what are princeton interviews like? what sort of questions should i ask? should i bring a resume? is there any way i can use subliminal hypnosis to convince my interviewer to write a glowing report about me? any and all answers would be appreciated.
I am also curious about this ^
You’re joking, right?
I think the interviews vary from person to person. Interviewers are alumni of the university and are given very little information about you beyond your contact information. They are not privy to anything you submitted on the common app or supplements and it appears from most information I have gleaned from my son and others who recounted their experiences that there is no formal structure to the interview. In my son’s case the interviewer asked him a couple questions about his academic interests and possible career goals. He also asked, “Why Princeton?” (a question that seems to come up a lot). After these few questions it seemed the interviewer was more interested in selling Princeton to my son than the other way around! He spoke at length about his experience at the school and career path so at that point my son simply interjected questions and comments into the discussion.
He went into the interview prepared to answer questions at a much greater depth than they came but I think the preparation helped him to relax and feel confident that he was well prepared. He also prepared some questions to ask his interviewer about his field of study and perceived strengths and weaknesses of Princeton (and to ask why his interviewer chose Princeton) but most of this information was volunteered by the interviewer without a prompt throughout the meeting.
It might help you to ask a few trusted mentors what kinds of questions they would ask an applicant and to prepare those answers ahead of time. This is good practice for job interviews as well as helping you to clarify your own vision and path.
By the way any kinds of “tactics” you consider using during an interview can always backfire and come off as manipulative. Ditch those highly questionable strategies and do your best to be yourself.
Good luck!