USC Interview

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
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<p>Hi! I'm new here so if I break any rules please let me know. Also, if this should be posted somewhere else please help me out.</p>

<p>My son has applied to USC and it's his first choice. I won't bore you with his stats, they are quite good in some areas and not-so-great in others. I'd guess he has a chance, but he probably won't be getting one of those "Merit Scholarship Interview" letters. He is (we think) a very good fit for USC, for many reasons.</p>

<p>Anyway, he took advantage of the opportunity to have an off-campus interview with a rep from Viterbi, and he felt like it went very well. So, I'm wondering if there's anyone on here who knows of someone who had a fantastic interview for USC but still didn't get in. My thinking is, why wouldn't they take someone with good stats who they have actually talked to, and who made a good impression, over someone with equal stats who is more of an "unknown" or "paper only" candidate? But then again, they say that the interview is "optional" and "won't hurt or help." (Why do they do them at all, if that is the case?) And, maybe the interviewers make everyone feel like they had a "good" interview. Anyone on here have a "not so good" interview?</p>

<p>(My niece had a great interview at Harvey Mudd a couple of years ago but was rejected - shouldn't have been a surprise, her grades were not so good and her SATs good (she was NMF) but not stellar.)</p>

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<p>I had an interview last weekend. Mine went really well, but another girl whom I was talking to beforehand was a wreck after hers. Good luck to your son! I hope we both get in!</p>

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<p>Most college interviews are more informational than evaluative. They are a chance to give students more information about the school, put a human face on admissions, etc… (think yield protection). </p>

<p>Neither of my kids decided to do an interview at USC and both were accepted. Most of their friends who were accepted didn’t interview either.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the responses. </p>

<p>akpl4485, where did you interview? My son’s was in Honolulu.</p>

<p>USC does say that their interviews “are evaluative.” But I’m thinking that just covers them - probably unless the interviewee is truly stellar, or truly awful, it wouldn’t make much difference, but they want the option to be able to defend a decision on the basis of the interview, and if they claim it is purely “informational” they couldn’t do that. (Sorry, I’m a lawyer, we tend to think in terms like that.)</p>

<p>They also say “level of interest” is not considered (at least, when we visited the campus and attended the little presentation, the presenter said that). </p>

<p>Just having trouble with this waiting game (and it’s just begun).</p>

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<p>I interviewed in Dc :p</p>

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<p>I live by LA and I’m unfortunately not going to be interviewing since they filled up super fast but interviews don’t hurt or make any application, but they can help</p>

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<p>Sweetbeet,</p>

<p>I think you’re correct in thinking that the interviews only come into play at the extremes. I suspect that interviews aren’t considered critical input because it’s virtually impossible to interview every applicant, so it would be unfair to those applicants who don’t have access to interviewers or don’t have the financial resources to get to a place where they can be interviewed. </p>

<p>Then there is the issue of interviewer skill variability. At many schools (I don’t know if this is the case at USC), regional interviewers are often alumni who likely don’t have the training or experience of interviewing high school students or realistically being able to assess their skills. It strikes me that those interview situations are more about keeping alumni happy than being evaluative.</p>

<p>As for your example of looking at two candidates with equal profiles except one has an interview and the other doesn’t, I suppose, all things being equal (when does that happen?) the interviewed applicant should have the edge. Of course that just highlights the access and fairness argument.</p>

<p>Regardless, good luck to your son.</p>

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<p>I was wondering specifically about USC because their interviewers are reps from the offices of admissions (University-wide and the individual colleges - Viterbi has its own admissions office, and my son interviewed with someone who works in that office - an assistant dean of admissions, or something similar, IIRC), not alums. So, much of the info on CC, which involves the alum interviews, is not as relevant to this situation.</p>

<p>Guess there’s no one on here who either (a) had a good interview and didn’t get in, or (b) was a marginal (or ‘good but not great’) paper candidate, but had a good interview, and got in.</p>

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<p>Sweetbeet, most students rarely return visit CC after their grueling application year is over, and it’s even rarer they visit the forums of schools that rejected them. I mean–ouch! So anyone with a story about a good interview yet they didn’t get in is unlikely to post here. And any “marginal” type of applicant who got admitted cannot know if it was due to a good interview, their LoRs, their family hardships, their excellent essays, their ECs and awards, etc. </p>

<p>From all we’ve seen posted here, it is unlikely that a really good interview will be weighed at all in acceptance decisions. Many many (most) kids do well in their interviews because the admission rep is adept at drawing kids out and giving them a good experience. Even if USC kept track of interview notes, which they most likely do not, most kids do just fine and others may be nervous and hard on themselves. </p>

<p>The only exception might be a student who is just out-and-out obnoxious, doesn’t want to be at USC (parents dragged him/her), or admits (brags) about illegal behavior or “pranks” in HS. These, I believe, would warrant a red flag. </p>

<p>If you are looking for anecdotes, you’ve received many stories. I’ll add mine. Both sons applied to USC and did not sign up for interviews. Both were admitted and attend(ed). My theory (just sharing my own thoughts here), is the interview really cannot help. The policy of USC is not to give an advantage to someone who interviews because, in fairness, the university cannot offer interviews to all. But the downside to interviewing is a wonderful conversation with an admissions rep (who, after all, does not have the student’s application file, his SAT scores, so cannot know if the student is in range of serious consideration). This might lead to a false sense of security/confidence and in a 17-year-old, that can really lead to heartache in the unfortunate event they are denied. So I’d suggest anyone who has a great interview feel good they didn’t blow it. LOL. Because I believe a really dismal interview could actually hurt. A nervous kid might say their dream is to attend UCLA (oops!), mix up their class schedule, blank on the name of their favorite book and just sound goofy (kids!) </p>

<p>So… the final answer on interviews? Read very little into them and just keep fingers crossed.</p>

<p>Best of luck to your son.</p>

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<p>Just an update. DS had what he reported as a “great interview” with a Viterbi rep. He did not get in. His stats were good but not great (3.93 UW GPA, 31 ACT). Very good ECs, probably an “average” essay, probably very good LORs.</p>

<p>When asked after the fact about the interview, he reaffirmed that he did not think it could possibly have been the reason for his rejection; even in hindsight, he felt that it went very well.</p>

<p>Just another data point for y’all.</p>

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<p>That was really nice of you to update and in so doing give this thread a bump as it was very interesting to read. Wish your son well, and the interview experience he had may pay off in another way in the future, the benefit just not known yet. Good luck!</p>

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hi guys, just wanted to update this thread. i had my interview today with the viterbi school of engineering and i though it went well. i’d say I’m strong in some areas and not so strong in others. I think I have a chance. I like like 10 mins away from the school so it was convenient for me to go there. And to @madbean who said that “they don’t have your stats”. i’m not sure if this is just the case for viterbi engineering, but the interviewer asked me about SAT scores for specific sections, GPA unweighted, anything that might of affected my grades, etc… It was very serious and I was able to ask some questions at the end. I primarily wanted to interview so I could explain a dip in my grades and show my “level of interest” because USC is truly my dream school.

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That is interesting information @binbin2093 if they ask those questions, will bringing resume be appropriate? DD will interview with them in a month.

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@Ballerina2016 i worked on my resume the whole week leading up to the interview and had my sister (she hires people and looks at a lot of resumes for her job) proofread it a bunch of times, but sadly the person interviewing me declined to take my resume and said “that I would eventually be putting all of that stuff onto the common app and everything that I answer should be a reflection of my resume” or something, which he was right. I had spend so much time perfecting my resume, I knew it inside out. I would suggest having a really good resume ready to go for the chance that your daughter’s interviewer would accept it which seems 50/50. and if the interviewer doesn’t then it’s fine, it’s just a matter of personal preference for them I guess, plus my interviewer had an iPad onto which he would record his notes. hoped this helped!

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Thank you @binbin2093 good to know.

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What type of questions do these interviewers usually ask? I have never had an interview before and I’m kinda lost. How formal should I dress? Should I bring a resume?

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Business dress [suit, tie for men] bring resume, be prepared to explain “why USC”.

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Thank you!

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Why does USC allow interviews??? They are a relic of the past and create unrealistic expectations. Nikias is an idiot.