<p>How would you rate your own interview experiences. Please be honest. Thanks</p>
<p>Honestly, it didn't go as well as I had hoped. I'm not saying it was bad or anything, but it was rather boring. We didn't seem to have too many interests in common: he was a lawyer and I was going for engineering. The conversation flowed pretty well though. He did seem pretty interested in my research so I tried to elaborate that as much as possible and play off my strengths. I got to ask him a few questions about residential colleges, his experience at Yale, and his economics internship. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 5.</p>
<p>My interview didn't go as well as I had hoped either. I want to major in neuroscience and he was a history major, that was attending law school. We didn't really have much to talk about on that matter. The intereview in itself only lasted about 45 minute. Oh for some context, it was at a second cup. But we talked about things, he attended my high school, so we spent quite a lot of time reminiscing. Then, he asked me if I had any questions about Yale. I didn't really... but I made up some questions. It was ok.. I'd say. The conversation flowed. He was interested in my summer-french program, so we spent a while talking about that. We also discussed by IB program, because he had taken the same program at my high school.</p>
<p>Both of my interviews went really well:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>(on-campus) Luckily, my senior interviewer had come to Yale from a situation similar to mine (low-performing Midwestern school that never sent any graduates to elite colleges). We just had a conversation - no real, planned questions. He did start me off with a very basic question, though, and after I talked for a minute or two, moving freely from subject to subject, he seemed very pleased with my answer. He said something to the effect of "the fewer questions I have to ask, the better...you just answered a lot of them for me." I also had a list of questions prepared to ask him.</p></li>
<li><p>(alumnus) For this interview, I went to the alumnus's house, which was - fortunately for me - in a historic neighborhood. What's more, he had only recently moved into his house, so he was still curious about it. I'm going to major in architecture, and my favorite period of historical architecture is that in which his house was built. He asked me when I thought his house was built (to test me), and I answered within a few years of the right one (it was 90 years old) (I passed :)). He also got a lesson in architectural history and theory, ranging from a discussion of boring new subdivisions to a lecture (yes, I did most of the talking here) on the architect of his residential college. He remembered my passion and enthusiasm in his interview report. :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In both interviews, I emphasized my passions; that's my best advice for those about to go through the same process. I give both interviews a 10.</p>
<p>I'm wondering how my interviewer is going to respond to my high school. I live in half boonies half little puerto rico. No one from my school has gone anywhere great for college, as a matter of fact 29% of the kids go to a 4 year school. I'd doubt if he's even heard of it before.</p>
<p>Mine went very oddly - I was being my usual perky interested self and so my interviewer talked about himself the entire time - and he also tried to talk to me about the other schools that might fit me better than Yale. I thought it was a bust, but clearly not.</p>
<p>Man, these interviews are weird! You cant tell one way or another how you stand! It might be good that they talk about themselves and tell you that other schools are better for you, or it might also be good if they are interested in what you have to say!</p>
<p>I still say this is a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Oh man, my interview was awesome. It was right by where I used to go to elementary school, the woman was amazingly nice and didn't wear shoes (it was at her house) so she was unbelievably unintimidating.</p>
<p>We talked for about half an hour on anything and everything, and she was just really easy to talk to and really helpful. I asked her all the questions I could think of, and she was just so positive that it really made me like Yale.</p>
<p>To DAVIDRUNE: I want to major in neuroscience too! WOOOO! That's exciting.</p>
<p>beechbum: My high school is similar, though its college attendance rate is a little higher. My interviewer didn't know where it was. Evidently, that was a good thing. Yale wants people with diverse viewpoints...you and I fit the bill, I imagine.</p>