<p>So I have my interview on the 11th. It's a phone interview. Other than the basic things like why Princeton and why I like Princeton, what should I know about Princeton? Does the interviewer expect me to know about things like clubs and activities at Princeton (I do know a little, I also know a lot about different things I've read on CC about Princeton) Should I know about New Jersey? (The place was never a factor for my college choices).</p>
<p>How was your interview? What did the interviewer concentrate on other than your high school life?</p>
<p>The interview will inquire about what you’re interested in – to see if you have any real “spark”. Then it’s your time to ask questions – you aren’t expected to know details like clubs or NJ. And please don’t respond to “Why Princeton” with the answer: prestige. You might as well ask them to shred your application if you do.</p>
<p>You should only know about clubs and activities that interest you. If New Jersey wasn’t a factor for choosing Princeton, you don’t need to know about that either. </p>
<p>I really enjoyed my interview. It was more like a conversation and he was interested in things I said. He asked me why I wanted to study in the US (I am an international student from Germany) and told him that Americans are way more open and approachable whereas Germans are afraid to be the one to approach someone. He was really intrigued by that as he is an American who lives in Germany. Just show them who you are and what you care about. </p>
<p>My interviewer talked quite a bit more that I did, really. Here’s a snippet of our convo:</p>
<p>“So what made you interested in Princeton?”</p>
<p>“It’s kind of funny, really. I’m a huge Tina Fey fan and when I saw that she starred in a movie about college admissions I just had to watch it-”</p>
<p>“You’ve seen Admission? I love that movie! Maybe I’m biased, being so involved in the Princeton admission process and all, but it’s definitely one of my favorite movies. I actually got to witness them film it on the Princeton campus! It’s truly a gorgeous campus. You know the coffee mug that Tina Fey has in the movie? I have that exact coffee mug! They sell them in the bookstore on Nassau Street! I’ve had it for a while, of course, I didn’t buy it because of the movie. But I digress. Continue?”</p>
<p>She was a wonderful interviewer, though quite talkative and bubbly.</p>
<p>It means either your interviewer had something come up outside of their control (weather, family emergency, work crisis etc) or they are not especially skilled at keeping appointments. It does not reflect on the applicant in any way. Keep in mind that the interviewer has extremely limited knowledge of the content of your application…they are not prioritizing according to strength of the applications or anything like that. </p>