USA College Interview?
Hi guys I have been invited to interview by alumae from Princeton and Yale, is there any advice you could possibly give? I tried looking around the internet on what US interviews would be like but they don't seem to be very helpful. Thank you so much in advance!
Feel free to share any previous experiences or US Colleges you are considering or applying to
Feel free to share any previous experiences or US Colleges you are considering or applying to
Congratulations on getting this far 
I'm applying to US schools next year during my gap year so don't really have any experience, but from talking to people at school on the interviews, they are quite a conversational thing (your interests etc) and less weight is placed on them than Oxbridge interviews.
If you haven't done so yet, I'd check out collegeconfidential as there could be some information on there.
What other schools did you apply to? I'm looking at ivies, Stanford, university of Chicago, jhu and maybe some others
I'm applying to US schools next year during my gap year so don't really have any experience, but from talking to people at school on the interviews, they are quite a conversational thing (your interests etc) and less weight is placed on them than Oxbridge interviews.
If you haven't done so yet, I'd check out collegeconfidential as there could be some information on there.
What other schools did you apply to? I'm looking at ivies, Stanford, university of Chicago, jhu and maybe some others
Interviews are typically a very informal thing. (Dress business casual, however!) Alum interviewers don't have access to your full application or transcript, and it's rare that your academic background will be discussed much.
You're likely to be asked about your hobbies and extracurricular activities. They'll also probably ask you why you applied to that school and why you think you'd be a good fit. Think especially about what you can do for the school, not just what it can do for you.
Most colleges don't weight interviews very heavily, so don't fret, but don't blow them off either (a bad interview can certainly hurt). You should feel free to ask your interviewers questions about their experiences at the colleges; the interviews are usually give-and-take and are intended for your benefit as well.
You're likely to be asked about your hobbies and extracurricular activities. They'll also probably ask you why you applied to that school and why you think you'd be a good fit. Think especially about what you can do for the school, not just what it can do for you.
Most colleges don't weight interviews very heavily, so don't fret, but don't blow them off either (a bad interview can certainly hurt). You should feel free to ask your interviewers questions about their experiences at the colleges; the interviews are usually give-and-take and are intended for your benefit as well.
Original post by TheTechN1304
Congratulations on getting this far
I'm applying to US schools next year during my gap year so don't really have any experience, but from talking to people at school on the interviews, they are quite a conversational thing (your interests etc) and less weight is placed on them than Oxbridge interviews.
If you haven't done so yet, I'd check out collegeconfidential as there could be some information on there.
What other schools did you apply to? I'm looking at ivies, Stanford, university of Chicago, jhu and maybe some others
I'm applying to US schools next year during my gap year so don't really have any experience, but from talking to people at school on the interviews, they are quite a conversational thing (your interests etc) and less weight is placed on them than Oxbridge interviews.
If you haven't done so yet, I'd check out collegeconfidential as there could be some information on there.
What other schools did you apply to? I'm looking at ivies, Stanford, university of Chicago, jhu and maybe some others
Thanks so much for the reply
Seems like at least it won't be a bad thing whether I did well or poorly. I'm applying to UC Berkeley, UCLA and JHU as well. Best of luck for your application!Original post by devil09
Interviews are typically a very informal thing. (Dress business casual, however!) Alum interviewers don't have access to your full application or transcript, and it's rare that your academic background will be discussed much.
You're likely to be asked about your hobbies and extracurricular activities. They'll also probably ask you why you applied to that school and why you think you'd be a good fit. Think especially about what you can do for the school, not just what it can do for you.
Most colleges don't weight interviews very heavily, so don't fret, but don't blow them off either (a bad interview can certainly hurt). You should feel free to ask your interviewers questions about their experiences at the colleges; the interviews are usually give-and-take and are intended for your benefit as well.
You're likely to be asked about your hobbies and extracurricular activities. They'll also probably ask you why you applied to that school and why you think you'd be a good fit. Think especially about what you can do for the school, not just what it can do for you.
Most colleges don't weight interviews very heavily, so don't fret, but don't blow them off either (a bad interview can certainly hurt). You should feel free to ask your interviewers questions about their experiences at the colleges; the interviews are usually give-and-take and are intended for your benefit as well.
Thank you so much for the detailed advice and background information, really helps. Will bear in mind during the actual interview.
My advice would be to definitely use the interview to find out more about the school. You'll be talking to someone who actually attended- and this is a valuable resource in deciding whether you want to attend in the end if you're accepted.
If they are an older interviewer- (one of mine was class of '69!) you can ask them about how they think the school has changed over the years, or what they would recommend someone in your shoes do with their college experience. If they're younger/just graduated (another of mine had literally just done so) you can ask about what doors the school opened up for them, how good the careers/academic guidance was, whether the alumni network has been any help to them, what their fellow classmates are up to... things like this help you get a feel of what it will be like for you if you were to attend their school. It's always good to ask what they enjoyed most or what they would have liked to change about their time there or the school itself.
Remember, it's a two way interview. Yes, they want to know if you're a good fit for their school but you want to know if they are a good fit for you, too.
And, as said above, it's a casual conversation and not an interrogation. It doesn't have much weight in the admissions process so have fun with it.
If they are an older interviewer- (one of mine was class of '69!) you can ask them about how they think the school has changed over the years, or what they would recommend someone in your shoes do with their college experience. If they're younger/just graduated (another of mine had literally just done so) you can ask about what doors the school opened up for them, how good the careers/academic guidance was, whether the alumni network has been any help to them, what their fellow classmates are up to... things like this help you get a feel of what it will be like for you if you were to attend their school. It's always good to ask what they enjoyed most or what they would have liked to change about their time there or the school itself.
Remember, it's a two way interview. Yes, they want to know if you're a good fit for their school but you want to know if they are a good fit for you, too.
And, as said above, it's a casual conversation and not an interrogation. It doesn't have much weight in the admissions process so have fun with it.
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