Weird interview at Andover

<p>ifax seems to indicate he is well prepared. There isn’t a whole lot you can do if you got an indifferent, awkward, or whatever you call it adcom for your interview. You are stuck. Is there a precedent or reason to request a second interview?</p>

<p>Wow a ton of responses! This will take a while.</p>

<p>@pulsar,
No, I didn’t notice any preferential treatment to people who seemed alumni/legacy/rich. The only adcom there was the one who interviewed me.</p>

<p>@doubleohseven,
Sending spam to your interviewers? Wow that really sucks. But you have to admit that’s just a tiny bit funny. No offense to you, but it made me laugh a tiny bit.</p>

<p>@abecedarian,
I didn’t expect them to be “bowling over” me. I just expected him to be a little bit more warm. Not saying he’s a bad person or a bad interviewer, it just was very hard to know if he was impressed by me or not. That’s all.</p>

<p>@pulsar, (again)
Lol loved the attorney joke. =)</p>

<p>@2010,
I was expecting my interview to be my strongest part. My grades are fine and from the SSAT I took in May and the practice tests my SSAT score will be in range. It’s just that most applicants have good enough grades/ SSAT scores and having a good interview/essay can be a determining factor of admission I’m guessing. </p>

<p>@abecedarian, (again)
You’re right. Of course I’m taking any good things the interviewer says about me with a grain of salt. And everyone should as well. No interviewer is going to tell the parents, “I think your son is an annoying kid. He’s arrogant, and not that smart. He won’t get into any private schools, and if he does, then America’s finest educational institutions aren’t as fine as they used to be.” </p>

<p>@doschios,
He wasn’t “bland” or awkward", he was stiff. He didn’t show to much emotion and was impersonal. He wasn’t negative, or mean, and it wasn’t that awkward. There were never any long pauses. But he was stiff.</p>

<p>@SevenDad,
Even though my interview wasn’t “warm” I’m still really enthusiastic about Andover. My interview hasn’t changed my opinion. And sorry if you got the impression that I was being an egomaniac. Lol it’s just that most adults I know just love me for some reason. It’s not because I’m so smart, or so charming, they just do. And I’m usually pretty good at reading people’s emotions and this guy I couldn’t read at all which is why I dubbed the interview “weird”.</p>

<p>@andovergirl,
His name was Kevin Graber. I wouldn’t say he was an “awkward person”, he just had an impersonal interviewing style. Just if you get him, don’t expect a really warm interview. It will be a bit more professional. And just in case this isn’t clear, he seemed like a nice/social guy. He just probably didn’t make the applicants feel as warm because he knew that Andover would wind up rejecting most of them. That’s my guess.</p>

<p>@rebelangel,
Thanks I needed that advice. I’m interviewing at Groton in three hours and I’m literally shaking because I’m so nervous. I need all the advice I can get. =)</p>

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<p>FWIW I got no reaction when I mentioned my 7th grade SAT scores to my (warm and kind) Andover interviewer, and they involved a math score over 700. I honestly believe that they see so many wonderful applicants, that they really aren’t impressed at these things over what other applicants have done.</p>

<p>^ Same thing happened with me (about all the books I’d been reading), but I guess most of Andover’s applicants read the same sort of books. Or maybe he thought you were just giving him a list of classical books you read since you thought it would give you some sort of edge…I don’t know. Anyways, good luck with Groton :)</p>

<p>Applicants, you should probably make yourselves less easily identifiable (just in case Mr Graber is reading…)</p>

<p>Correct, lemonade1: Never, ever make it easy to identify yourself. This is SO important.</p>

<p>I’m sorry you had a bad interview experience at Andover. It was my son’s first interview experience as well last summer and we chose Andover to go first, because it was the school (out of four)he was most excited about. I’d say the interview(er) also was luke warm with him.</p>

<p>Keep in mind though, some of these schools say that they have a “stand alone” application, meaning they don’t put too much stock in the interview. It’s more about your recommendations (people who know you over time), grades and test scores. Remember, that the URMs, athletes and other applicants with hooks are also factors outside your control.</p>

<p>However, we did seem to have better luck getting into schools where my son hit it off with the interviewer. In the end we were still disappointed where at one school, the adcom told us his application was near perfect, but he only got waitlisted on March 10. I think these “other” factors, legacyj, URMs etc. really do make a huge difference.</p>

<p>In the end, don’t put too much stock in the interview. Remember what’s been said time and time again about where you get in…it’s all a crapshoot at best. All you can do is maximize your chances, but in the end, lady luck plays a big role.</p>

<p>I actually go to Andover already. I did an off-campus interview though. And honestly don’t let him turn you off of the school because it’s awesome :).</p>

<p>Hey ifax,</p>

<p>Sorry you didn’t enjoy your interview! That’s too bad - and slightly weird. I’m a tour guide at Andover and I know Mr. Graber personally - and he’s a really, really nice guy. Perhaps he was just having an off day, or maybe you take his interviewing style as slightly hostile when, in actuality, he doesn’t want to give one applicant more hope than the next by appearing more impressed or more charmed. Call it fairness, perhaps - there’s nothing wrong with sticking to business.</p>

<p>Here’s something to think about, too: how many questions did you ask him? From volunteering in the Office of Admission and, of course, having interviewed last year, I know that Andover interviews are a two-way street. The interviewers want you to show interest in their school by asking questions about it. The interview is not only a chance for the admission team to learn more about you; it should be a chance for you to learn more about the school.</p>

<p>Of course, some people just aren’t compatible, and it’s too bad. Don’t let your bad experience deter you from thinking about Andover - I can guarantee you that beyond your application, you’ll never have any more dealings with the Office of Admission again (unless, like me, you decide to become a tour guide). Good luck with your application, and if you have any questions, PM me! I’d be happy to help.</p>

<p>Wow again a ton of responses. This will take a while. First in case this isn’t clear I never meant that I disliked the guy. He probably is a nice guy and as @TomTheCat says he doesn’t like to give applicants false hope. I just wasn’t expecting his interview style. And also my interview didn’t go that badly. I just don’t know how much he liked me or how much he disliked me. He could love me or he could hate me. That was the thing which I thought was “weird”. And this is no offense to him personally. He is probably a nice guy. And just to make this clear my experience wasn’t “bad”, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I will repeat that; my experience wasn’t “bad”, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.</p>

<p>@Uroogla,
Yeah I guess your right. My second interview today confirmed that.</p>

<p>@JoshByron,
Wow I guess your right. And my interview at Groton went amazingly well! I loved my interviewer!</p>

<p>@lemonade1,
Oops, to late I guess. Well at least I haven’t said anything too bad.</p>

<p>@Parlabane,
Yeah… I’m pretty easy to identify so I guess I’m kinda screwed that way. Oh well =P</p>

<p>@redbluegoldgreen,
First of all my interview at Andover didn’t go badly. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. Second, I’m not sure about not putting “stock” in the interview. I mean, at Andover most applicants have amazing grades/test scores so the interview and essays and to some degree recs help make the difference. That’s just my opinion on it, but you’ve gone through the process so I guess your my senior that way. </p>

<p>@andovergirl,
He didn’t turn me off from the school. Even if he had been Hitler or Satan, (which btw he wasn’t, he was a nice guy) he wouldn’t have turned me off from the school. Well maybe Satan might’ve…</p>

<p>@TomTheCat,
I asked him two questions. What is your favorite thing about Andover and if you had to pick one bad thing about PA what would it be? And I asked him how do kids fit in so many extracurricular activities with the demanding academic schedule?
And I’m glad to have your confirm that he’s a nice guy. I want everyone to know that I meant no offense to Mr. Graber personally, professionally, or in any other way. I just expected a warmer interview, that’s all. But now I know what interviews are like and I’m not surprised. And we it wasn’t like we weren’t compatible, he just didn’t give me false hope which looking back on it is a good thing. I’m actually pretty happy that he didn’t because now I’d still be obsessing as much about Andover as I was the day before the interview. And again MY EXPERIENCE WAS NOT BAD. It just was unusual or “weird”. Sorry if that’s not clear to anyone. And thanks for all the responses, this is much more popular than I expected.</p>

<p>I’m glad he didn’t :)</p>

<p>Different interviewers are different. My daughter worried that her Exeter interviewer didn’t smile and that it seemed like the person didn’t like her. I then talked to the interviewer and she gushed about my daughter’s self esteem and maturity.</p>

<p>We couldn’t interview on campus at every school so we opted for a local Andover interview. The interviewer didn’t talk to me, just my daughter, and they were laughing and talking afterwards. </p>

<p>And yes - we were rejected at some schools that gushed over our daughter and sent nice notes. And accepted at others that did the same (and one that didn’t).</p>

<p>That being said don’t sweat it. Some of the “meanest” interviewers have been known to write some of the best recommendations letters to the committee on behalf of the applicant and some of the nicest may turn around and be less than complimentary. You’ll never know - so don’t read much into it. </p>

<p>Either way - the interview is only a tiny component of the application. It’s a great way to weed out the “definite no’s.” (You know the one where the kid can’t get a word in edgewise because it’s clear the parent dragged them in kicking and screaming, or who ask and answer all the questions and the kid can’t get a word in edgewise, etc…)</p>

<p>It is what it is. Good practice for college interviews. And – like I said - the person who you think least liked you may be the person who turns out to be your strongest advocate.</p>

<p>@ExieMITAlum,
Thanks a ton! I needed that help. So far at my two interviews no one was gushing over me, but I guess they weren’t trying to get my hopes up. I know at Andover the interview is a fairly big part of your application because they get so many students with a record of academic excellence. But thanks and I hope that my interviewer at Andover is my strongest advocate.</p>

<p>I’ve always suspected that it’s a way to weed out students who are really creepy or don’t speak English well, but that for the most part, as long as you pass the hurdle, it’s not as important as the written materials and other elements such as whether you play the French horn if they need a horn player. My reasons for thinking this is that (1) alumni interviews can do this screen equally well, and schools say that alumni interviews don’t hurt your chances; and (2) the interviewers haven’t read your application yet so they are getting an overall impression of you, but aren’t prepared to really drill down into who you are. Maybe I’m underestimating the discerning powers of a good interviewer, but when I interview job candidates I like to have studied their resumes first.</p>

<p>Lemonade1, in my opinion, it is an important part of the application. The written application can be edited by parents, tutors, and advisors. Only in the interview, and the SSAT essay, does a school have the opportunity to hear the student’s own voice. Every interviewer asked my child, “Why boarding school? Who decided you would apply? and Do you want to go?” or similar questions. I am certain that some brave students admit to their interviewers, in confidence, that the whole thing is their parents’ idea. </p>

<p>For the interviewers, there are two basic hurdles for the applicant. Could you see the student at your school, and would you want to room with this applicant? I think alumni interviewers could answer those questions.</p>

<p>Periwinkle hit the nail on the head here. Interviews are an integral element of the application. As I said in a PM to the OP, it might take an applicant eight hours to write a good essay - to decide how to word exactly what they think the Office of Admission wants to hear. An interview might take half an hour - if the applicant comes off as less genuinely interested during their interview than they did or will in their essay, that’s a red flag. Is the applicant actually articulate? Does he or she have a readily articulated opinion on issues and ideas that the school holds dear, or does he or she require a written medium to express any ideas whatsoever about Non Sibi?</p>

<p>And, very, very importantly, as Periwinkle said… Does the applicant even want to be here?</p>

<p>I stand corrected by Periwinkle and TomtheCat. I just think that candidates can get so worried about whether they aced an interview or not, and it may be that the inteview is more of a screening out of candidates who just aren’t a fit (as described by Periwinkle and Tomthe Cat), rather than something to “ace” and then wildly improve your chances. I suspect (and hope) that there’s leeway for nerves, shyness,adolescent inexperience at interviewing, and a wide range of personalities to get a green light to move into the next stage of consideration!</p>

<p>Oh, yes. I am certain admissions officers are well aware that they’re interviewing adolescents. As far as I can tell, adolescence is just as miserable today as it was thirty years ago! </p>

<p>If I could, I would edit out all the reports on this site from posters who claim to have “aced the interview.” It makes other kids worry, and there’s no way for anyone to know the interviewer’s opinion. </p>

<p>The interview is only one piece of the puzzle. There’s no point in worrying about it.</p>

<p>Mr. Graber wasn’t my interviewer, but he was my entering class and grade’s officer - he was really great and nice. I’ve talked to him a couple more times since coming to Andover, and I’m actually kind of surprised. </p>

<p>But I guess you can’t always get a great interview!</p>

<p>My Exeter interview was like that I guess. But it was an alumni, not admissions officer, so I ain’t judging!</p>

<p>I don’t know. I still think the interview remains a “black box” (mystery) in regard to how it counts along with other things. I think the interviewer also brings a lot of subjectivity to the interview, and perhaps they have different things in mind in terms of what they are looking for, although you would hope they all get together and try to have a consistent approach. My son’s Andover interviewer told him and us (the parents) that the ultimate thing she was looking for was whether the candidate had the maturity to live away at boarding school, and that was the threshhold the candidate had to pass. Although she said our son was ready, not sure her rec to the committee included much else compared to other interviewer’s recs.</p>