<p>I have always heard you never take anyone with you on a job interview so why would you do so for a college interview. It does make you appear less mature. Also, in the back of your mind, you know they are waiting for you and it may make you more rushed, even unconciously. At a Starbucks you are not going to be able to focus as well. I think the interviewer is doing you a favor, wanting to give you his undivided attention. I also had a thought, that maybe they want you to see the results of a Dartmouth education. If the house is awesome you may assume that alum are successful. It may not be it at all but it is a thought.</p>
<p>Lammb, I quite agree with T26E4 on this one: if I were still doing alumni interviews (which currently I am not), I’d be perfectly happy to meet the parents of any applicant. After all, as T26E4 said, part of the interviewer’s task is to represent the college, and parents often (and appropriately, I think) have significant input into their kids’ college search and selection.</p>
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<p>This, actually, is a reason why my Ivy alma mater used to discourage alumni from interviewing in their homes. Their worry was that an applicant from somewhat more modest circumstances might feel intimidated by having to interview in a spectacular house, and might not be able to present himself or herself to best advantage. (I have no idea whether they’re still discouraging alumni from interviewing in their homes. The reason given made a lot of sense to me, so unless they’ve gone from discouraging it to prohibiting it, I hope this is still their policy. I, on the other hand, never interviewed in my home because my kids would have been in the way, and because the place is always such a damn mess.)</p>
<p>Collegebound, I think most of the other posters have answered your question to me re why I thought you might want to give some thought to your parents accompanying you to the front door. I think it detracts from your presenting yourself as mature young person ready to handle university life, and I don’t know if it truly adds another “level of protection”; as someone else mentioned, if you or your parents get a bad vibe about the guy, are you just going to turn around and leave? You know his name, his address and he knows that your parents know that you are there with him. I think it’s important when you are on the verge of leaving home and being on your own to start dealing with these situations as you will soon have to – as a young adult, without your parents right there to watch over you. If a situation similar to this arises when you are away at school, such as a prof inviting you to his home to discuss something school related, how will you handle it? Take the proper precautions (i.e. ask other students if this is his habit, make sure someone knows where you are, whom you are with and how long you expect to be there), or suggest an alternate meeting place if you feel uncomfortable with the situation. And I do think suggesting an alternative meeting place is perfectly fine! Sometimes we have to trust our instincts.</p>
<p>I had my Dartmouth interview at my interviewer’s house.</p>
<p>It was really casual. She made some tea for the both of us, and then we just sat in her living room and talked for about an hour. Also, she was a very recent graduate (2009), so it’s not just an older generation thing.</p>
<p>I don’t think this practice is that uncommon, since my brother mentioned having an interview at an alumnus’s house when he was applying to colleges back in 2005.</p>
<p>I just wanted to add this and show you that there’s really nothing to worry about. That said, if you’re still feeling uncomfortable then suggest a different location. There’s nothing wrong with that. :)</p>
<p>I really don’t think it is weird at all, a lot of my friends have gotten an interview at the person’s house.</p>
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<p>I agree completely. I also think that it’s completely misleading to think that if someone is a predator who is going to lunge at you or do something inappropriate, that those signs will be flashing bright when that person opens the door and you’ll know to turn tail and run. Life doesn’t work that way. Ironically, I know a Harvard MBA who molested his adopted daughter. Trust me when I say he sent off no creepy-bad-guy signs in any setting, whatsoever.</p>
<p>Anyway, while Sikorsky is right, of course, that someone COULD accuse an adult interviewer of being up to no good (and then it becomes he-said-she-said), it’s also true that someone who is intent on preying upon sweet teenage girls doesn’t need to set up college interviews to create such a setting.</p>
<p>I am totally with Sikorsky on this one because I saw exactly what he describes unfold many years back at my children’s middle school. A female student accused a teacher of inapprorpriate behavior when he was giving her extra help during a free period. Teacher ended up being fired with all the requisite fanfare and gossip that accompany these sorts of things. I am sure his career was severely damaged. Two years later the student was so guilt ridden, she admitted to the school psychologist that she made the whole thing up. </p>
<p>So I guess I am equally concerned that interviewers who choose this type of arrangement are putting themselves in a precarious situation. Granted, these things are few and far between, but they do happen.</p>
<p>With all that has been coming to light these days, interviews should be held in public venues. Yes, it could be nicer at the interviewer or interviewees house, but there are issues that are more important. </p>
<p>Pragmatically, if my kid were requested to come to a private residence for a top school pick interview, I 'd tell him to do it, and at the end of the process raise the stink. </p>
<p>My son had an interview at a home where it was conducted whille the interviewer was packing his car. I’ve heard of interviews done at homes where there was a lot of commotion, animals that made the interviewee nervous or he was allergic and didn’t think of that situation, or the guy was distracted by his kids or the doorbell. Yes, when it works out, it can be more comfortable than the local Starbucks, community library or other such venue, but with these things we look at what the worst scenarios can be, and they can get pretty bad.</p>
<p>For all you know you are also meeting at his office…many professionals work from home. I hate meeting in coffee houses. To noisy, lack of privacy.</p>
<p>My college bound teenager just recently also had an interview at an alumni’s house. Is this course somewhat unusual, yes but since we knew the interviewer’s address and that the e-mail invite was sent via @ college address we knew that proper procedure was taken. Rather sooner than later you will have to make smart decisions yourself and if your gut feeling is telling you ‘no’ then adhere to it! Either follow the invitation at the alumni’s house or suggest another place to meet. I agree with other posters though, personally, I would not take the parents along.</p>
<p>Oh, I’d probably have interviews at a public place, or if I wanted to have them at home, I’d make sure my wife was going to be home as well (and tell the interviewee that). I realize that we’ve reached a place where this is just what you have to do even if there is an infinitesimal risk (although I can’t understand people who think it’s safe enough to let their kids drive to an interview, but not to be alone with an adult interviewer assigned by the college.) I’m just saying that I wouldn’t react positively to somebody who felt they needed a bodyguard at their college interview.</p>
<p>I was given the option to meet an interviewer at her office or home.</p>
<p>I chose her home. I felt more comfortable and she lived in the neighborhood of my old school.</p>
<p>At my interview for USC, the interviewer asked if my mom came with me to campus, then went and met her after the interview and asked HER if she had any questions! </p>
<p>Honestly, I wouldn’t want to go to a school where my parents’ involvement in my life was considered problematic.</p>
<p>It is completely inappropriate for an interviewer to request that you meet at his/her house. Tell the interviewer that you feel most comfortable meeting in a public forum. If the interviewer protests, thank him/her, call the college or university and request a different interviewer. It is poor form at the very least and possibly dangerous to meet at an adult’s home whom you don’t even know Be smart. Be safe!!</p>
<p>I find this thread interesting - I am a female alumni interviewer for an Ivy League school for over 20 years and I always meet in my home. I have never had a problem, and no one has ever brought their parents. I interview about 10 students per year (so 10 hours of interviewing plus about 10 hours of writing up the report = 20 hrs in the course of 3 weeks) It takes up a lot of time - it would be inconvenient to have to meet elsewhere (where the student might show up late, etc). When I was a high school senior in the 80’s, all of my alumni interviews took place in houses. I guess times have changed, but it is definitely more convenient for me, and no one has ever complained, so I will continue to conduct the interviews in my home. By the way, remember that most of these interviewers interview many students, year after year. If anything strange went on, the college would not allow them to keep interviewing.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t even think it matters where the interview takes place. If the interviewer wants to do something inappropriate, it can happen anywhere not just at his house. But anyway, I’m sure these people who do interviews are normal. They are just there to represent the school not go after young teens.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s weird!
One of my best interviews, the one I enjoyed the most, was conducted at the guy’s house. (It was for Yale, no I didn’t get in haha :P)</p>
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Also, don’t drive to the interview–too dangerous. Go to the Starbuck’s in a tank. And wear a helmet in case the roof collapses. And a bulletproof vest.</p>
<p>Oh, by the way–enjoy college!</p>
<p>Not weird at all.</p>
<p>I agree with the others who’ve said that interviews in homes are standard (at least they were). My husband has been conducting interviews for 25 years now. He always makes sure there is at least one other person home. A couple of the kids have brought parents to the door and then waited in the car. One parent wanted to wait inside in another room. Neither of us thought any less of the student due to these requests.</p>
<p>While it would be nice to be able to conduct all the interviews in a public place, I think it would be a lot to ask of alum interviewers. As someone else said, if you do 5 to 10 of these per year and you had to travel to a “neutral” location for each one, that would take up a lot of time. If you have small children or work to do at home, it’s a lot to ask an alum, I think.</p>