Lukewarm interview: good or bad?

<p>Went to my Swarthmore interview on monday, and I'm not sure what happened.</p>

<p>I started off rather poorly in my mind. Almost hyper, I might describe myself. I just kept going on and on and on, with the inevitable stumbling over myself.</p>

<p>Halfway through, I realized what I was doing, and my interviewer and I had a bit of a dialogue on debate (our mutual activity - how convenient!). We talked about my desire to challenge everything, and a bit about my political involvement. Still, I really felt like the interview was excessively one-sided.</p>

<p>Should I be concerned about my chances at Swarthmore more, or less after the interview? My stats are fine, but I'm worried that a lackluster interview might de-flesh my application.</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>Who was your interviewer?
Otherwise, I don’t think interviews are <em>all</em> that important, especially with students not admissions dean. Maybe write them a note and let them know you were a bit nervous but really liked Swarthmore. It can’t hurt.</p>

<p>It seems that you were a bit nervous at first, but calmed down afterward, and the rest of the interview went smoothly. That doesn’t sound bad to me. The interview should be one-sided, but you shouldn’t be doing all the talking. You shouldn’t be concerned about your chances at Swarthmore–what’s past is past and you should focus on the rest of your application. I would not worry if I were you. And now you know what not to do in your next interview.</p>

<p>My interviewer was Arlyss Gease, an admissions fellow.</p>

<p>I doubt it matters very much.</p>

<p>I interviewed last year with Yale, Princeton, and Vassar. I didn’t interview with Amherst or Swarthmore. I was rejected from Yale, Princeton and Vassar and accepted to Amherst and Swarthmore. I don’t think you should lose sleep over it.</p>

<p>^oh but haha theres another conclusion you can draw…kidding. im sure you are a lovely person :)</p>

<p>My interview was remarkably similar to yours. About halfway through I realized I had no idea what my interviewer and I were talking about. I really wouldn’t worry about it though. Just give some extra consideration to your “Why Swarthmore” essay.</p>

<p>van_sant - LOL!!! I thought the same thing…hmmmmm. LOL Luckily the alumni doctor who interviewed me from Yale wrote an email stating I was “the best candidate” he had ever interviewed and his report would reflect that. I saved it in case I had to prove it really wasn’t me! LOL</p>

<p>S felt his Swarthmore admissions interview did not go very well. He was admitted and is now a rising junior.</p>

<p>Also, consider the fact that the stereotype of Swarthmore’s student body is that they are all socially-awkward nerds (in an endearing way). Not to say that you were “socially awkward” in your interview by any means, but the typical - if you will - Swarthmore student may not be the smoothest talker you’ve ever met.</p>

<p>Aside from that, I’ve heard that interviews really don’t matter much at all. Often they are conducted by alumni, and while it may add a little humanity to your application, it can’t necessarily be trusted as a true representation of YOU.</p>

<p>Good luck, and don’t worry yourself too much over this!</p>

<p>Arlyss is a senior and has a very mild temperament in general. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever seen him get worked up over anything and he does not seem to be the type to try and “sabotage” your app or anything. You should definitely not worry about it. Like a few people said, interviews don’t matter much anyway. They’re basically there just to create a contact between you and the school.</p>