<p>What's the deal with interviews? I was told that they were given out on a "first come-first serve" basis and aren't mandatory. Does this still hold true for ED applicants?</p>
<p>Also, are the interviews evaluative or informative? Are they given by local alumni or is there the option of having an on-campus interview with an adcom/current student? </p>
<p>Thanks, bbs. :D</p>
<p>I think they interviews are more often than not given by local alumni</p>
<p>i honestly dont think interviews are that important, i didn't get one and i got in. if you live near campus then i guess it wouldn't hurt set up an interview on campus that way you can do a tour/have an interview on campus with an adcom, that would show additional interest. but if they're off campus (alumni interviews) then it's likely either hit or miss in terms of you getting one or not.</p>
<p>Interviews are just another outlet for you to get to know the university and showcase yourself to an alumnus. I don't believe they're waived heavily, just don't blow it off if you get one. And don't worry if you don't.</p>
<p>for people who have gotten interviews....
what kinds of questions do they ask</p>
<p>if you get offered an interview, take it. it can only help you. </p>
<p>they'll ask you about your life, and about the activities you're involved in. they may want to know why you're interested in going to that school or why you want to study what you've listed. oftentimes they look at your app or a page of questions as a starting point, and branch the conversation from there.</p>
<p>spend some time thinking about the activities and things you've done in highschool. if I were to ask you about anything on your app, be ready to explain it to me, and look for places to open up a new conversation. for example, starting a club in hs can lead to some pretty good discussions on the challenges of such a task.</p>
<p>yeah, my interviewer asked questions primarily regarding my activities (i brought a resume/activity sheet with me). we talked for a while about my major activities and i sort of explained why they were significant to me and why i liked them.</p>
<p>prior to the interview he had told me to think of an experience i had had that wasn't really listed on my app, so that he could sort of see a part of me the adcoms wouldn't, so i talked about a summer program i had done.</p>
<p>he also asked some general questions about penn (why i chose to apply) and stuff like that.</p>
<p>my penn interview was my favorite because my interviewer was very nice and it flowed more like a conversation (back and forth, lots of smiling/laughing) than a question/answer-type thing.</p>
<p>As an alumni interviewer, the only advice I have for interviews is this: Think of things to talk about that AREN'T on your application. If all I have to write in my report is the same stuff the school already knows, it makes it a lot harder to make you sound compelling.</p>
<p>It really should be a conversation, not a Q&A - come with questions that can't be easily answered by the website (even if your interviewer is really old, they'll know some cool stories probably).</p>
<p>That said, I really don't think they make a difference.</p>