<p>Have done many Starbucks interviews, but not as a student. Traditionally a drink is ordered. It makes it less awkward, something you can talk about initially and you can always delay a response while you take a sip. :) Take the lead from the interviewer as to whether to order your own or they will cover it. Order together and reach for your wallet at the same time they reach for theirs. They'll tell you. I cannot imagine they will expect you to pay for both. </p>
<p>For future reference, in the non-student interview, if they take too long to reach for their wallet, it means you are supposed to pay. If you want to trump all question of who pays, arrive early and order before they get there!</p>
<p>Oh, should I have offered to pay? I basically just assumed that she was paying (doesn't Rice reimburse the interviewers for this kind of stuff?).</p>
<p>The bill came about half an hour into lunch. We left it there, and an hour later she told me I could take off if I had somewhere to go, and that she'd cover it. </p>
<p>Nope, don't offer to pay. If they offer to pay for yours, that's cool, but you offering to pay them looks like omg bribery! =)</p>
<p>We don't actually get reimbursed, but I always offer to pay.</p>
<p>I'm an alumni interviewer for Rice. My interviews always end up as really awesome conversations at Starbucks-type places. Basically, I just want to tell you about Rice, see if it sparks your interest, and get the basic idea of what you're all about. Everyone I've ever interviewed has ended up really jazzed about Rice. Really, I just like to keep it low-key... a chat over coffee, just so someone from the University can meet you face-to-face and make sure you don't beat puppies in your spare time.</p>
<p>I interviewed a kid one evening and then worked a college fair that Saturday, and said that if they'd like to stop by, that would be great. The kid had a conflict with the college fair, but they sent their mom to go meet me! The mom said that before the interview, the kid had called her and was like, "Ugh, mom, I don't want to go, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm not sure I want to go to Rice anyhow, my guidance counselor just said I should look into it, but I really don't feel like it..." and the kid's mom said, "Just go, have a coffee, do the interview, and come on home." After the interview, the kid called the mom on the way home just <em>gushing</em> about how fantastic they thought Rice was after the interview, and how suddenly it was at the top of their list and they had FOUND their COLLEGE!</p>
<p>Here's hoping that your interviews are as inspiring. =) It was really neat to hear that, and I've heard the same thing from a lot of other kids and interviewers... it's every bit as much of a time for the Rice rep to tell YOU about the university as it is for YOU to tell THEM about YOU!</p>