<p>I have an interview with columbia alumni in two days, and I am very nervous. First of all, the alumni said he graduated many years ago, so I'm guessing it going to be harder than talking to somebody closer to my own age. It's my first interview and I'd appreciate any advice from people who has already gone through this. What sort of questions usually gets asked? Are there anything (besides the very obvious things) that I should avoid doing?</p>
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irst of all, the alumni said he graduated many years ago, so I'm guessing it going to be harder than talking to somebody closer to my own age.
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<p>If he's middle-aged and has or had teenage kids, he might know how to relate to 17 year olds.</p>
<p>Do a search. The remainder of your question is asked every day, it seems.</p>
<p>First of all RELAX!!!! The first thing to keep in mind to help you relax is to remember that the interview process is but a small part of the admission process and it is really difficult to totally mess it up.</p>
<p>Most alums doing interviews love to do it!!! ( I have been interviewing students for many years) Keep in mind we are all volunteers and the one thing we have in common is that we all love Columbia and enjoy speaking and meeting with students who will be the next generation of CU graduates. We may be 24 or 84 but we all have in common an interest in helping students find their way through the admission process. If you are worried about talking with someone older than yourself just think of this. Many of us are parents with kids who either will or did go through the college admission process and we fully understand the anxieties and concerns that you may have about an interview. The alum will probably at first do most of the talking but you can expect certain questions about yourself to come up. What do you like about your courses in high school? What would you like to do with your life?? What do you enjoy doing in your free time out of school? Why do you want to go to Columbia? etc., etc. Don’t rehearse these but try to be relaxed and most importantly be yourself. That is what the interviewer wants to see. We would also like to see what you are passionate about - what do you LOVE doing. As with any interview it also helps to make eye contact with your interviewer-too many students just look away at the walls or floor when they should be looking at the person while they speak or listen. At the end of the interview the alum may ask if you have any questions. Think about this beforehand. What would you like to know about Columbia? You interviewer will be glad to answer them as best as he/she can even if they have been out of school for awhile. </p>
<p>Most importantly - we don’t bite!! Remember that at some point either we or our kids went through this and we understand that you will be nervous but try not to be.</p>
<p>Good Luck!!</p>