<p>If you've had an interview at a BS or plan to have one this fall- How do you view the exchange between Applicant and AO?</p>
<p>Speaking as a mom – audition. And I’ve found that every interaction with faculty members, parents of students, and AOs since my child’s admission has been repeated, weighed, and judged. It never ends.</p>
<p>In our case, it was very much a two-way street kinda thing. There was very little sense of “gaining approval”. In fact, it felt very much like a natural conversation ( and then a series of conversations), so that by the time we were ready to submit the application, we felt that the school was a great fit, and that they really got to know my child.</p>
<p>I suppose if it HAD been more audition-like, that might have affected whether we were happy to apply after that!</p>
<p>Or is this thread just “bait” to get Exie back!? :-)</p>
<p>PS perhaps the difference for us was applying to hidden gem schools… I wonder. Either that or the AO was a master at interviewing!</p>
<p>Mine really varied, but were generally audition-like with a good opportunity for questions. I had 20 at 4 different schools, and the ones that felt more like conversations were at the schools I felt more comfortable in generally.</p>
<p>At my interview at Milton, the AO was great. We had a really nice conversation. I forgot I was in an interview! Whoever you get as your AO, my advice is to just be yourself, and hopefully you will come across as a good fit for the school.</p>
<p>I know for my kid a couple of years ago, he has passionate views about books, so many of his interviews actually dealt with him arguing–surprisingly cogently–against why some of the teen classics of our generation (think Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, etc.) are dated and overly self referential, while at the same time being able to offer a long list of contemporary dystopian teen lit (& NOT Hunger Games, I’m happy to say) that he felt was far more relevant to his generation’s experience. I guess what I’m getting at here is try to find a way to steer the interview toward your own passions, and then let loose. You don’t have to game it. Parents go in after the kid, and more than one interviewer talked to me with both admiration and chagrin about how my 13 year old had eviscerated one of their favorite classics–convincingly.</p>
<p>It seems like it’s a two-way street, as in the interviewer is very friendly and welcome. However, I am very sure they are judging and recording everything</p>
<p>Even though it was in a really comfortable, smalll room, my Groton interview seemed more like an audition, probably because the interviewer was constantly writing.</p>
<p>I guess I was cast as an understudy.</p>
<p>Stargirl3: you crack me up. Good on you for having a good attitude!</p>
<p>@london203 I’m getting better at thinking of jokes before 10 minutes has passed :)</p>
<p>I interviewed with 2 school.
One school, was more like an audition. It felt very serious.
Another school was super friendly and it felt like I was having a normal conversation.
So it really depends on the school. Good luck on your interview:)</p>
<p>My S and I had 7 interviews at various schools and all of these interviews were auditions. Even when the interviewer said “Do you have any questions for me?” there was still a feeling that these questions were evaluated, as well. Two of the interviewers were very aloof and looked exhausted, two were genuinely interested in the kid (or made that impression, at least), others were somewhere in between. Interestingly, the younger was the interviewer, the more he/she talked about him/herself and was more skeptical about the kid’s qualities, achievements and aspirations. I would not want to go through this process again.</p>