<p>Overall, how do UChicago interviews go? Do they play an important role in the admissions process? Since (according to their website) an interview is meant to help you "share more about yourself in person, and to learn more about the University," does anyone have advice on approaching it?</p>
<p>Anecdotal evidence… I applied to 13 colleges and got into 9 without any interviews. (rejected at Yale, Stanford, Bowdoin… waitlisted at Swarthmore)</p>
<p>Interviews are highly casual. They ask you to tell you about yourself, seemingly the most dreaded question in college interviews, what you want to do, why you want to go, and what you do in school and out o school. Most of all, they want to see how you’re like, but nothing too bad. Actually, my interviewer and I ended up talking about the state of pop culture (music videos and stuff).</p>
<p>Interviews definitely allow you to learn more about UChicago, and they get to know you as well. I had an interview last week with a recent graduate of 2007. It was just FANTASTIC. The interviewer was a very typical Chicagoan, at least he is the person that I would love to meet at UC. He first introduced himself and then asked me to talk a bit about my background. I told him about my subject choices which is quite untypical for a student in my city. Then we talked about the Core and stuff. He asked me a question - what do you think abot the city. This was the first question he asked me (and he only asked two, seriously). I kept on talking and talking and was thrilled to know that he totally agreed with me! He said this kind of prompt is common at Chicago. I guess UC interviewers want to know how you THINK. so just be yourself and show them how you THINK. It was really fun. We talked for an hour, but only because the restaurant is closing.</p>
<p>Btw, I dont live in US. So I got an alumni interview.</p>
<p>^^ we all get alumni interviews if we don’t go to campus.</p>
<p>I think my interview got me in. I was able to explain some special circumstances and demonstrate that I’m a good fit. </p>
<p>Also, after I was accepted, my interviewer answered some questions for me, which was really helpful.</p>
<p>Interviews can really only help you, unless you are just terrible at them. Not having one isn’t going to be a negative, but it hurts you in the sense that it is one less positive compared to another applicant.</p>
<p>Interview if you can, and good luck!</p>
<p>Interviews will probably give you edge in regards they see who you are beyond the supplement and scores. Not to mention the alumni interviewing you will probably do all they can to help you get in too. It’s very causal nevertheless but informative and enjoyable at the same time.</p>
<p>My interviewer graduated class of '48, with a degree in Computer Science believe it or not.</p>
<p>I didn’t take an interview and I got accepted EA.</p>
<p>I just have one more question.</p>
<p>My school is currently in midterm session, but due to extenuating circumstances (I have several close relatives who are now deceased due to the recent earthquake in Haiti), my performance and ability to study have dropped considerably. I haven’t slept in 3 days going on 4, we are grieving over the loss of our family matriarch, and the phone is consistently ringing off the hook with news–or people looking for some. There’s a good chance I’m going to be visiting South Florida next week for a rash of funerals. </p>
<p>My grades have suffered terribly. For instance, my Spanish grade is most likely going to nosedive from a 98% to a 68%, if I’m lucky. While I’m going to try and speak to my teachers to ask them for clemency and a chance to do some extra credit work, will I be able to speak to the interviewer about this, or will they completely gloss over my academics in the interview?</p>
<p>I had a similar thing happen. If you explain it in your counselor rec and your interview, than they’ll factor it in. They did that for me, and I got in with a couple TERRIBLE grades.</p>
<p>Just explain yourself. That’s the biggest part. They accept that some things in life take precedence over academics.</p>
<p>Chicago explicitly asserts that interviews have no bearing on the evaluation of one’s application. I was accepted EA this year without one. (I would have taken one, I just missed the November 3rd deadline.)</p>
<p>I also missed the November 3rd deadline, and was still admitted early action.</p>
<p>I too was admitted without an interview</p>
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<p>So does this mean I won’t have a chance to explain myself (see post #8) at all? I was banking on this opportunity to indirectly let the school know that the train of life had hit me while going at 100 mph. :(</p>
<p>My interviewer also told me (after one of my best interviews as I was well-informed) that he has no say whatsoever in my admission. Well, whatever. They have plenty of opportunities to see your personality in your two (or three) essays.</p>
<p>I was deffered with an interview…
durrrrrrrrrrrr</p>
<p>I have heard several people mention that they’ve been asked some “oddball” or truly Uchicago questions. What does that mean? Was there anything that caught you guys by surprise?</p>
<p>My interviewer asked me if I could create some sort of interdepartmental college course, what would it be? It took me a little by surprise and I had to consider the question for about half a minute, which is a long time between a question and an answer.</p>