<p>My S is very much like your D - very shy, not a good conversationalist, so interviews will be tough. </p>
<p>I was surprised by an admissions rep from Carnegie-Mellon who came to S’s school and spoke. He/she said that the meeting pretty much counted as an interview. All the students had to do was enter a code on a card that they were given onto a website, and they would be given credit. I don’t know any other school that did that. Has anyone heard of this before? CMU is high on S’s list, so he was happy about it.</p>
<p>If someone asked me, I would say that my son “wouldn’t” interview well. He’s socially awkward, has Aspergers, and his only real interests are video games and horror movies. But he had to interview for admission into his current selective high school and for a competetive internship he participated in this past summer. So I’m guessing he does in fact interview just fine. I had to keep my own fear and anxiety in check and just made sure he dressed appropriately. We didn’t do any prep as I had no idea what either of those interviews would be about. I told my kid to be himself because he’s a great kid with a great personality. But I trust that these interviewers are not expecting polished presentations with awesome sound bites. These are kids who are expected to be nervous talking to a stranger about boring topics. I think those who interview bad enough for it to matter are probably revealing character flaws.</p>
<p>My son is going to an interview this morning! I think he will interview fine however, one of the things that I know put him at ease is that the college rep (who may or may not be his interviewer) came to our HS for one of those college visits and gave my son the low down on how they do their interviews.</p>
<p>So if a student has the opportunity to interact with someone from the school first in a less formal way, I would recommend it. Maybe during a college visit, stopping in and talking with someone in admissions about how they interview and what they are looking for might help.</p>
<p>This college rep told my son that the interview would be casual but to absolutely show up with something to show them about himself such as his resume. Obviously that gives the student and the interviewer something to focus and direct the conversation. </p>
<p>I think if a student has practiced the answer to why they are applying to the school then the other questions will be easier to answer.</p>
<p>My daughter is like yours - on stage she’s great, she was the emcee for her Halloween Improv show last night in front of about 100 people, but go out afterwards with her friends, no, too shy and uncomfortable in the large group. She’s had 3 interviews so far and, weather permitting, she has another today in Boston and one every weekend until Thanksgiving (and then 2 after that!). Every school she is applying to requires or recommends interviews.</p>
<p>Although my daughter is nervous and nasty prior, she has found that those interviewing are skilled in bringing out conversation, asking interesting questions with no “right” answer but are things she has thought about with regards to the specific school or even schools in general. Some begin by asking questions of her high school to help her relax. It might help if you send your daughter along with a resume of Service and Extracurricular activities, this will help her organize her thoughts and, if she gives it to the person interviewing, a starting point for both.</p>
<p>Another suggestion, have the first interviews at schools you don’t care about, or where your chances of admission are excellent!</p>
<p>(oops see Momrath beat me to this suggestion. )</p>
<p>And just an anecdote from last weekend where we were visiting friends with a high school senior. We asked her something about what she wanted to study in college and we got “the spiel”. My husband commented on the way home that it sounded a bit practiced, and I replied “Well yeah, she’s already had half a dozen college interviews!” (BTW she was charming and I think she’ll do just fine.)</p>
<p>Just to emphasize what 3togo said – a college interview is not the same as schmoozing with strangers at a cocktail party. Most interviewers have specific questions to ask the student and aren’t expecting small talk. It’s a good idea to go in prepared, but it’s not like the interviewer is expecting your kid to fill in awkward silences with brilliant anecdotes. I’m an alumni interviewer, and if I have a shy kid I consider it partly my job to draw him or her out.</p>
<p>I haven’t had the chance yet to read this whole thread, but here’s what I suggest:</p>
<p>Choose a school that’s nearby and isn’t on her list. She should practice with that one. In fact, she should practice with as many “other” schools when possible, because the more often she does this, the better she’ll get. She should get comfortable with the kinds of questions that are asked, with requests that ask, “so tell me me about yourself”, and most especially how to turn the interview towards things she really wants to get across. She should also have a series of questions to ask as well.</p>
<p>But, when she practices with schools she doesn’t care about, she’ll start to feel relaxed. With that, she’ll be ready with her “real” interviews.</p>
<p>I would hope that an interviewer would not ask such an on the spot question as “Tell me about yourself”. I would clutch with that. Better to ask a person smaller bite questions such as “what do you do in your spare time” or “tell me about your family and upbringing”.</p>
<p>But I agree, have the first interview at a school that is lower on a student’s list so they are not so tense.</p>
<p>I have interviewed students as a college alum for 10 years (for one of the coveted ivies–so supposedly I am seeing top kids). It is amazing to me how colloquial and lazy many of the interviewees have been. Better to keep them home than have them do an interview unprepared, disinterested, talking as if I were their BFF, and without some feeling/interest/connection to the school. Because it is less common than you think, going to an interview prepared to talk about an aspect of the college that actually draws you to that school (as opposed to dumb statements,like my teacher said I might like it, or my friend told me to apply) and tying it to some genuine interest the student has, is all one needs to stand out and make a good impression for the interviewee. Frankly, I try to say something nice about every kid , BUT, it is not always easy (or genuine) because of unprepared and not-serious interviewees.</p>
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