<p>I have 2 important questions about interviews;</p>
<p>1) It said 45-60 minute interview, what on earth do we talk about?</p>
<p>2) What do you wear (Suit and Tie, Slacks and Tie, etc)?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I've never been to an interview and I have one soon, so i'd also like to know what types of questions they ask and what you can do to prepare...</p>
<p>bump...... anybody??</p>
<p>depends on the school, but the 45-60 minutes are them asking you questions about school, your ec's, why you want to go their college, sometimes why you wanted an interview. it is also a time for you to ask questions. in most of my interview, they have definitely assumed that i have questions, and it may be kind of awkward if you do not have any questions to ask, so be sure to prepare some... but i also found that i could make up questions as the interviewer was talking.</p>
<p>the general advice about clothing is to wear what you are comfortable in; you don't have to wear a suit unless you are really comfortable wearing one... just make sure your clothes are clean and nice-looking. i usually wear a nice skirt and a sweater, but im think jeans are okay if they are nice looking.</p>
<p>Polo and slacks are a good bet for interviews.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Mostly about ECs, your personality, your friends, why you like the school and such. If you and your interviewer really click, the time will go by very quickly. If the interview is relatively short (20 -30 mins), that could be a bad sign, but it shouldnt hurt too much. Interviewers tend to give you information as you're talking to them. They'll ask you in the end if you have questions, but yours may have already been answered. So it may not be awkward; however, do come to the interview with questions. You may be asked in the very beginning (as in my last interview) ...and also, it makes you appear more interested in the school.</p></li>
<li><p>Wear what is appropriate to the setting. Most of my interviews have been in coffee places, so I just wore nice jeans and a casual, but pretty top.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>:| Had one today and we didn't click. We spent about 30-40 mins talking but I was a bit disappointed because she spent a lot of time answering my questions. :| I wanted to talk more, but she just kept talking... and I didn't want to rudely interrupt. So I found myself just nodding to her answers pretty much half of the whole 30-40 mins. And I think I misrepresented myself to her. X_X</p>
<p>1) you don't have to dress formally (suit & tie), but you should dress nicely meaning something like khakhis and a nice shirt, clean shoes.</p>
<p>2) realize there are 2 types of interviews. With an adcom you are being evaluated for admission, no doubt about that. But many interviews are with alums and these have 2 purposes: look for red flags, and (in most cases) sell the school. This latter point may be surprising since everyone is freaked out about admission, but at most schools outside of the top 20 or so they know that you lots of similar choices and that if they accept you their competitors are likely to as well. So a big part of the "interview" at many schools involves selling the merits of the school. As for red flags, you'd be surprised how many kids admit they're applying just to see if they could get in or because their parents made them.</p>
<p>To prepare, its a good idea to get one of the books about job interviews. The questions are largely the same since they're aimed at getting to know you a bit better. They'll be open-ended to see where you take it; there is no one "right" answer. Common ones would be things like "tell me about yourself", "tell me about a problem you faced and how you handled it", "tell me about a mistake you made and what you learned from it", "what accomplishment are you most proud of", etc.</p>
<p>One crucial thing is to have a few questions prepared. I guarantee you that at some point the interviewer will ask if you have any questions, and this is no idle chatter to fill time. It is a test to see if you've done your homework and are serious about the school. If you can ask questions that show you've familiarized yourself with their brochures, website, etc. and your questions reflect some thinking about what it would be like if you're a student there, chalk it up as a win.</p>