<p>My first interview is October 12 at Holy Cross and I'm not quite sure what to wear. A suit seems way too formal but I don't want to go to casual. Suggestions?</p>
<p>business casual</p>
<p>polo shirt</p>
<p>khaki pants</p>
<p>sneakers</p>
<p>at least that what I wore</p>
<p>At the HS my kids attend, the kids wear the range between suits & dress slacks + collared shirt with or w/o tie. The females also wear suits or dresses or skirts & blouses. Your GC may have more ideas. The idea is to be comfortable but look neat.</p>
<p>I'm a recuiter in IT and just went through the college process with my son. In my job I always tell people to overdress for the interview to show respect and to show you are very interested in either the company (or, in this case, the college). My son always wore a jacket and tie and collared shirt, but not necessarily a suit....and dress shoes. NO sneakers. While waiting for interviews, we often saw other students wearing shorts and tee shirts. I have no idea if they were accepted, but you want to show you care enough about the school to go that extra distance. The only time in my job I told someone to wear business casual was when I knew he was meeting the president of the company WHO NEVER dressed up and we knew that the President would feel uncomfortable if he was wearing business casual and the candidate was wearing a suit.
I've also found that when people are dressed up they not only tend to act more business like (and show maturity), but also tend to feel much better about themselves. You can not go wrong being more dressed up. However, do not look like you're going to a prom or to an evening party, just regular business dress. Do not too much perfume or jewelry either. You don't want them to notice that, just that you look good and will represent their school well in the future.</p>
<p>Dress to show an effort to impress, i.e. not shirt, shorts, birks.</p>
<p>Some sample outfits that MIGHT work:</p>
<p>A suit. (Top tier plus)</p>
<p>Khaki pants, collared shirt, tie, real shoes. (Moderate effort plus, plus)</p>
<p>Same outfit with a blazer. (Top tier)</p>
<p>Khaki pants, sweater (with shirt and tie if V or crew neck; alone if turtle neck), real shoes. (Moderate effort plus)</p>
<p>A tie with a collared shirt and real shoes can make jeans acceptable. Blazer, sweater options exist, too. (Moderate effort)</p>
<p>Real shoes are a must: no Tevas, Birks, sandals, flip-flops, aqua socks, or possible athletic shoes of any kind. Real belt is a must. No white socks. Socks may be optional (It's a look; can you carry it off?)</p>
<p>Why do I list a range? Well, if you wouldn't be caught burned alive in a suit or blazer, you will likely look off/odd wearing one. Either be barbered/groomed to match your apparel or match your apparel to your barbering/grooming level.
If you haven't had a hair cut in five years and are pierced, a suit probably won't work. A sweater and jeans might. You will look as if you stepped up your dress for the occasion.</p>
<p>I really don't think it's such a good idea to dress in a suit. This is a college interview not a job interview. The interviewer knows you're just an 18 year old kid. I don't think they actually expect you to dress that well. And it gets really embarassing if you're dressed much better than your interviewer. Also, not everyone has the money to buy a suit.
Of course, you are expected to wear real shoes and a collared shirt or polo makes you look better. But the most important thing is how you wear the clothes. you can be wearing a suit, but if your tie isn't knotted properly, your shoes aren't shined and your blazer is stained, you'll look ridiculous. On the other hand if you're dressed casually, but look clean and neat and stand straight, everything should be okay.
Finally, you also have to consider the place you're meeting for the interview. Mine took place in a cafe. So I don't think it would have been a good idea to wear a suit. I dressed casually and it went well</p>
<p>What about if the interview is more casual, like an Alumni interview at their house, place of business, or a local restaurant?</p>
<p>a collared shirt or polo, khakis, and a blazer works great!</p>
<p>I think the college interview is much different than a career level job interview. While some interviewers might be positively impressed by an applicant who clearly "dressed" for the interview, my guess is that most interviewers could care less as long as the candidate was clean, didn't smell bad, showed respect and projected enthusiasm for the school and the interview. I wouldn't recommend shorts and sandals, but I'm betting most interviewers would look right past that and just try to measure the liklihood that the 17 year old accross the desk/table/open space would be a good fit and make a positive contribution to the school in question. One of my S's best interviews was on a sweltering muggy day in Philadelphia immediately after a one hour walking tour. He was dressed in shorts and flipflops and had a perspiration sheen. He nailed the interview.</p>
<p>totally depends on the school. at wash u, my interviewer was in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. at yale, he was in slacks and a tie. holy cross is a religious school, so id recommend dressing fairly conservatively. not a suit necessarily, but a nice shirt, nice pants, nice shoes. nojeans, no sandals, no t-shirts, and personally, im not really into polo shirts either. but ultimately, as long as youre clean and well put together, it wont make much of a difference</p>
<p>I wore a suit to most of my interviews, and got into Harvard. The idea is to get as much of an edge as you can by looking, not only sounding, impressive. If the interview is in a cafe, then a suit may not be appropriate. However, if the interview is at the college or at the alum's place of work, I would recommend dressing at nicely as you can.</p>
<p>shirt, tie, and dress pants. no jacket is necessary. it's better to be overdressed.</p>
<p>I agree with blur - this totally depends on the school. Some schools have such a casual flair that wearing a suit may show you didn't do as much research into the culture of the school. Wearing shorts and flip-flops to a more conservative school would do the same. You can't go wrong with a middle-of-the-road khakis and polo, obviously, but knowing something about a school's culture helps in making this decision.
And, really - to perhaps point out the obvious: if you are uncomfortable in a suit and the school's culture dictates that you should be wearing one, how comfortable will you be as a student there? That goes for the flip-side, as well.</p>
<p>How about ROTC interviews with the officers? I was planning on shirt and tie, dress pants.</p>
<p>I think since military tends to be more formal, you wouldn't go wrong if you wore a nice blazer with that outfit (if not a suit), especially since you are angling to become an officer.</p>
<p>I'd say at least khakis, nice shoes, and button-down shirt. Add a tie and slacks if you'd like. One thing though, no tennis shoes!</p>
<p>None of my interviewers were wearing suits. I wore slightly dressier than jeans type pants and a nice sweater or a shirt that either had a collar or buttoned. And flip flops. But cute dressy flip flops. There were usually kids there both more dressed up and much less dressed up. I was applying to all LACs so the atmosphere was probably a bit more casual and relaxed than it would be for Ivies or religious schools. I'd think khakis and a sweater or polo would be appropriate pretty much anywhere though.</p>
<p>I think dressing up too formal wont help you either.</p>
<p>Am I the only one that would go wearing a totally flamboyant shirt and stand-out jeans? Last time I did wear this, the interviewer noticed me from afar and said I was violating the dress code, but he was only joking and actually enjoyed a new look. All went well from there...</p>
<p>I'm interviewing at Swarthmore and Wesleyan in a few weeks and I'm not quite sure what to wear. I was planning on wearing a nice turtleneck sweater, a professional-y skirt, and pumps for one interview and a different sweater with corduroys and dress shoes, but now I worry I'll be underdressed. Wesleyan has student interviewers, so I think something a little less formal would be appropriate, but should I go for a suit for Swarthmore?</p>