RD Applicants: Interview Advice

<p>I had a really odd interview experience today -- after reading all these posts, I was under the impression that my interviewer would, well, ask me questions. Instead, she said "this is just for you to get more information about Yale." I've visited/spent a weekend at Yale, know at least 20 Yale students, have teachers who went to Yale, and have spent a lot of time on the Yale website. At this point, after having submitted my application, most of my questions have been answered. About all I could do was ask what made her Yale experience unique and why she loved Yale. She gave me a standard answer "Residential colleges" and then practically recited the Yale brochure about res colleges. Duhhh.... She didn't talk at all about professors or friends or anything outside of college (she said she didn't do sports, and she didn't mention any other activities). Then at the end (without having asked me ANYTHING) she informed me that she would be sending Yale a letter to tell them things they couldn't find out from my application/what I'm like in person. HELLO! She doesn't know a THING about me! How can she write to Yale to tell them "what I'm like in person"????? </p>

<p>I was under the impression the interview was evaluative, not informational. She seemed to think it was informational for me, but that she had to "evaluate" me on like...my manners or something. So weird.</p>

<p>Oh, and she asked me where else I'm applying. I thought that wasn't allowed...</p>

<p>Sounds like a very odd interviewer. FYI, not all the interviewers have read the interview guide carefully or recently, so she might not have known she was asking a "forbidden question."</p>

<p>My interviewer asked few basic questions to get a read on me, then we talked about ethics, philosophy, history, and politics for about an hour. He said I was a good thinker. It was fun.</p>

<p>AdmissionsAddict- thanks for all your help. I have been looking through this thread and it is very helpful. I wish there were more people like you who would take your time out to help so many people. I commend your kind nature.
My question is that I googled my interviewer and I found out that she is successful and started her own company. So if the conversation heads towards her life, am I supposed to show that I found out about her or is that too weird? Basically, if someone you interviewed googled you and told you, how would you react and feel?</p>

<p>During two interviews it was obvious the applicants had googled me. I thought it was weird. It's fine to google the person so you have a sense of who they are, but letting them know you did it can feel stalker-y.</p>

<p>hi admissionsaddict! i got an e-mail from my "local" alum. he is asking to meet in his hometown, which is about an hour away from where i live. i am unable to make it that far, but i'm sure i can meet about 15-20 minutes from there. the reason is that i'll have to take the bus, but the bus won't go to his town. what should i do? thanks.</p>

<p>Call him back and tell him your limitations. If possible he'll try to work something out. Given that you're a minor w/o a car he should understand. Even if no interview is conducted, it won't adversely affect you. Good luck</p>

<p>can you describe an interview write-up? perhaps give use a fake example of what you would write in your write-up after an interview... thanks</p>

<p>hi random question - is it ok to add your interviewer as a friend on facebook? or too weird?</p>

<p>What were the most common questions?</p>

<p>ew--I'm sure the interviewer will be understanding. If he isn't can you get a friend to drive you?</p>

<p>JohnC--My report all depends on the interview. I comment on the person's personality, their intellectual depth, their engagement in their extracurriculars (not whether they've given me a laundry list but whether they seemed genuinely interested and committed to their ECs), whether they seem to have valid reasons for their interest in Yale, and whatever random stuff came up.</p>

<p>flutterfly--Adding interviewer to facebook seems weird.</p>

<p>Nickel--academic interests, extracurriculars interests, why Yale, then bounce off those answers. Every interviewer is different.</p>

<p>I applied EA and was deferred. I never had an interview and I thought it might be a problem with my international mailing address, so I sent an email to Yale about it, telling them I'd be willing to travel up to 7 or 8 hours from my house if necessary.</p>

<p>Now, I've been told that an interviewer nearby may (note: may) be available to talk to me. Problem is, I know interviewers reports are due Feb. 15th, and starting next week I'm going to be out of town almost that entire time, with only a few days here and there.</p>

<p>If I am forced (I would have to be FORCED) to turn down an interview, be honest: will it hurt me? I've heard interviews can only help, but how much do they help, and will turning one down make them think I'm not interested?</p>

<p>my interview lasted for three hours :s is that normal? and is that a good thing ? :D</p>

<p>munchkin--It really won't hurt you not to have an interview. It especially won't make them think that you're not interested. REALLY. In my mind, interviews affect applications most when they are negative. If you've got a good app, you most likely would interview well. But what about the people who look good on paper but are arrogant/rude/disinterested in coversation, etc. when you meet them in person? The interview raises a red flag. Not having an interview won't hurt you. Having one can.</p>

<p>zoinks--Sounds like a good interview. But remember, interviews matter the least of any part of your appplication.</p>

<p>thank you t2 and admissions addict. your contributions have calmed soooo many CCers!!!!!</p>

<p>I had my interview today. I feel that my interviewer and I just didn't click at all. I'd say one thing, and he'd go off on another. He was a doctor, if that makes a different. It really shouldn't. I told him I was more interested in the humanities, but I haven't decided on a major yet. With that answer, I could tell from his eyes he was very disappointed. Furthermore, when I told him I liked Harry Potter, he gave me a look...like "-_-" Uhm. Basically, I was myself, and he disliked every aspect of me.</p>

<p>Omg guusama I know how that feels... When I was talking about the activity I'm most involved in (10 years!!!) my interviewer was all uninterested looking. And he was all "Oh so you're an amateur?", "But you don't represent your school?" at some of my more minor ECs. And when I told him I'd sort of decided on my major he was all OK so you're not flexible in your plans like most other people in this skeptical way. And by the end of it I was like sigh I fail at life, okay, I get it. </p>

<p>Hopefully he was just fishing for the more important things to write in his interview? I'm just going to keep telling myself that. He was kinda nice when I was asking him about Yale though...</p>

<p>if you are offered an interview, is it required and would declining it hurt you? would it defer the admissions people and make them think that someone is not genuinley interested in the school</p>

<p>If you are offered an interview and decline it, it will not hurt you. Yale will probably never know you turned it down. It will be just as likely that there weren't interviewers available to talk to you.</p>

<p>Wow. My interviewer even told me that I had a very unprofessional email address. And I was like, "Oh...sorry. I never really thought of it that way. I've had it since middle school, and it just always stuck with me." And he said in this very annoyed tone, "Well if I were you, I would change it." </p>

<p>And I dunno. At least it wasn't an offensive email <a href="mailto:like..HOTBABE69@GMAIL.COM">like..HOTBABE69@GMAIL.COM</a> or something. I mean, I know it's unreasonably long..but it's "<a href="mailto:insipidskyparting@hotmail.com">insipidskyparting@hotmail.com</a>" And yeah, it sounds silly and "unprofessional" ...but I thought colleges were supposed to respect you as an individual. I guess I understand where he's coming from there. </p>

<p>And when I was talking about how "Crime & Punishment" wasn't my favorite book because I felt it was too slow..he was like, "Oh but I'm sure you like Pride & Prejudice, right?" And I smiled and laughed a little and said, "Yes. I love that book." And he was all disappointed again and said, "That's because it's a girl book. -_-"</p>

<p>BASICALLY ,after that interview, I just felt VERY inadequate as an individual. And it made me decide that Yale probably wasn't the right school for me because I'm probably not enough of a genius...and oh, I haven't discovered the cure for cancer.</p>