<p>So I've been debating whether or not to request an alumni interview (I can't make it to campus). The problem I'm facing is that I've been studying Spanish for four years and my mom is bilingual and sometimes speaks it at home so I've listed it on my common app, but I tend to get far more nervous speaking Spanish than English and tend to stutter a bit (especially when I'm trying to make a good impression). I know that's not exactly ideal, and I'm working on it...I don't have this with English at all, but I live in New Mexico so there's a fair chance my interviewer might be bilingual. I'd love the chance to interview, but I'm afraid I won't be able to represent myself and my abilities well if Spanish comes up. I genuinely enjoy speaking it in day-to-day life, but I just wouldn't be comfortable with it in an interview. What should I do?</p>
<p>I think you should go ahead to schedule one.</p>
<p>Even it is not required you will not look good not to try, on the paper.</p>
<p>Remember the chance of your interviewer speaking Spanish is small and she/he uses it during interview will be even remote. Maybe a few simple sentences at most. You can honestly say you do not speak Spanish as good as English.</p>
<p>Foreign languages are not very big deal. Many applicants have put a secondary language or a third one. They are not expected to master all of them like native speakers.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>an interview can only help you, and they will likely understand nervousness on the off chance that you’ll be asked to speak spanish.</p>
<p>Just go for the interview - the focus should be more on what you think about the university than about your personal life, unless you choose to bring it up.</p>
<p>1) Practice in front of a mirror</p>
<p>2) Nervous interviewees are kind of endearing. (Source: being an alumni interviewer and having conducted many interviews for UChicago and for other fields. I’ve interviewed people who have PhD’s.) The BEST thing you can do, if you are truly nervous and feel it shows, is to address your nerves to your interviewer head-on. Maybe even a joke, something like, “I know you wouldn’t believe me from the way I must appear to you right now, but I LOVE to talk!”</p>
<p>3) Bring a pen and paper with you. Scribble down some notes of things you want to cover in advance, and then ask questions and take notes on those answers. If you do this you will appear within the 98th percentile of has-their-stuff-together-ness of high school students.</p>
<p>4) Realize that WE volunteer because we LOVE UChicago. Your job is to figure out whether you love it as much as we do. </p>
<p>5) Things not to say in an interview:
– “I want to be a pre-med, but I hate science.”
– “I hate reading.”
– “I don’t like the students in my school” (even if it’s true, and even if you’re from a place where you’re the smartest kid on your block, this kind of comment can come off as very dismissive)</p>
<p>And when you’re asked if you have questions about UChicago, don’t JUST ask about social life and workload and things that make it sound like all you want out of college is an easy degree soaked in beer from a school that employers recognize. (Major pet peeve.) Go ahead and ASK about social life, but also ask about other things – ask about internships! Ask about research! Ask about dorms! Ask about Hyde Park restaurants! Ask about Chicago! Ask about your alum’s favorite professors! Ask about how your alum got involved in their professional field! Ask about the friends they keep up with! Ask them for general college search and college-doing advice! There are SO many good questions to ask, ask them!</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for the advice! I’ve just signed up for an interview and I’m getting my list of questions together. Great advice, unalove, thank you!</p>
<p>Yeah, don’t worry about the interview too much. It’s not like a test or job interview or something. Really casual conversation- I actually became friends with my alumni interviewer on facebook after I got in, it went really really well and helped for sure.</p>
<p>How much would an interview help in the scale of things?</p>