<p>I wore a navy blazer with a polo shirt underneath, khaki pleated pinstriped skirt, knee-socks and loafers for my interviews. Basically the female version of the male standby of a blazer and khakis.</p>
<p>I wore a brown skirt (knee-length, somewhat fuller, white zigzag design), a camisole or solid colored short-sleeve shirt (it was about 100 degrees when I had mine) layered with a light sweater for indoors, and purple suede flats for my interviews a Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Dartmouth. It looked professional enough, but showed more of my personality than the generic khaki skirt/polo combination. I'd say dress professionally (no jeans, sneakers, rips or stains, or too much skin showing), but don't lose your personality in your clothing. You don't need to look like everyone else to look professional, and, after all, the interview is about getting to know you.</p>
<p>Oy-ve. Dress like a neat teenager. Dress like you'd fit in on campus. Jeans and a tshirt are usually JUST FINE! Most schools are liberal. If you dress in a dress shirt/tie - you will look uptight. JMHO!</p>
<p>megblum, I really don't believe a suit is necessary @ Swarthmore. That is where my S got by w/ shorts & flipflops, albeit in August b4 school started, and is now a member of the class of '08. Swat is definitely a place that sees the individual much more than the package. Dress nice in a way that makes you feel comfortable and you will be fine.</p>
<p>Well for what it is worth my S wore a navy blue blazer,dress Khaki's,shirt (white), tie, and cordovan loafers to all his interviews.</p>
<p>In every case the adcom person/alumni interviewer commented on how pleased they were to see a prospective student dressed so well.</p>
<p>In our family we default to the "dress up no matter what" doctrine. I do agree though it is tougher to adhere to these days when the adcom person may be in business casual dress. The applicant may feel awkward in such situations.....</p>
<p>D interviewed last year with the assistant dean of admissions for Holy Cross. She wore a nice pair of jeans with an ironed conservative shirt. She took great time to do her hair and looked very clean and neat. She is now a freshman at Holy Cross. The adcom as I remember had a casual pair of pants and a blouse on. Clean and neat imho is more important than anything else.</p>
<p>The second school my d interviewed at was Yale. She loved the school & that made her a little more nervous than she might have been otherwise. </p>
<p>The waiting area at Yale is sort of a narrow hall inside the reception area. Visitors sit on a narrow bench and face a water cooler. </p>
<p>While my daughter and I waited, a tall handsome kid in a gorgeous Brooks Brother's suit approached to get a drink from the water cooler. </p>
<p>My daughter and I looked at the kid, and then at our our clothes, & without saying a word, decided that we dressed all wrong. (In hindsight we dressed just fine, just not as finely as the young man).</p>
<p>We imagined different stories about this kid . . . All American football captain, National Merit Scholar, voted "most confident" in his state, recruited by Harvard, Yale, & Princeton, genius . . . he looked PERFECT! </p>
<p>As the kid poured water into a paper cone cup, with his back to us, the cup slipped out of his hand, onto his pants and shoes, and then splattered across the wood floor & antique rug right in front of us.</p>
<p>I heard him utter a low groan, and then watched this "Incredible Hulk" transform into a mere mortal. He was completely flustered, and his confident cover was blown; at least to my daughter and me.</p>
<p>At this point my dauaghter was called for her interview and it was just the boy & me. I watched as he found paper towels & wiped up the floor, and then his pant leg, which turned white from the paper towel. </p>
<p>He had a few more moments to compose himself before his interview, but I don't think he quite regained the confidence he showed before the water cooler incident.</p>
<p>There is no moral to that story.</p>
<p>As for my daughter, by the time we hit Georgetown, the best dressed campus on our list, she was comfortable and confident in a crisp new pair of Abercrombie Jeans, a cotton knit sweater, and $6.00 shoes from Payless. </p>
<p>As long as you are neat & tidy in your appearance, I think jeans are appropriate at all campuses now.</p>
<p>I disagree; I don't think wearing jeans to an interview is appropriate at all. I think it shows a lack of respect for the school and for the interviewer. Just because they're commonly worn on college campuses doesn't make them acceptable interview attire - a) would you ever wear a sweatshirt to an interview, as many students wear to class, and b) would you ever wear jeans to a job interview?! I hope not, on both counts. But then again, this is the girl whose mother made her buy a pair of jeans before she went off to college, since I never wore them at home...</p>
<p>I have a friend who works as a clerical staff member in an admission office - at a small LAC. Fairly liberal campus; relatively casual dress (no jeans or sweatshirts, but -for example- capris are fine in the summer months) for those who work in the office. He told me that when students arrive for their interviews in suits, the adcoms notice -- but they also comment to each other on how uncomfortable the student must have been on tour (they do tours immediately preceding interviews in most cases). They also sometimes comment on how current students perceive them. It is, apparently, a school that wants prospective students to fit in immediately, and wearing a suit is probably the most effective way of ensuring that they DON'T. </p>
<p>Again, this all probably goes back to my first post here (know the school you're interviewing at), but really - according to this friend, the only dress/manner issues the adcoms negatively comment on are the students who:
arrive barefoot
obviously haven't showered in days
sit on the floor, rather than the chair provided
put their feet up on either the couch/chair or coffee table
pick their noses (or at any part of their body) during the interview
swear during the interview</p>
<p>And, yes, he says these things do really happen - and, yes, they talk about them in staff meetings.</p>
<p>So, it seems that as long as students have good manners and are neat, adcoms could probably care less what you wear. Therefore, wear things that are clean and that you're comfortable in.</p>
<p>I wouldn't wear a suit unless it was Harvard...lol</p>
<p>I'm thinking of wearing just nice slacks/trousers with a sweater and a blouse underneath for my Georgetown interview.. That sound ok do you think?</p>
<p>Sounds perfect to me. If Georgetown is your top pick wear that outfit to a different interview first and try it out. </p>
<p>Sometimes outfits end up riding up, or down, or we discover the pant leg is too short when we sit, or the wool is too scratchy, or something is too sheer in daylight, or a tiny bit of perspiration appears magnified by the fabric of our shirt, or we can't get the sweater off or on without destroying our hair - I could go on for a week with my own clothing disasters!</p>
<p>Well, son is going to his 1st college interview today in shorts, t-shirt & sweatshirt. Will see how it goes--that's how he dresses normally anyway! Not the outfit I would have chosen, but hey, I'm not the candidate.</p>
<p>Just letting you all know that I went with some nice khaki pants and a polo shirt. It went really well and I think my outfit was perfectly acceptable.</p>
<p>What if I'm meeting an interviewer at a coffee shop? As in, the coffee shop at Borders?</p>
<p>birthday suit anyone ;)? jkjk</p>
<p>what if im meeting at starbucks?</p>
<p>my first interview is tommorow at an attorney's office. should i wear something more formal than just khakis and a polo shirt? thx</p>
<p>I'm also scheduled for an interview at Starbucks about a week from now. The school is Upenn.</p>
<p>Is clothing etiquette different if the interview is happening at a cafe? Should we tone it down a little bit more? </p>
<p>I was thinking a nice pair of wool pants and a nice sweater. Does that sound okay for Starbucks?</p>
<p>When I interviewed at Starbuck's I layered a black shirt with a pink logo on top of a long pink shirt. I wore a black, collared blouse on top of this, and a black pair of jeans. I wore a black pea coat on top of that.</p>
<p>I didn't go dressed formally, because I did an alumni interview. My interviewer was wearing track pants, a sweater with a college logo on it, and a sweat band. Good luck!</p>
<p>Use good judgment. Don't overdress. If the interview is scheduled right after school, a neat school outfit is ok. Be businesslike. More importantly, take the initiative at the interview in a polite, respectful, and tacful way.</p>