<p>My northwestern interview was terrible. there was a northwestern rep standing in the lobby of the building, which had four glass doors at the entrance. I tried the first three- they were all locked (all while the rep was watching me). Finally I got in the fourth. Then when i got upstairs, I didn't know where to go for the interview, so i wandered around the floor until i found the right place. then i bumped into a computer when i sat down.<br>
When i got into the interview, the interviewer said "let me tell you about myself - i'm really into sports and im in active service in the army." I knew right away we weren't going to get along (i know nothing about sports and im not very fond of the army). I then proceeded to talk about journalism b/c i was applying to the journalism school. He kept asking me quesitons about it and then said "i wouldnt know anything else about you except that you're interested in journalism." so i proceeded to talk about other things, but after every question i answered he said "what i REALLY meant was...." He also seemed to think that I was really dumb, and kept saying things like "what i MEANT was, like, when i went there it really made me smarter. they'd give you a book and then you'd be tested on it the next day!" i didn't want him to think i wasnt doing that already, so i made a reference to how we did that in high school, which he didnt appreciate. finally, on my way out, i said it must be kind of frightening for him to have no idea when he was going to be sent overseas again. He just glared at me and declared angrily "NO! I'm PROUD to serve my country!" Yeah... it was bad. I somehow managed to get in anyway, and when he called me back to try to convince me to go there, he sounded shocked I'd gotten in and said "remember this is going to be the only time in your life you're going to be accepted to multiple places!"</p>
<p>At least your interviews aren't for security clearances.</p>
<p>They ask the darndest questions...</p>
<p>Security clearance interviews - tell the truth and you should be fine. They are primarily looking for honesty, loyalty to the US, and blackmail potential.</p>
<p>^^ try having a security clearance when you're an amateur radio operator...kind of interesting for them to find out that you talk to people in Russia, China, and North Korea, and that you have a 100 foot antenna in your backyard.</p>
<p>That's my dad. They gave it to him anyways...pretty funny process though.</p>
<p>LAGator,</p>
<p>Yes, I'm sure that my interactions with farm animals are the best gauge of my loyalty to the US.</p>
<p>Well, to be fair, that's the poly-type questions. Security investigators don't reach that level of absurdity usually.</p>
<p>I had an interview with an Ivy league a couple of days ago, we had in in a mall food court surrounded by little kids screaming, while he ate his sandwich. And I just sat like a complete idiot. It angered me off that he suggested to have the interview there, but oh well. He kept on asking me whether I had any questions, and well really I didnt, i knew everything about the school from traditions to dorms,,everything! So he was like hmmm,,and just continued eating his sandwich. I'm pretty sure theres no way I'm getting in now. Then he started cussing telling me how get got into Princeton, and started cussing, and I just looked at and gasped hahaha...</p>
<p>LOL this is an amazing thread. Sadly (well...not really) I don't have any great stories to share :(</p>
<p>There was a story making the rounds when I was a student interviewing for colleges (probably urban legend):</p>
<p>A Harvard interviewer, trying to unnerve a student during the interview asked: "How many a times a week do you (word for "pleasure yourself")?" The quick witted applicant replied "What's Harvard's requirement?" and was accepted.</p>
<p>definitely not a horror story, but a wierd moment: I had my phone interview today, the director called ten minutes late with the explanation that she hadn't noticed that it was a phone interview, and had been waiting for me to show up at the office when she looked down and saw that she needed to call me. She mentioned, "I didn't think you were the type to turn up late." Which begs the question.... she could tell that from my application?! I didn't know that my entire personality would come through so clearly from the application that they could accurately predict something like that.</p>
<p>larationalist--let that be a lesson...in the absence of other information, your application IS you.</p>
<p>You must have made a good impression. :)</p>
<p>muuuuuhahahaha, i went to my interviewer's house a while back, and i asked her if she wanted me to take off my shoes (i had come from a 10 minute walk in snow)</p>
<p>luckily, she said no, the interview went fine ..</p>
<p>then i came home and i noticed that i wore two different designs of socks ... one was a white sock on one foot, the other was white with stripes ...</p>
<p>ye ... not a horror story, but something for those with horror stories to laugh about :)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I had a really early tour at one school, followed by a little break and then an interview. I slept in the car during the break b/c I was so exhausted (this was during the week, during the schoolyear, and I had a kind of grueling schedule). I woke up probably...2 minutes before the interview? Now, I am the world's most incoherent person when I've just come from a nap, aaaand I think that came through pretty well in my interview. I spent a large portion of it staring blanky, pausing, and then going "Wait...um...I just woke up." Not good.</p></li>
<li><p>I had an interview that dealt with getting to do some travelling. I had noted that I spoke the language of one of the countries I would be visiting, which I did, or specifically, which I DID very well, but hadn't actually done for a long time (sorry for the poor phraseology). She proceeded to ask me to describe all of my goals for that country in its language. I got as far as smoothly stating, in the language, that I hadn't taken it for a long time and was pretty rusty, but knew I could get back up to speed. It was...awkward.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Hey, I have the best one!</p>
<p>Last year with my Columbia interview, an alumni was suppose to interview me. We scheduled the meeting at a local cafe shop at 4 PM. However, around 3 PM or so, I received angry phone messages from the interviewer. He claimed that I have missed the meeting and he was *<strong><em>ed. Of course, he ended that "A guy like you will never get into Columbia!" That's a load of *</em></strong>! </p>
<p>I thought it was my fault but I checked the email and I confirmed the meeting was 4 PM.</p>
<p>did you get in btw?</p>
<p>Great stories guys!</p>
<p>^u got one?</p>
<p>nope, i got rejected.</p>
<p>Not me, haven't got to that stage yet.</p>
<p>Oh, god, do I have stories for this thread. </p>
<p>I met one LAC interviewer at Starbucks. She'd told me what she looked like (hair color and what she was wearing), so I walked in a few minutes early and started scanning the other customers to see if anyone matched the description. I noticed that one woman who did, but she was sitting at her computer, typing, and ignoring everything else. Not really wanting to bother her if I turned out to be wrong, I instead (like an idiot) walked over to the counter, put my bag down, and pretended to be rummaging for money, all the while surreptitiously trying to catch a glance at the name on her cup. Wasn't her. My interviewer finally came in just as I finished buying my coffee, so I sat and waited while she got hers. After that, everything was fine, except for a nervous habit of mine - picking at the cup in front of me. About halfway through, I broke the cup, and coffee flooded everywhere. I laughed it off, joking that she would tell the college not to accept me for fear I'd make a mess of their dining facilites. Then, I spent the rest of the time trying to answer questions and keep my newspaper clips dry while awkwardly dabbing dribbles of coffee off the table and preventing the cup from dripping any more. Ironically, however, the interview was still fantastic - I really liked the interviewer, and I think I made a good impression.</p>
<p>At another interview, I left my purse upstairs in a building after it was over, and had to excuse myself and walk back to get it. At a third - well, nothing went overtly wrong, per se, but it was dreadfully uncomfortable - the guy invited me over to his HOUSE, and asked me only a few questions. One he was particularly insistent on was trying to ascertain what other schools I was applying to. Obviously I wasn't going to tell him I was applying to 18 (yes, I'm insane), so I randomly rattled off a few other east-coast schools that were not as selective, and ended up giving the impression that I was only interested in small women's colleges, which he then harped on for at least five minutes. After a few more minutes of small talk, he reverted to repeatedly asking me if I had any questions, which I did, but not THAT many. Thank god I'd gotten an acceptance to another school right before I left, or I'd have been pretty bummed.</p>
<p>Still waiting to see if I get in to any of those three.</p>
<p>ok, i was at an interview for UVAs Jefferson scholarship. I was really scared b/c it was in a conference room with 6 alumni. they all had my application in front of them and they just starting firing questions at me about journalism (that was my easy topic on the application). One question was "how do you feel about pre-texting?" So I started talking about the importance of investigative reporting and after a while they were like, "ok, but what about pre-texting -- you know, interviewing someone by pretending to be some one else." I was just like, "oh yeah, i know. ok blah blah . . .
then, a little while later they asked me what i would do if i had to release my sources to the public but the information was top secret and if i revealed the source that person would get fired. I was completely caught off guard and was like "ummm, well i dont know what i would do in that situation."</p>
<p>i didnt make it to the next round! haha :)</p>
<p>at my othe rinterviews for ivies, i kept on getting nervous and my mouth would dry up and crack. i sounded like i was about to cry. other than that my interview were great!</p>