Hey CoolDude! I have some great words of advice concerning college interviews. The key to nailing an interview is having good self-confidence and a pretty good self-esteem. Basically its like selling your product, and the product is you. Make yourself a good and reliable buy for all the colleges you apply to. When the guy asks you about yourself, transmit pride in your words and try to bring out a special part of your experience that no one has. Most Ivy League colleges are looking for someone that stands out, not academically, but as a person as well. You can get as low as 1900 but if you show that dude that youre future is more assured that everyone elses, and that you have wisdom, potential to excel, and attitude, you will get in!
thanks gabey!
I recently had an interview with MIT and, thought my scores arent super amazing, they guy was really impressed cuz I told him all the stuff i was able to accomplish with my impoverished background.
I was told by the Bowdoin admissions committee that an alum in my area would contact me about a week ago, and no one has contacted me yet… is that normal?
are interviews necessary? can it boost ur chances of being admitted? i’m really comfortable in things like interviews and to tell the truth, i love 'em haha
How should I put together the resume that I give to my interviewer?
I figure…
-Name
-Contact info
-Academic interests (heading, then examples)
-Activities/extracurriculars (heading, then examples)
-Job Experience (heading, then examples)
-Hobbies/Misc (heading, then examples)
I know this has been asked before, but what is the appropriate attire for a coffee shop alumni interview? I always assumed khakis, nice-ish shoes, and a sweater or something would be appropriate, but I was in the local Starbucks when one of my friends walked in for her interview…fresh out of cross-country practice in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops. Was this a faux paus or is my idea too overdressed? I have alumni interviews coming up for Penn, Columbia, Tufts, and Georgetown.
you can never overdress. business attire always works. especially if youre going to the school’s admissions office for an interview, then the people who work there and the interviewer are probably going to dress similarly
check their website/FAQ if they have anything on clothing…
coffee shop alumni interviews… just dress nicely. i dont think business attire is necessary. just be comfortable … maybe what you would wear to school but dont be sloppy or wear anything offensive…
if you dont know then just dress a mix of formal and casual and look presentable… ie for girls: long pants or skirt and nice blouse.
klaz413- i personally thing thats a bit too casual on normal occasions… but if they explain they just came from a XC practice for the interview then it should be fine and it might even start a conversation!
but in the end if theyre going to take the time out to interview you, then you should atleast show that you take it seriously and dress nicely whenever possible
Okay, business attire is absolutely over-the-top. Just wear something nice, like if you were going to a formal dinner. I actually think that overdressing can be a bad thing, if you dress more formally than the interviewer does, and this will probably happen if you wear business attire. I had an interview in the admissions office and my interviewer wore a polo and black slacks and dress shoes–formal dinner attire, but not business attire. I guess my idea of business attire isn’t the same as other people’s. As for coffe shop interviews, just wear the same thing, except a collared shirt is fine–klaz, what you’re wearing is perfectly, absolutely fine. Your idea is pretty much ideal. Although at my coffee shop interviews, I just wore plain sneakers–no need for black leather shoes. You can certainly have a good interview and get into the colleges you interviewed with even if you dressed shoddily–interviews don’t matter much anyway.
So another wardrobe question (sorry!)–I just want everything to go right at my first interview this weekend. I’m not sure yet about where we’re meeting (my interviewer told me he’d email me a location later this week)…I plan on wearing a blouse with a high-waisted pencil skirt and flats. Does that sound okay? Too formal?
I just had an alumni interview for Yale at the interviewer’s house. I wore a sweater over a polo shirt with khakis and leather mocassins (is that even how you spell that stupid word?). I felt pretty appropriately dressed since my interviewer was wearing a nice t-shirt and linen pants. I think that as long as you don’t wear anything really revealing or offensive, your interviewer isn’t going to care enough to write a bad report (“She was a brilliant girl, academic 9, but she was wearing sneakers…”). I’ve just had “dress for succcess” drilled into me for so many years that I couldn’t imagine going to an interview in a t-shirt and shorts. But that’s just me.
Would it be really weird to ask my interviewer to exchange cell phone numbers? Considering I live in NY and the transit system is always breaking down, I want to be able to contact him if I end up running late. I don’t know if that’s common practice or not…just wondering.
I think exchanging numbers is a very good idea for both parties. We’ve exchanged cell phone numbers several times. We didn’t have any resistance at giving out a private number – how else can they be reached, especially when they’re on the road as much as they are? My D had an interview this week for which the interviewer got stuck in traffic and was able to let us know. We were cooling our heels at the Starbucks anyway, so it helped relieve the tension knowing he was on his way. I think the idea of arriving an hour early seems a little extreme. If it were me, I’d be needing a pit stop just when the interview was supposed to start.
