<p>Sounds about right. I'm still nervous though.</p>
<p>An "absolutely horrible" interview cannot get you rejected...they serve as a means to just help your app...add personality to a sheet of paper that the admission officers get to see. Think of it as a special kind of rec letter. I'm sure that if you look at past posts on the previous pages you'll see what to expect. If you cannot find an answer to your question, pm bandmom...she's an interviewer for Duke.</p>
<p>see the post:
Questions for interview</p>
<p>as far as your interview is concerned, relax! It will only help your app, not hurt it. (Unless you attack your interviewer...I recommend you do NOT do that) The interviewers only know your name, intended major, high school, and email/phone#. That's it, so they tend to ask about you and you should also ask about Duke. This is your chance to find out more things. Ask what they majored in, find out about student life by asking what activities they took part in. Their job is to add a personal side to your app, so just be calm and have fun!</p>
<p>My daughter's Duke interview was very low key. The alum spent most of the time telling her about Duke. It could just be this alum and not all Duke interviews are the same. We usually go over a bit of talking points before she goes for interviews. During this morning interview, she said that everything we went over was brought up by the interviewer(yeah...). She has been on 6 so far and she is getting better each time. I would know some current events, why Duke, know your ECs very well. My daughter is a dancer and some of them went into depth about different choreographers, styles, dancers from different countries. Think of a book of two that you have read lately. How you spend your down time (not watching tv or play video). Don't be afraid to say I don't know if you don't have an answer. Most people are very nice.</p>
<p>About the importance of interviews on an application, I can't say for sure, but I think 'tryingmybest' has the closest idea. Also, 'oldfort' had some great suggestions for preparation. Of course, interviewers have different styles, so be prepared to field any sort of question. Just try to be relaxed and as articulate as possible :) Try to make a connection, but don't just give the interviewer the answers you think sound good or that she/he may want to hear--be yourself.</p>
<p>What if you don't get an interview but you send in additional materials (why Duke, research summary, peer rec)? Does that show enough interest? I am kind of bummed that I missed the deadline :(.</p>
<p>Since you can't do anything about it now, I wouldn't fret over not getting an interview--it is optional. Many students are in areas where they don't even have interviewers.</p>
<p>I never even got called for an interview last year and I lived in a major metropolitan area. Didn't miss a single deadline or anything. But, here I am at Duke. They're really not lying when they say it's not a big deal.</p>
<p>My interviewer emailed me and I did my interview on New Year's Eve.</p>
<p>^Sounds like a party :)</p>
<p>I had my interview this afternoon. The questions were fairly typical (e.g. Tell me about your EC's, tell me about your academic interests, why duke, etc.). My interviewer spent most of the interview telling stories that began with "Back when I was at Duke..." I was somewhat taken off guard when asked "Which schools are you applying to and what's your #1?" I don't think they are supposed to ask that but whatever. My favorite thing my interviewer said was, "The social scene on campus is pretty good, but let's face it, Durham sucks."</p>
<p>I'm thinking of rejecting an interview offer, since it looks like it is not going to help me, more likely to hurt actually. I'm not interested enough to ask good questions anyways....</p>
<p>I'm corresponding via phone and said i would 'check' if i could do it. He lives about 2-1.5hr away from me, so how should i go about telling him i don't want to go?
Is telling him 'ehm...i dont feel like it, sry!' going to seriously damage my app? (i.e. no interest in college). Or should i make something up like its too expensive to get there? Any ideas?
Thanks</p>
<p>tima89:
If you really aren't interested in Duke, then don't waste your time or his with an interview. It doesn't really matter what you say if you don't care whether you get in or not. I would just say you can't make arrangements because of the distance. If you are definitely no longer interested in the school for admittance, you can tell him that and he can mark that on the interview form. Otherwise, just decline and don't make up false excuses about it.</p>
<p>I worded that a little bit incorrectly. By 'not interested enough' i meant its not my clear 1st choice and i don't know much about the school except that it's great :)
It's not that i am not interested, its just that my interview is not going to go well (i am sure of it)! And i am not the kind of person that is alright with looking stupid....i get intimidated too easily : ))</p>
<p>Yeaha!!! I just got called for an interview! I'm so happy right now, because I actually missed the interview deadline. I'm actually gonna have a phone interview, though. Does anyone have any experience with phone interviews?</p>
<p>tima89:
If you feel your other evaluations (teacher recs, counselor recs, etc.) are strong and an interview wouldn't add anything new or special about you, then just decline and perhaps blame it on the distance factor. Try to remain positive about the school,however, and don't burn any bridges! maybe a phone interview would be okay, though I haven't ever done one.</p>
<p>I was going to say ask him for a phone interview</p>
<p>Just had mine today; interviewer called yesterday. I live in metro Atlanta and had to drive downtown to his office, but hey, it was definately worth it.</p>
<p>So do you mind giving us a quick summary of your interview?</p>
<p>After, I introduced myself, he basically explained the impact of the interview on my application and how it can help/ benefit me. After that, he talked about his experiences at Duke and I was able to ask many, many questions (he was very enthusiastic about it too!). Then he asked typical interview questions: Why Duke? Explain how you plan to pursue your academic interests here? etc. It seemed really short, but I was actually in his office for a little over an hour! I definately left with a great impression of Duke.</p>
<p>does Duke interview applicants living in China??</p>