<p>I'm a rising senior who's very confused about the interview process. </p>
<p>Do interviews happen after I finish my applications, or should I be doing them over the summer with schools that I will eventually apply to??</p>
<p>Some schools will interview you when if you visit their admissions office even before applying. They'll keep the write up on file, awaiting your eventual app. These aren't mandatory. However, most colleges only interview once your app is complete. Plus, many colleges don't interview at all.</p>
<p>alrite thank you.</p>
<p>also know that at least for the alumni interviews I had to places like the ivies, were surprisingly laid back. Its more a of a conversation, rather then them grilling you i.e medical school (They know nothing about you).</p>
<p>Also, in the fall of senior year you will probably find out, by mail or e-mail, that a representative from the college you're applying to (they find out about you after you request info from them) will be visiting your area and you can try to schedule an interview that way.</p>
<p>Or you could (some time in the fall) contact a college and request an interview.</p>
<p>And yes, the interviews are supposed to be laid-back. Mine were pretty much all at a coffee place. Dress nicely, but not too formally, and no limp handshake!</p>
<p>And they really are supposed to be conversations. Just replace the word interview with the word conversation. Try to be interesting. Interviewers dedicate their time to showing up and having fun, so you should do the same.</p>
<p>then what's the point to them? Do interviewers have interesting/useful info about the school that I can't find on like a google search? I always thought that SOME interviews are like conversations, but that the majority of them affect your app.</p>
<p>I'd say the majority DON'T affect your app unless they either 1) raise a red flag (like you're a flaming racist or something) or 2) they can give more context and texture to special circumstances that enhance an app otherwise on the fence.</p>
<p>The vast majority of interviews just confirm what's in the rest of your file (e.g. strong academician, self-motivated, or the opposite of these, etc.)</p>
<p>Note a reply I made earlier:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/524495-do-interviews-really-make-much-difference-process.html#post1060554172%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/524495-do-interviews-really-make-much-difference-process.html#post1060554172</a></p>
<p>Okay, tnb19, here's something to give you some perspective on how interviews go:</p>
<p>Interview 1:
This was when I visited Swarthmore last fall. The guy was a senior at Swarthmore, and his clothes were sort of formal, sort of like what you'd wear to a fancy dinner. You fill out a form about your interests, and you have a conversation about your interests and the interviewer's interests. I learned that he was doing his thesis on Facebook and liked crossword puzzles. We talked for about 25 minutes. I could tell that he was writing something down as I spoke, but I don't exactly know what he wrote. I thought it went okay.</p>
<p>Interview 2:
Reed College interview was with an admissions officer, Alea, whom I had seen at a college fair (CTCL) and when she visited my high school. It was supposed to be at a place called Cafe Ladro. There were two Cafe Ladros, one on the bottom of a hill and one on the top. I went to the one on the bottom and realized that I was supposed to be at the one on the top, so I walked all the way up the hill on a warm day, and when I got there I was all sweaty, and I said that I wanted to get a cool drink first. She was alright with that, so I asked for a mocha, and the barista gave me a HOT mocha. Apparently I had to ask for specifically a cold one (I was so stupid then), and I was even more stupid when I actually drank the hot mocha rather than just say that I wanted a cold one instead. At that interview I mostly asked a bunch of questions about the school, and she told me more about her experiences as a person of color at a mostly white school that lacks much diversity. </p>
<p>Interview 3:
U. Chicago, the big one. It was at a Starbucks in Downtown, and I was interested in that because I was interested in studying math there and he was a math major, but for pretty much the entire interview, all he talked about was math! I mean, it was sort of interesting, but man! And he kept going on and on and on. He didn't really give me much time to ask a lot of questions or to have a 'real' conversation. But it was still fun.</p>
<p>Interview 4:
Carleton. I think this was the most fun. The guy (who is now studying business at Seattle University) first offered to buy me a coffee, which I refused. Then he asked about how school went, and he had a book with him and we talked a little about what the book was talking about, and then he really wanted me to know more about Carleton, so he shared a lot of funny stories. I mean, you could tell that he was a really goofy, silly guy in college and was a real joker, like when he and his friends put a giant poster of the Carleton president on the water tower, or when he put a picture of a hated Residential Adviser on one of those things that boxers hit and punched the person up, and when he played "broomball" late at night in probably below 0 weather and had little icicles hanging down his eyebrows. I mean, even half a year later I remember that. That was a fun interview.</p>
<p>And all my interviewers did a good job of informing you that it's just a little, fun chat, and that after the interview they just fill in a little report that talks a little bit more about you, and they send it to the college and that's it!</p>
<p>So that was my long, but hopefully somewhat entertaining, explanation of what interviews are like. They're all conversations. Have a great conversation, and you'll have a great interview! And they do affect your app, but they're still conversations.</p>
<p>The interviews I had:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Small LAC. In a formal office with an admissions officer. Eh, it wasn't as relaxed as I wanted it to be. But, it was a normal interview (as you might expect it). I dressed nicely (and was expected to). She basically was asking why this college? who am i? etc... It was in the summer before I applied.. A friend of mine applied to the same place. But, instead, she had an alumni interview her.</p></li>
<li><p>Ivy (#1). Loose phone convo with an recent alumni. We really hit it off. I mean, we talked about it and I learned facts I never knew about the university. But, we also got off topic and, yeah, it was pretty cool. He was a really cool guy and I learned a lot about the school. It was after I applied..and I was waiting to hear back. He was the type of person to be part of everything..and was really honest about everything. I really enjoyed it. :]</p></li>
</ol>
<p>lol thanks for the descriptions. i finally got it</p>