<p>So I was recently contacted for interview and I was wondering from the people who have done it to tell me what the experience was like and can it hurt me in anyway or just help?</p>
<p>I was contacted yesterday! I read a post by a parent/interviewer saying that the interview won’t help much but will hurt if you screw up…but I’m not sure…</p>
<p>Anyone has any tips? like what kind of question should I expect (except why duke) and what should I wear. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>I had mine about a week ago. The interview is casual, but still dress nicely. My questions were very basic: what are your academic interests?, tell me about yourself?, what made you choose ed? and a few others. It lasted about half an hour for me, and my interviewer talked just as much as I did about anything I was curious about. Very informative! My interviewer said that the interview was just another way to let Duke know anything that you could not put on your application and that interviews are designed to help you.</p>
<p>I am an Duke undergraduate admissions interviewer, so please permit me to comment from the alumnus’ perspectives.</p>
<p>Lefty asked, “can it hurt in anyway?” The answer is that’s most unlikely, essentially zero probability. Our goal is to answer your questions, to make you more familiar and comfortable with Duke, and to discover things about you that are not documented in the “paper” applications process. We then write a brief report to summarize our conversation – and, yes, it is most important to view this as a bilateral discussion, not an inquisition. The chances of that report having an adverse impact on the admissions decision is very small, but it might have a limited positive effect.</p>
<p>Gooster’s question really is important, because it addresses the essence of the conversation between the candidate and the alum. My suggestions are simple: since we want this to be a mutually-pleasant and -productive experience, PLEASE just be yourself, answer and ASK intelligent questions articulately, and BE ENTHUSIASTIC regarding Duke.</p>
<p>My last point will also be concise. I certainly understand that the seniors’s college choice – both the student’s and the universities’ decisions – is a huge deal for a teenager. However, PLEASE try not to be anxious or stressed. Generations of your older peers survived and prospered through this process and – believe it or not – you will, too.</p>
<p>Thank you for your informative reply, TopTier!</p>
<p>You’re welcome.</p>
<p>How nicely should I dress? I know no jeans, but is a casual sundress, tights, and cardigan not professional enough? Or is a blue button down and black pencil skirt too formal for a casual interview?</p>
<p>^Either of those outfits are acceptable. I’d wear what makes you feel the most comfortable and confident. I’ve seen many students wear jeans as well; as long as they’re wearing a nice top, I personally don’t mind but other alumni interviewers may, so it’s best to be safe. Just look put together and be ready to talk.</p>
<p>While I agree with TopTier that the primary purpose of the interview is to learn information about the applicant not included in the application itself and for you to learn more about Duke (and strum up enthusiasm), it’s still something that can have a slight impact in some cases. It’s nothing to stress about and certainly won’t make a poor applicant get admitted or break a great one, but it gives the admissions committee another lens to view the applicant hopefully reinforcing everything they’ve already read about you in the application itself. </p>
<p>I’ve seen the statistics from Guttentag and there is a positive correlation between very high interview ratings and acceptances. That is, the highest rating had something like a 25% acceptance rate whereas the lowest rating had something like a 5% rate. The vast vast majority of applicants fall in the middle. That’s not to suggest that how the interview goes itself, though, makes the application, but rather the best applicants also impress the most in an interview setting. The interview just serves as another data point that, again, reinforces what the committee already suspected. Students who have shown a lot of passion and success will impress both on paper and in person; it makes sense. Admissions claims they also care more about the content of the “review” rather than the score itself; as a way to learn more ability the applicant’s personality and passions. </p>
<p>Interviewers are usually nice people that WANT you to succeed and be admitted, so they’re on your side! Good luck!</p>