<p>S recently had his interview and he isn't pleased with how he presented himself. They met for about an hour, so hopefully the interviewer got something to work with, but S is not the most articulate person and just generally has a difficult time expressing himself (especially because he was nervous and unprepared). It's possible that the interviewer may think that he is not excited about MIT, which would be entirely an incorrect picture.</p>
<p>I'm certain there isn't anything he can do to change anything and realistically his interview probably went fine (not great, but ok). He's just worried as this person is supposed to be in his corner and we're not sure about that.</p>
<p>eh. lots of people feel stressed out or that they flubbed the interview. your son shouldn’t be worried. the interview is an important part of the puzzle, but it’s only a part.</p>
<p>Heh, I felt incredibly nervous and unpolished about my interview. I’m not sure what my interviewer said about me, but I got in EA, so it couldn’t be too bad :P</p>
<p>Overall - and this is just an idea I’ve been toying with, I should probably talk to people like Chris about this - I suspect that the interviewer isn’t looking for the perfect person. MIT is going to change a kid a lot. I know I’m more confident now than I was when I was being interviewed. I certainly know a lot more, and can talk more intelligently about math and science. I know I’ve explored a lot more of what exists in the world. The interview is just another piece of the puzzle, trying to figure out if this student is a match. Poised and all-knowing? Nah, you don’t need to be that as a high school senior. Curious and excited, a person who pursues opportunity? Yeah. MIT can work with that.</p>
<p>Thanks Piper. I believe that those qualities - curious, excited, and pursues opportunity - most definitely came through. Poised? Not so much :-)</p>
<p>I suppose we’ll have to see how things work out. I know that only one other student from S’s school has ever gone to MIT (and none to that other Cambridge school). </p>
<p>Thanks to the other replies as well. They all help S feel better :-)</p>
<p>As an interviewer, my experience is that students often misinterpret how they did. I have had some students walk away after what I thought was a very unimpressive interview, believing that they have aced it, and I have had students worry after what was a very strong interview. </p>
<p>Interviews matter most at the margins. There are a number of major issues that will only show up at the interview. The kid who cannot really speak or understand English, the one who has seemingly never encountered soap, the one who comes to the interview stoned. These are kids where the interview can make a huge difference to the admissions decision. For most kids, it matters much less.</p>
<p>You indicate that your son “has a difficult time expressing himself (especially because he was nervous and unprepared)”. As an interviewer, I am very used to, and quite comfortable with students who have difficulty expressing themselves, I quite expect the students to be nervous. Frankly it is rare when they are not. I am a bit more concerned that your son was “unprepared”. As an interviewer, I give up about four hours per interview that I conduct. I tend to be less impressed with students who are clearly completely unprepared.</p>
<p>I do not mean unprepared in the way I think you interpreted it. I mean “unrehearsed”. So answers did not roll off his tongue in the most eloquent of ways. I wonder what other preparation you see/expect. </p>
<p>I do not know how much paperwork is involved in the interview process, but the interview itself was an hour long.</p>
<p>Upon closer questioning of S, he says that the first 10 minutes were essentially awkward while he became more comfortable with the interview. The remainder of the time went well.</p>