My son has a number of summer interviews coming up. In the past, he’s worn dress pants, button down shirt, and nice shoes but other candidates we’ve seen have dressed very casually - sweat pants, tank tops, flip flops etc. My son wants to wear dressy shorts and short sleeve dressy shirts because of the heat. Is this a bad move in your opinion? When I applied to college people were very professionally dressed at interviews. I wore a suit. But I guess things have changed? Thanks for your input.
Interviews for college admission?
If you are talking about college interviews, I think a pair of khakis or dressy shorts with a button down shirt or a polo type shirt would be fine. I did also see kids in more casual attire (sweat pants) but I would not recommend it nor would I have let my own kids show up that way.
Thanks, doschicos. I wouldn’t let my son wear sweat pants etc either, but I’m glad you think nice shorts might be okay.
Yes, for college interviews.
I think nice shorts are fine but make sure the top is nice. Polo Shirt or button down. A student interviewer might not care. A stodgy grown-up like me might…
College interviews are already being scheduled?
Yes, he’s scheduled 4 or 5 for August and September. He’s a rising senior.
Wouldn’t interview location and interviewer also matter?
E.g.
- Interviewer works in finance and offers to interview in the air conditioned office of his/her Wall Street bank.
- Interviewer works as a fitness instructor and offers to interview in his/her gym.
I wouldn’t hire anyone who interviewed in shorts, flip-flps, or a collarless shirt. Maybe that’s just me, but I suspect not. You can’t go wrong with khakis, short sleeved Oxford or Polo, and leather deck shoes with a matching belt.
I should have been clear, all these interviews are happening at the colleges, at admissions. That’s how I was able to see what the other students were wearing.
Regardless of what level of dressiness is chosen, the clothes should fit, be non-distracting, and neat/clean.
Of course, if the interview is taking place in the context of a college visit where the student has been walking around campus on a hot day, coming in sweaty and overheated due to wearing dress clothes may not make the best impression.
He can’t go wrong being a little more dressed up. It’s should be up to him and he should know and accept the risks of dressing down. It probably doesn’t matter, but if it does to THAT interviewer or THAT school, he may never know that his wearing shorts was the reason he didn’t get accepted and he may worry about it forever. On the other hand, he may not want to go to a school where the interviewers are picking students based on their clothing
twoinanddone, so do you think dressy shorts, button shirt, and nice shoes could count against him?
All three of my kids wore shorts and polo shirts untucked and boat shoes…maybe even flip slops I don’t recall. I’m sure I made them wear the collared shirts instead of t-shirts :-). I do recall several young men looking very uncomfortable “dressed up” and feeling sorry for them. Between all 3 boys we were all over the country with the exception of the deep south and what they wore seemed just fine…
Thanks momofthreeboys. Very helpful.
Where in the country? I think shorts are more “acceptable” in places where shorts are worn year round than they are in more northern climates where they are more summer wear.
Northeast.
I’d be more likely to question the judgment of a boy who does a campus tour in 90-100 degree heat wearing a suit, but what do I know?
Shorts in the Northeast are fine. My son who attended one of those well-known boarding schools wore shorts 10 months out of the year, as did most of his classmates. As long as they are nicer shorts and are paired with a collared shirt, no problem whatsoever. College adcoms know how teens dress. As long as he is neat and tidy, he will be judged on the substance of his interviews not on wearing business attire.