Hi! I am currently a senior and I’m applying to U of R for Engineering. Although an interview is not required, I still want a college advisor to get to know me which would benefit my application. However, I’m not sure as to how I should answer a question like: Why do you want to apply to University of Rochester? Although I haven’t been to U of R for a campus visit, I’ve looked at a virtual tour and the campus is amazing. The only response I’m thinking of is the fact that the school has a lot to offer with engineering, including optical engineering. But that’s going to get me nowhere. Is there anything unique or interesting that I could answer to this question? It would be nice to hear from people who are alumni or are currently attending U of R.
Also, when I’m talking to the college advisor or interviewer, if I screw up on mostly all of the questions, would that affect my chances of getting in? I’m sort of having some worries about the interview and how I should answer the questions. Are the questions that the interviewer from U of R going to be the same questions that you would expect or find from other websites titled “FAQ during College Interview”?
You can Google “Common Data Set” for U of R and see if the interview is evaluative or just informational. If you don’t think you are a good interviewer, you definitely don’t have to do it, especially if you have good stats.
Rochester is sorta shy about its Common Data Set. You might try “fact book”.
One way to go at this is to do more search on the school’s depts. that you are interested in. For example, look at the course catalog. Are there special classes you are keen on that might not be offered elsewhere? Who are the faculty? Do they have research interests that match yours? Have they published anything you have read or want to read? Is study abroad something that you’d like to do as an engineering student and is that possible? What kind of internship or research opportunities are there locally for students with your interests?
And always ask during your interview if the school has any plans over the next five years that would impact you as a potential student - new facilities, new programs, new emphasis.
When I emailed the admissions office of U of R, they said that it is highly recommended and that 70% of the students who are attending U of R had an interview.