<p>My interviewer and I only had 20 minutes to talk just because we did not recognize each other in the cafe so i waited 30 minutes for her until we finally recognized each other.</p>
<p>She was not smiling and i guess my answers were mediocre.</p>
<p>Will this hurt my chances greatly????</p>
<p>No. The interviews are for alumni to get you excited about going to Penn (and rather pointless for ED as far as I’m concerned). I know a kid who had a horrible interview with a Cornell alumnus and still got in. Considering they are optional, I’m sure they are only used to help an applicant. Don’t sweat it.</p>
<p>No. Especially ED. I was talking to my a friend who does alumni interviews with another ivy and according to him, the interview normally is just to gauge interest and to convince some borderline candidates to matriculate if accepted. But with ED it really isn’t that big of a deal. ED itself is a big expression of interest in the school and a sign of commitment. </p>
<p>Only time I can think of that you could hurt yoursef is if you reject an interview.</p>
<p>I would agree with the previous replies. There really isn’t one thing interviewers are looking for in terms of an answer. The purpose of the interview is twofold: 1) help the admissions office understand you more as a person and 2) answer your questions and provide information about Penn. It’s too bad you didn’t connect well with your interviewer, but unless you came off as a total delinquent, I wouldn’t put too much thought into the interview (esp. if you are already a strong candidate on paper).</p>