<p>OK so I just had my interview with the brown rep. </p>
<p>she was really friendly, and talked to me for two hours. I really thought we connected and we shared a lot (common background etc.)</p>
<p>BUT…at one point…she asked me…</p>
<p>so…what makes you special? what makes you unique?</p>
<p>I answered by explaning that I graduated early, that I have expirienced boarding school, that I have lived awayfrom home…that I speak two languages fluently…that I am passionate about theatre and medicine…that I want to somehow combine the two interests at Brown…that I love being around people etc. </p>
<p>and after a while…she just looked at me and said: …um…ok…thats not what I was looking for. </p>
<p>And ever since that question occured…the interview changed…she suddenyl started telling me how other schools may fit me also etc. </p>
<p>does this mean her report will basically say I don’t fit brown? Does she think I have no chance? Am I not unique enough?</p>
<p>The thing is…I don’t really know what she was looking for…I’m no nobel prize winner…I didn’t start a company when I was 12…I’m not a prima-ballerina…</p>
<p>should I have said something along the lines of - I have collected chewing gum rappers since I was 4, or I love taking pictures of all sorts of cats? </p>
<p>What on earth was she loooking for with this question???</p>
<p>Based on what you've said here, it's likely she was looking for passion...what you think makes you perfect for the school, makes you determined to work for your future, and etc. I think she was working for a more "what will you do in the future for yourself" other than "what have you done in the past to prove yourself."</p>
<p>It's hard to decipher though...I just reread what you put above, and you did state some of those things. I can only say that either your interviewer didn't state the question clearly enough or that you were way too broad in your answer by including events from your whole life. Maybe she was looking for a trait of some sort. Who knows?</p>
<p>Agh, I feel as if I'm rambling. But seriously, don't worry about it. From my perspective, I believe it was mostly the interviewer's fault (however godly they are having graduated from Brown lol) for not providing a clear question and not taking the effort to clarify it later to give you an opportunity to answer it correctly.</p>
<p>I am an interviewer for Brown, and I would never ask that question. Nor is it a question that Brown suggests its interviewers ask. Since I can't read this person's mind, I really don't know what she was looking for or why she would seem disappointed with what you said. Your answer seemed quite good to me -- the fact that you even had an answer was impressive. (Perhaps she wanted you to say you weren't unique? Who knows?)</p>
<p>You might be reading too much into how the interview seemed to change at that point. Two hours is a very long interview -- perhaps she was reaching the winding-down point. At the end of my interviews, no matter how well they've gone, I start to talk about process. I always discuss how hard it is to get into Brown, how important it is to have a safety school, how students can be very happy at other schools. I emphasize these facts even more this year, considering the 20% increase in applications. Perhaps the students I interview react the same way you did -- thinking "it was going really well and now why is she telling us how hard it is to get into Brown, OMG she's going to pan me in the write up." But that's NOT why I say all that stuff. </p>
<p>I know it's really hard not to obsessively dwell on something like this. But I promise you, the chance that Brown denies your admission based on how you answered this particular question is pretty close to zero.</p>