet I'm wrong.</p>
<p>I also thought I read somewhere in the past that Columbia does NOT factor in interviews whatsoever. You can request one and receive one, but it plays no impact on your chances. I don't know where I read that, so is it true? hehe thanks!</p>
<p>I don't think it has NO impact, but it won't be the deciding factor usually.
I thought Columbia didn't offer on-campus interviews? In either case, most people just do alumni interviews, so you're not at a disadvantage by living in KS, unless there are no alumni there to interview you. Wait to be contacted, and if you are, go and interview!</p>
<p>I didn't get an interview, but I still got accepted Early Decision.</p>
<p>You don't request interviews either. Either the Alumni Whatever Board offers one or it doesn't.</p>
<p>legacies get on-campus interviews with an admin officer, or at least a legacy from my school did, but only they do</p>
<p>the rest get interviews by region with alumni, by offer</p>
<p>What are interviews like for Columbia? I hear they're short.</p>
<p>No they dont, my Im legacy and I didn't get a campus interview</p>
<p>Just had my interview today.. It was very short- about 15 minutes and informal (although I had dressed up). It seemed more like the interviewer was trying to sell Columbia to me than that he wanted me to sell myself... if that makes any sense. I was apprehensive about it beforehand but it wasnt bad at all, I just looked him in the eyes and spoke clearly...</p>
<p>BFjava, what part of Kansas? I'm about 20 minutes or so from KC.</p>
<p>Yea I've heard about a lot of columbia interviews being 15-20 minutes. Is that the standard? Like, what the admissions office instructs to do?</p>
<p>My georgetown interview today was an hour and a half! Still haven't gotten a columbia one...</p>
<p>Only 15 minutes? Geez! I just got back from mine, and it took about 1 hour. I totally nailed it! It was different from my other interviews, in that while most wanted to find out what I did (ECs, special awards, etc.), my interviewer asked thought-provoking questions and always followed up. </p>
<p>It seemed like he wasn't worried about what activities I was involved with, but instead wanted real insight about what my passions were. When I mentioned I worked on the Dennis Kucinich campaign, he asked my what specifically interested me about that candidate. That led to an impromptu discussion about Iraq, WMD, Bush, Kerry, and politics in general (if you haven't figured out by now, I want to major in poli sci).</p>
<p>Let your interviewer pick your brain, and if they don't, try to get involved in some type of deep discussion. It really gave me the opportunity to show him that I could back up my political opinions with fact, and that I knew what I was talking about. </p>
<p>And, since we had it over coffee, I'm super-wired from caffeine right now! But I digress. From my perspective, the interview is what you make of it. Come ready to really think.</p>
<p>Interviews will vary with the interviewer. They no doubt have a standard form to fill out, but if they want to spend some extra time talking about their experiences at CU or your taste in literature they can certainly do that.</p>
<p>I'd say 15-20 minutes is on the short side for an interview unless the interviewer has scheduled several in quick succession. That doesn't allow much time to put the interviewee at ease, ask the obligatory questions, and answer questions from the student. I can't speak for Columbia alums, but it's common for alum interviewers to spend some interview time talking up the positives of the school, too.</p>
<p>seriously, netshark - my interview lasted TWO HOURS.</p>
<p>I actually had a question about it - I know this is blasphemy, but to be honest I wasn't all that serious about Columbia UNTIL my interview. I really clicked with the interviewer. He was this wonderful fiftysomething architect and we talked for two hours nonstop in one of the most satisfying, stimulating conversations of my life. Halfway through it he said that he would "give [me his] full recommendation" and, even though his part in the admissions process was small, he would do all he could to try and get me the big envelope. An hour later he said that usually he only keeps people for an hour but he found me really interesting...he even gave me his business card and asked me to call him come April when i find out, because he just wanted to know where I'd end up going out of his own personal curiosity.</p>
<p>Was he really that taken with me, or are all interviewers like that? Because my Cornell and Tufts interviews went similarly, actually.</p>
<p>ETA: Jesus Christ I just realized how smug that sounded. I'm not bragging or anything, seriously, i'm just PERPLEXED! :)</p>
<p>He must have been taken with you--congratulations on a great interview! No, not all interviewers are so quick to give their thoughts, but they can leave subtle hints, such as "when you're at Columbia..." (my Georgetown interviewer did this a lot, and I got in) or things like that. </p>
<p>My prospective major is political science, and during my interview, we had a really great political discussion, from all sorts of different topics. After my interview, my interviewer told me "I think you'll go far" and then "I might just vote for you in a few years". So certainly they can give you positive reinforcement w/out directly coming out like yours did. </p>
<p>Of course, this by no means signifies that I'll get accepted. I'm still competing w/ 20K other people, and who knows how many kids who apply to Ivies can and will "go far"? I assume it's a very sizable number, Ivy-league education or not.</p>
<p>I had a Columbia interview today... was about 1hr! it went quite well and got me very excited about applying there!</p>