What do college interviewers think of college interviews?
I was asked to answer this question on the website Quora.com
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I don't think there is any easy answer to this question. I loved doing interviews with students but I know some who thought them a waste of time. I learned about the current zeitgeist surrounding students and learned about much else too about individual lives and educational opportunities and expectations in different schools around the US and the world. I would often learn about what 'really' went on in a school through the interview rather than through a visit to the school itself.
I have, however, to qualify my answer by first defining what a college
interviewer is.
College interviewer is an alum:
Alumni interviews help to do a couple of things. It permits
the college to reach a far larger number of applicants than it would just using
admission office staff. With some schools now topping 30,000 applicants, it
would be impossible for an admission staff to do more than a tiny percentage of
interviews. Alumni interviewers receive training either via workshops or
written templates. Some alumni love to talk to students and do a great job
giving information about the school. For highly selective schools it is
sometimes frustrating, for the alumni, as the vast majority of students they
interview will not get in. It sometimes hurts the feelings of interviewers who
have strongly recommended a student only to find that the student has,
nevertheless, been rejected. It’s also accurate to say that alumni interviews
are also a part of helping keep alums actively involved with the school.
Studies show that involvement of this sort does lead to economic support.
Student interviewers:
Some schools permit students to conduct interviews because the admission staff cannot conduct the number of interviews that prospective students want. The student interviews are much more informational than they are evaluative. The students try to convey useful information but not that many schools use them heavily or even at all as a part of the decision-making or evaluation. The college students like to do the interviews in part because it helps them develop and hone their own interview skills. The prospective students often feel more relaxed and if nothing else they have a contact they can continue to chat with via social media.
Admission office interviews
There are 2 kinds of interviews conducted by admission
offices
1. Informational interviews:
These interviews are largely for students to ask specific
questions about the school. A student who does not come prepared with a good
knowledge of the school will find the interview short. The majority of the
interview rests on the student’s ability to generate interest on the part of
the admission officer. These interviews are publicly put forward as not used as
a factor in the admission process. But in my experience of observing some
people conducting these kinds of interviews, a student who does an exceptional
job in the informational interview will get his or her name written down. The
admission officer will then use this in some way in the admission process.
Not many schools conduct informational interviews anymore,
in part due to the perception that it would not be fair, as the majority of
applicants will not have access to the
admission office in this way.
If you do are lucky enough to get an evaluative interview,
then you need to prepare. There are lots of ways of doing this, but the most
important thing to learning any skill is pretty simple—practice. There are a
few questions you know you will be asked:
What are you interested in studying?
Why are your interested in our university?
What activities are you involved with?
The more you can answer these questions comfortably, using
details and examples, and the more the interview becomes a conversation, the
better off you will be.
Do not forget that the last question will almost always be:
Do you have any questions?
Remember of course to get a business card and to write a thank
you note within 24 hours. It may be you can establish a dialogue via email and
if this happens then this will likely help you so long as you ask pertinent and
probing questions. Some schools do track demonstrated interest and having a
bright student show interest never hurts.
For one particular group, applicants from China, some
schools are now outsourcing interviews. I advise all Chinese students applying
to schools that use these services to set up an interview with them. I have
profiled one of the best of these companies and I have watched how well they
interview students. Schools like Duke and Stanford now use these interviews as
a part of the admission evaluation.
If I had to guess, interviews like these may become a part
of more places around the globe as admission offices try to look beyond
standardized tests and transcripts to find out how well a student can
communicate in a second language.
In my time in admission, I conducted many evaluative
interviews. Hundreds. My approach consisted of asking questions that let me
know how a student thought and felt. I would often preface my questions with
the statement that I did not have a filter and that I was trying to challenge
them. Aside from the traditional softball questions I would try to get into specifics
about academic interests. For example, I was a part of scholarship program/competition
earlier this week that brought in top students from around the US and the
world. In talking with one student I
asked specific questions about free will to someone interested in cognitive
science. We talked about Sam Harris and others and we went pretty far into the contradictions
and paradoxes of what free will means. I know this was intimidating, but the
student did a great job.
In conversation with another student interested in economics,
we talked about rational choice theory versus behavioral economics. The student
did not know much about the topics but after talking about the differences the student
asked good questions and was unafraid to say, “I don’t know”—always a good sign
for a student who is bright. They feel comfortable enough admitting limits
instead of trying to manufacture an answer.
For the most part, interviews do not often mean that much in
terms of admission for most highly selective schools. But even if this is
accurate, trying to talk one on one with an admission officer during a visit
and asking great questions may leave a positive impression. For those going on the spring break trip to schools, try to talk with an admission officer after a tour or information session. Try to have a brief but engaging conversation. It just might help.
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