Hey guys,
I just recently had my interview. I’m a fairly reserved guy, so I think I may have been a little bit awkward. I also may have forgotten to mention a couple of my major accomplishments and reasons why I would love to go to Stanford. My interviewer was very nice and answered many of my questions. I was just curious how much of an impact the interview really has and whether I’ve dashed my chances with my kind of awkward interview? I think I had some good points and made it pretty personal. I was very honest. Let me know what you guys think.
Thanks
Don’t worry too much about it. It’s just one piece of your application, probably very much like a letter of recommendation–but one from an unbiased source who only spent 30-60 minutes with you. It takes a lot for most of us to write an actively negative report, unless an interviewee is particularly disrespectful, irreverent, uninterested, belligerent, or intolerant. These are not meant to be like job interviews or graduate/professional school interviews that routinely make or break applications; rather, they are meant to be informal, and much of the purpose is for you to learn about what it’s like to go to Stanford from someone who has firsthand experience being a student there.
It’s actually likely good that you didn’t mention your accomplishments, as our purpose is not to report your achievements to Montag Hall; that’s what the CommonApp/Coalition App were for. “A little bit awkward” is nothing to worry about, as we’re all used to meeting very nervous interviewees. If it wasn’t enough to make your interviewer feel uncomfortable as well, then there’s a good chance it didn’t even make its way into his/her report, depending on your interviewer’s style.
Below taken from an interview of Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Richard Shaw, by our campus newspaper: http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/05/27/admission-students-reflect-on-pilot-interview-program/
"‘Really, what it does is it adds texture to the application, as we get a summary of the experience of meeting the person in the process,’ Shaw said. ‘In general, it isn’t a make-or-break deal. It’s one piece of information among all other pieces of information that candidates give to us.’
‘I think, frankly, interviews can go either way, but again, it’s just a factor among many,’ he added. ‘I think to the extent that it hurts or helps a student’s chances for Stanford, it’s probably more generally neutral than it is one way or the other.’
Shaw also asserted that the admission rate among the interviewees was in line with the overall admission rate."