So i had an interview with a U Chicago alumni recently. It started off with the interviewer asking me if i had any questions. So then i proceeded to ask my questions and we talked a little about our shared experiences. Sadly the interviewer was not the major that I am wishing to pursue so there wasnt much to talk about. Then the interviewer asked me some questions (maybe 4-5?). Interestingly, the interviewer did not ask me to tell a little about myself. At the end, i asked two more qs and then we proceeded to wrap things up. The entire exchange lasted around 30 min. Is this an ominous sign for me?
My daughter’s was only about a half hour… Skype that started at 9pm, so both she and the interviewer were tired. Plus there was a cat-involved disruption. She felt it went well though and didn’t seem to think it was that short.
I don’t think that a short interview should negatively impact you. My interview lastsd an hour, but that was because the alumnus who was interviewing me pursued the major that I am planning to major in (physics). In all honesty, if that weren’t the case, I would have been in the same situation as you.
As long as you didn’t prove a bad impression on your interviewer, you should be fine. The interview is just a way for UChicago to get to know you better (an impression that probably can’t be seen through paper).
My UChicago interview was only 15 minutes. I don’t think you should worry about it too much, not all interviewers are talkative.
It matters less how long the interview lasted and more what the interviewer writes about you, because that’s what will be used by the admissions office. Length is not necessarily a proxy for quality - if you had good things to say, then you will have made a positive impression and good things will be written about you in the interviewer’s note.
Unfortunately, these depend on the personality of the interviewer as well. Some might just go through the motions…
These people chose to interview applicants - nobody forced them to do so. With the exception of one or two cranks, I doubt any of them will be going through the motions.