I’m currently in St Louis and will be interviewing tomorrow, as well as meeting with Professor Loewenstein. If anyone has done an on-campus interview before or just generally has some insight, I would love to hear from you! It can be about anything–the demeanor of interviewers, questions to prepare for, even how to dress. In hindsight, I should’ve posted this earlier!
No need to dress formally as long as you are neatly dressed. The interview is basically a get to know you interview (if I recall correctly from what my son told me) and will generally last about 30 minutes or so. Be prepared to explain your interests and ‘Why WashU.’
My son met with Professor Loewenstein the second time he visited WashU and they talked for nearly an hour. Professor Loewenstein is an expert on Elizabethan era playwrights (Shakespeare, etc). I think my son talked about Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe during the meeting since he had to read it for AP Literature-not too many high school students read Marlowe so Professor Loewenstein was pretty impressed.
@Hamurtle Thank you! When they ask me ‘Why WashU’, I think I’ll talk about the pre-med opportunities, nearby hospitals, excellent location, as well as the cooperative instead of cutthroat competitive mindset the students have and the flexibility for double majoring. Do you recall any of the questions your son was asked during the interview?
If I recall correctly the questions were pretty general in nature (how did you learn about the school, why WashU, how will the school fit your interests). The interviewer is not supposed to bring up the topic of grades/test scores and you can talk about your curriculum but grades/scores are not to be mentioned.
The meeting with Professor Loewenstein was more or less of a conversation where he talks about the IPH program followed by a interview. Definitely talk about English playwrights if that topic comes up. As I mentioned before the meeting with my son was scheduled for 45 minutes but ended up lasting an hour.
My son’s interview was with a student, and it was very casual. He enjoyed it and felt like it was more about getting to know his personality and “fit” with the school. Good luck . . . and just be yourself!
And it was about 20 minutes.
Come in with a couple of questions about WashU that you can’t find on a website. Most of the interviewers either went to WashU or are currently attending WashU. Ask personal questions about favorite/least favorite thing about WashU, why they chose it, etc.
Write a thank you note to anyone you talked to, too! They actually do note these things down, and it’s good taste. WashU recruits nice people— on purpose.
My roommate is one of three freshmen this year being invited to apply for the IPH program; she just had a dinner about it Wednesday. If you have any questions concerning the major, I could certainly try and find out any information from her!