<p>Definitely bookmarked! Thank you!</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendations for proper attire for interviews? Is wearing a suit/female-equivalent too over-the-top, and would it give the impression that one is uptight/pretentious? Or does it show that the interviewee takes the interview more seriously?</p>
<p>One other thing that is important to realize:</p>
<p>It’s fine to be nervous. Most people, even experienced adults, are nervous during interviews. That nervousness is due to an adrenaline rush, and that means you have extra energy for the interview. Being nervous doesn’t count against you. In fact, when I interviewed people, if a person seemed extremely laid back, I wondered if they seemed so relaxed because they weren’t interested in the opportunity for which they were interviewing.</p>
<p>Having to think about the answer to a question, having to have a question repeated – these things are normal and human and do not damage your interview.</p>
<p>In fact, being extremely quick to answer tough questions that you seem rehearsed can be a negative, making it seem as if you are a robot or have been coached.</p>
<p>Things that can hurt you during interviews are: being caught in lies, saying things that are racist, homophobic, sexist, vulgar; cursing; being unethical; coming across as an obnoxious, conceited person who cares only about their own well being.</p>
<p>Great advice, NSM.</p>
<p>I think people should not be so quick as to dismiss an interview. Think of it like a sort of Inception. 
A bad interview can plant the tiniest seed of doubt and cast a new light over your application. I do agree with peter_parker that admissions is largely a game (really, in the form of algorithms and checklists), but the interview is no exception to the rule.</p>
<p>For the most part, the interview is a dual-pronged concept. Not only is it a “filter-check” to see if that person would be a good fit, but it’s also a way for the interviewer to sell the school a bit. It’s really not in an interviewer’s favor to totally grill the student, which is what happened to be during a particular Ivy interview. It stretched on for hours (literally) and consisted of almost nothing but interviewer anecdotes and political grilling sessions. It was exhausting and a total turn-off to the school. While I understand not everyone at that school is like that, he didn’t do a great job of convincing me to come there (he seemed more concerned about finding my weaknesses than discussing the school itself). My interviewer for another top school bashed a top UC. It all comes across as very unprofessional.</p>
<p>It seems like the best way to conduct yourself during these interviews is to be polite, and be yourself. If you’re reciting canned answers, the interviewer will know. What I did is come in with a refreshed memory of top experiences, questions for the interviewer, and relevant anecdotes for my various EC activities and passions. This way, when the interviewer asked me a question, I could take a brief moment to draw from experiences and answer honestly. Asking questions about the school is easier if you legitimately want to go there (if you really want to attend school X, odds are you will naturally have questions about school X).</p>
<p>“It’s really not in an interviewer’s favor to totally grill the student, which is what happened to be during a particular Ivy interview. It stretched on for hours (literally) and consisted of almost nothing but interviewer anecdotes and political grilling sessions. It was exhausting and a total turn-off to the school.”</p>
<p>I hope the school wasn’t Harvard. Harvard’s manual for interviewers specifically tells interviewers not to grill students like that. It points out that interviews for undergraduates are very different than are interviews for graduate admissions, for which grilling may be appropriate. Students applying to undergraduate admissions aren’t expected to have the knowledge base or thinking skills that students need for graduate school.</p>
<p>Yeah, this interviewer was basically asking me about democratic/republican views, my view on the oil crisis, what I thought about abortion and the death penalty, my views on certain racial problems, etc etc. I think he was just trying to make me sweat as much as possible by seeing how I’d answer difficult questions, but I found it all really inappropriate for a college interview, especially for that school (wasn’t Harvard… but you just have to move over one). He was a much older man, too. At first I thought it would be an indication that he had experience with interviews and that I’d be in for a great discussion… alas…</p>
<p>My H interviewer, on the other hand, was a very intelligent, personable guy.</p>
<p>I don’t think any Ivy wants undergrad applicants subjected to that kind of interview. I’m sorry that you had to endure that. I just hope the interviewer wasn’t an alum of my alma mater.</p>
<p>Very good advice, most of which can also be used when interviewing for a job. As someone who interviews candidates for employment, I am always struck by the candidates who express interest in my company, but really know little about what we do. I hears a HR rep quote the 10% figure for thank you notes 20+ years ago and it is amazing to me that applicants do not uniformly follow up with a thank you note.</p>
<p>You have given very good advice. These are the types of posts and information I search for on the internet. Anything that may help me in the near future.</p>
<p>I have a few questions, if anyone would like to answer who would know. What is appropriate dress atire? Skirts & dresses for the ladies?
Also, if asked to do an interview for a school that is a few hours away, would it be a bad idea to ask to be interviewed via phone? Or is that something that is looked down upon?</p>
<p>Wearing something business casual or better is the norm. Nice slacks and a top that’s not a halter top or something like a halter, a dress, or a skirt and blouse for females, khakis and a shirt with a collar for guys, in both cases paired with closed toed shoes that aren’t athletic shoes.</p>
<p>I have a question- I was brought up in a very asian way, and in general I don’t make very much eye contact at all- not even to my best friends. Will this make me look shifty and suspicious? I think in general when people talk to me they realize I’m very earnest and sincere but I am a little worried about that in my interviews.</p>
<p>lizabet, it would help if you could train yourself to do more eye contact because if you don’t, in the overall American culture, people – including prospective college and employment interviewers – will think you don’t like them, are bored, or have something to hide.</p>
<p>Nice post!</p>
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<p>If you’re comfortable doing so, this might actually be a good point to address head-on in your interview, particularly if there seems to be a spot in the conversation where it fits neatly. Showing that you’re aware of cultural differences can work in your favor, and if you’re able to mention this early-on in the session, it will probably put both you and your interviewer more at ease.</p>
<p>I also give similar advice when a student is afraid that he or she is going to be very nervous in an interview. When the candidate is clearly ill at ease, it can make the interviewer anxious, too. So, likewise, it can often be helpful to acknowledge this elephant in the room by saying something along the lines of, “If you hear a loud noise, it could be my heart. This is my first interview, and I’m afraid I’m pretty nervous about it.” Often confessing one’s fears is a good way to allay them.</p>
<p>I have a similar problem, lizabet. I have a very, VERY hard time looking at anyone in the eye for more than maybe 2 seconds (I don’t have Asperger’s or anything but I am just extremely shy).</p>
<p>I’m not very good at interviews because I get overly nervous, but one thing that helped me at least fake eye contact was by looking at the bridge of their nose, letting their eyes blur out of vision. Usually when I look away from someone’s eyes, I am focusing on something blank/“simple” so that I can process my thoughts more clearly. </p>
<p>Not sure if that’ll help you in any way, but it works for me most of the time.</p>
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<p>That is a very good sign! When I have gaps between interviews or at the end of my interviews, if I have time, and I like the student and think they are interesting, I’ll extend the interview provided I know their schedule allows for such. I doubt I’d ever go an hour over under normal conditions, but there have been times where I know it’s the end of the day and there is nothing more scheduled (or I have seen a copy of the student’s itinerary) that I’ll invite him/her to keep chatting over some coffee or walk around campus or something like that. Usually, I already have all the information I need, and it’s more of me thinking the student would be a good fit for my school so I want to sell my school more! 
Good news indeed!</p>
<p>In the report, it’s usually about one page, more if necessary. Section one is demographics which includes the student’s contact info, home school, prospective majors, and ECs. Usually we end up having to update the ECs and prospective majors as some applications were filled out long in advance and majors change and ECs change as well. Since we are single admit, the majors don’t matter that much, but it’s good to have them down if they change. The next section is the longest and that is the narrative. We are looking for things that we can’t see on paper. How does this student interact? Can he/she handle some of the tougher questions with critical thinking skills? (For example, “What do you think your greatest challenge was in high school and how did you overcome it?”) Some questions are more just to gauge the though process rather than actually trying to get an answer.</p>
<p>In particular, I’m looking to answer specific questions about what I think the student’s strengths are, how I see him contributing to the community, interpersonal skills, and then general impressions. Then there is a section on student interest, and how much the student knows about the school.</p>
<p>Finally, I give a rating between 1 and 7. 7 is reserved for truly impressive students, and 1 is a rating of “there is something wrong here, do not admit!”</p>
<p>Then it goes into the file until it is ready for review. When it is reviewed the interview is taken in context of everything else. If a rating of 1 was given, then there is an additional comments sheet that needs to be filled out to explain what was wrong. But if it makes sense then they usually will accept that. For 7’s, I (as well as a lot of others) will usually shoulder-tap one of the admissions officers about the student as well so they go into the meeting with an advocate there (the interviewers are rarely in the meetings).</p>
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<p>It’s funny you should say this. Some of the girls who interview I know draw stars and pictures of favorable applicants! I tend to stick to writing, but maybe a red “GOOD INTERVIEW!” across some white space would be a good idea!</p>
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<p>I have very little knowledge on women’s fashion, so perhaps someone can help me out here. At the very minimum, I would say Polo shirt and slacks for men. Most wear a dress shirt and slacks. Shirt and tie also looks nice, but going with a blazer or even a suit is not over the top. Just be sure you are comfortable in it. Some people are not used to wearing suits and look very awkward in them just because they are not comfortable. Nice tennis shoes, like solid black ones are ok, especially since you are walking. I have a pait of solid black tennis shoes for the purpose of looking professional while needing comfort (either walking interviews, or at my job in the summer). Solid black ones can be hard to find though! You should be able to get away with other nice tennis shoes, we understand you are walking a lot! If in doubt, just put on dress shoes for the interview and change back into tennis shoes for the walking parts!</p>
<p>Here’s me taking a stab at girls’ wardrobes. You girls tend to have more options. I have seen in the hotter months, a longer, free flow-y type knee length skirts with a nice solid color tank top and a half jacket type thingy. (Yeah, i know, poor descriptions but it’s all I got). I’m thinking these were Juniors interviewing in the spring because they were all light springy colors. I’ve also seen those shorts that go down almost all the way to the ankles but usually about halfway down to the mid shin. Those can be more informal, but with a nice top I think it’s fine. I have also seen some dresses especially dresses with a half jackety thing on top. (I really need to figure out what that half jackety thing is called!) </p>
<p>For a more professional look, I’ve seen skirt suits or pant suits and either are not too dressy. Shoes have varied a lot, but usually they are wearing nice sandals or dress shoes/heels. Almost all of them that I’ve been able to notice change back to something more comfortable for walking after the interview.</p>
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<p>This is something you can easily practice. It feels awkward at first, but it becomes more and more natural. You don’t need to stare at their eyes all the time, and there are times you can talk out more, but you need some eye contact. Try it with your friends when you are talking! And then have your counselor run you through one or two mock interviews. If you work on it for a month when you are talking to people, be it friends, or the sales clerk at the store, you’ll be a pro at the end of the month! It’s a habit, but not a hard one to change!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the advice, I will practice to get better- NSM brought up a great point that I’ll probably need to get better at it for getting a job.
Btw, I forgot to mention it before but WLWTH, this is a great thread, thanks for the tips :).</p>
<p>I’m a little confused on the “Thank you Notes” part. When do you write and send the Thank You Notes, and how do we know where to send them to?</p>
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<p>I would write them before you leave campus the day of the interview to make sure that it gets to the interviewer as soon as possible. Sometimes I will write reports the day of if I have time! But usually I don’t wait more than a week and that’s if I’m really busy with reports and other homework.</p>
<p>And email later that night or the next day is also a good touch.</p>
<p>Send them to the admissions office if you have no other info addressed to your interviewer. They will make sure it gets to the right person! Some schools have online directories. If so, you can send it right to their mailbox!</p>
<p>Ah, thank you very much! Would it seem rude if we ask the interviewer for his or her name?</p>
<p>Also, when faced with a question like, “what’s your favorite magazine,” would it be better for me to good to stumble and make up something, or just sheepishly admit that I don’t read magazines often?
Sorry for these questions >-> I’m not a very good ‘people’ person D:</p>
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<p>They will introduce themselves usually as the first thing they say! If not, as introducing yourself, ask, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” at the beginning. No biggie! I doubt I’ve ever forgotten to introduce myself but I’m sure SOMEONE has!</p>
<p>Tell the truth, that you don’t read magazines because you prefer newspapers, or something else. When asked what my favorite newspaper was in a recent interview, I replied I don’t read newspapers much but preferred Newsweek and Time, as well as some internet sources (that I named). An intelligent answer done without lying!</p>