<p>Hi
I am applying from the UK and got invited for an interview at the end of March the other day. The only problem is that i have no idea of what to expect from an interview for an American University because i never even thought i would get interviewed in the first place :) . The fact that it is happening in a Starbucks completely threw me off for starters :). I realise that there are no hard and fast rules for the questions asked at interview but i was just wondering if anyone could give me a clue as to the type of question that is asked. Are the questions acedemicaly orientated like they would be at a UK uni interview or are they more along the lines of 'So tell me about yourself' kind of thing. Any examples of actual questions other people (particularly other internationals but US aswell) have had would be really appreciated.</p>
<p>I'm not sure about the specifics for American University, but most US college interviews are more along the lines of "tell me about yourself". They won't throw academic questions at you, most likely. I have a friend who was just accepted to AU. I ask him about it for you.</p>
<p>I think he meant american university, not specifically AU, right? I just assumed that since he said AN american university. </p>
<p>In any case, I think interviews in the U.S. are really informal. A lot of the time they're alumni interviews, and so don't even count so much in terms of decisions. While I haven't had one at Starbucks yet, both of the ones I've had have been just like a conversation with someone who happens to be an alum at the school you want to go to, lol.</p>
<p>Typical questions/things to talk about:
--Tell about yourself
--Why ___?
--3 adjectives your friends would say about you
--Strengths/Weaknesses
--Questions</p>
<p>Those are very general and may not always be asked (I haven't been asked strengths weaknesses, but I did get a "What social issue are you most concerned with?") If you're applying to a specific college of a University, like engineering or business they'll probably want to hear why you're interested in that. </p>
<p>The questions are actually really important. They want to talk about themselves and their school, so don't say no when they ask you if you have questions. You can ask really specific questions about the school, but they might not know those. Don't ask questions you can find in the viewbook or a quick search on the internet. Good questions are like, "what was your major" "did you find __ system a problem?" "are professors accessible?" etc. </p>
<p>Anyway, there's really no set format. My second interviewer didn't even take any notes. So each interview is bound to be unique, depending on how well you hit it off with your interviewer (usually shared interests are great). </p>
<p>Last things to remember:
--Ask them for a card/contact info in case you have more questions
--the card is also handy so that you can send them a quick thank you note/email </p>
<p>Oh and usually they don't know anything about you. Alums don't see your application and sometimes don't know your interests at all, so tell them everything. Also, I don't think it's necessary to bring a resume at all; you don't want to be looking down all the time. </p>
<p>I hope this was helpful! Good luck.</p>
<p>Hey I Know Interviews Aren't Required And They'll Contact U For One........but Is It True That It Means U Have A Really Good Shot If They Request One Of You?........and If So......is It Bad That I Haven't Gotten A Request Yet?..........how Long After U Apply Does It Take For Them To Ask For An Interview Anyways?.......like 1 Month?</p>
<p>No, whether you get interviews or not does not have anything to do with your chances. More than anything they have to do with the efficiency of the Alumni association and your interview. Sometimes they "forget" to call you up for one. So, lots of people have been accepted without having gotten an interview. I wouldn't worry yet. For RD, they have until March 1 usually to get interviews in, so there's still time. </p>
<p>*this isn't true for all schools, just the ones that don't require them.</p>
<p>An interview definitely isn't required...but a very good (or very bad) interview can lead to serious discussion by the adcom about your app. </p>
<p>The Yale alumni site is an awesome resource. It's been mentioned in a few other threads, but it's worth reposting:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yale.edu/asc%5B/url%5D">www.yale.edu/asc</a></p>
<p>Check out the "interview" and "writing the report" section, especially. Nearly all of your questions about the interview will be answered.</p>
<p>I also had an alumni interview, and it was also at a coffee house type place. It was very laid back- the night before the interview, the interviewer emailed me and told me to dress casually b/c he would probably be wearing jeans. Don't worry, it'll go fine. Good luck!</p>