Interviews

[Roadrunner]

What if your kid gets emails to schedule those interviews with colleges but he doesn’t want to do them? Is that a huge disadvantage? I think mine is under enough stress to want to add more on top. 

[rzberrymom]

I think interviews are a good chance to learn more about the school and get a feel for what it’s like to be on campus. When I do alumni interviews, I get all excited again, relive the old days. I can see how excited the kids get too, when they start to imagine themselves there. I think it’s a really good chance for the kid to ask things about day-to-day campus life—kind of like a college subreddit come to life. 😄

Don’t most of the schools say it’s optional? If it would cause him stress, I’m not sure I would push it. But I do think they can be quite helpful to the kid.

[madteaparty]

I would not refuse to do an alumni interview if offered. 

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, madteaparty said:

I would not refuse to do an alumni interview if offered. 

You know my kid and his issues. Even in his case? 

[madteaparty]

15 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

You know my kid and his issues. Even in his case? 

I would prioritize schools that don’t offer alumni interviews 

[easypeasy]

I am with madteaparty on this one. 
Although, some schools offer slots that are first-come, first-served. If this school is like that, I would wait until the very last minute and hope that all the spots are already snatched up & then just hope for the best  

This happened to BK. He was iffy on a school and wanted to get everything else scheduled so that this one did not wind ip conflicting. He came back on the last day and realized all the slots were taken. They later sent out current student interview sessions and he just dropped the ball on those and missed that deadline. 

The school said repeatedly that both interview options were OPTIONAL. However, despite BK being very much in their “sweet spot” admissions-wise, he was not accepted (a flat-out rejection despite being accepted early into their honors program and being invited to a prestigious scholarship session on campus, 😂), so I felt the interviews were more… “optional.” lol

He went on to be accepted to far more selective schools & programs - and in all of those acceptances I felt that the interview played a significant role in his acceptances. 

[kokotg]

you can look at the common data set to see if/how much interviews are considered in admissions decisions at a given school. My oldest kid was VERY introverted/shy and really didn't want to do interviews...but ultimately we decided it was generally better to do them than not unless you feel like your kid will interview so poorly that it will actively hurt. In my kid's case, he's quiet enough with people he doesn't know well that I doubt the actual interview HELPED much anywhere, but they can help in the sense that they show genuine interest (and turning down an interview that's offered shows the opposite). The college admissions game is stacked against introverted kids in a lot of ways; the process pushed my oldest out of his comfort zone over and over again, which was indeed stressful but probably ultimately a good experience. 

[JennyD]

OP, is your DS homeschooled?  I would be disinclined to turn down an interview in any case, but especially if the kid was applying as a homeschooler.

That said, I defer to the judgment of people with more actual experience/expertise in this area.

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by JennyD

[Roadrunner]

nm

Edited September 1, 2022 by Roadrunner

[easypeasy]

3 hours ago, kokotg said:

The college admissions game is stacked against introverted kids in a lot of ways; the process pushed my oldest out of his comfort zone over and over again, which was indeed stressful but probably ultimately a good experience. 

That is really true - if a student applies to a school that requests/requires an interview, a kid with anxiety or who is shy or introverted definitely has an uphill battle. But honestly, a lot of college is like that with speeches in front of the whole class or interviewing for a position on a club/group they want...

I know that my homeschooled kids were at a definite disadvantage at first, having gone through processes like this rarely compared to their public/private school friends who routinely had to interview or do mock interviews for things.

We just started prepping at home. Lots of prep until they were comfortable (and, still, some interview questions were things we NEVER could have predicted, lol!).

OP @Roadrunner, honestly, most of the alumni interviews are the alumni reminiscing about their good old days about the school, asking the student if THEY have any questions, and just generally trying to a) get a feel of your student as a person, not an application and b) trying to gauge how much your student knows about the school and/or is genuinely interested in the school.

So we prepped for these interviews by having the kid research the school... why IS he applying there? Made sure they knew the name of their honors program, school they wanted to enroll in, any classes that looked especially appealing, school traditions they were especially excited to participate in. That kind of thing.

These interviews really don't seem to ask hardball questions. They really are more conversational in tone.

Best of luck to your DS, whatever you all decide! 🙂

[Eos]

I've seen several college websites that say interviews are optional but strongly recommended for homeschoolers, which means they're not optional 🙂 .

[Roadrunner]

So how does this work? Do schools reach out themselves for interviews after we apply? Or are we supposed to be somewhere (where?) requesting those interviews ourselves? 
So far we have only had one school that keeps emailing about it. Are we going to get those requests through common app? And since most of those emails are going to junk. I hope they don’t do it by email. 

[kokotg]

you can look on the admissions pages on their sites and there will be information on how to schedule interviews if they're available. My memory is that it's more common to need to be proactive about scheduling one than for the schools to reach out.

Edited September 2, 2022 by kokotg

[Farrar]

You usually need to be proactive about interviews and schedule them yourselves.

You should usually take them. When it's alum or student interviews, they really are more about demonstrated interest than anything else though. And making alums feel relevant.

[Roadrunner]

Off to start researching these websites. 

So should we wait until he actually applies (he is really far away from having anything ready) or should we independently start requesting those? 

[kokotg]

23 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Off to start researching these websites. 

So should we wait until he actually applies (he is really far away from having anything ready) or should we independently start requesting those? 

Mine did some before applying, but just the ones we were visiting that offered them. If it's a local alum interview they probably aren't available until he's applied. 

[catz]

I would say especially if you're looking at small liberal arts schools as a homeschooler you should do them.  My current college student did a bunch of them, he got good merit everywhere he jumped that hoop.  My daughter just did her first one a couple weeks ago and has a couple more to schedule.  I would tell your student they really aren't that big of a deal and to go in with a 2-3 general questions they could ask and just be ready to talk about themselves and their interests.  My daughter was a bit intimidated but came out happy from her first one! 

I wouldn't hesitate to schedule if he knows he is applying somewhere for sure.  If you think he might burn out, just prioritize your apps and interviews as finanacial and acdemic safeties first on down.  

[bibiche]

What we’re doing here is having everyone on god’s green earth “interview” our kid for practice. Simple things like a firm handshake (do people shake hands anymore?), maintaining eye contact, and not mumbling go a long way. You have a super smart, interesting kid from what I gather. I imagine that once he gets over his nervousness he will shine. And there’s always that fake it ‘til you make it trick of playing the part of the confident interviewee.

I talked to an admissions officer the other day who emphasized that homeschooled students really do need to interview. I guess schools want to make sure that homeschoolers are not all a bunch of feral weirdos. 🙄

Edited September 2, 2022 by bibiche

[Frances]

3 hours ago, kokotg said:

Mine did some before applying, but just the ones we were visiting that offered them. If it's a local alum interview they probably aren't available until he's applied. 

We did the same in addition to doing some when LAC reps were offering them in nearby towns. I think the majority were done before he applied, as all of my son’s were with admission reps, not alumni.

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, bibiche said:

What we’re doing here is having everyone on god’s green earth “interview” our kid for practice. Simple things like a firm handshake (do people shake hands anymore?), maintaining eye contact, and not mumbling go a long way. You have a super smart, interesting kid from what I gather. I imagine that once he gets over his nervousness he will shine. And there’s always that fake it ‘til you make it trick of playing the part of the confident interviewee.

I talked to an admissions officer the other day who emphasized that homeschooled students really do need to interview. I guess schools want to make sure that homeschoolers are not all a bunch of feral weirdos. 🙄

Yes, if he runs into another nerd like him, he will talk till morning. He runs into a Wall Street type, it’s over. 

[bibiche]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

Yes, if he runs into another nerd like him, he will talk till morning. He runs into a Wall Street type, it’s over. 

Ha! We’ve got the same kid!

[easypeasy]

4 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Yes, if he runs into another nerd like him, he will talk till morning. He runs into a Wall Street type, it’s over. 

Luckily, most of the Wall Street type alumni are interview savvy enough to be able to connect with a student, no matter their own personal interests.

Another fun fact: alumni often have zero access to any information about your student. We didn't know this at first and thought the interviewer had access to the kid's application packet and assumed they knew certain things. They do not, in our experience. They only have your kid's name and contact information. So - have your son bring up topics about the school that he is interested in and steer the conversation in those more comfortable directions when he can.

[madteaparty]

8 hours ago, easypeasy said:

Luckily, most of the Wall Street type alumni are interview savvy enough to be able to connect with a student, no matter their own personal interests.

Another fun fact: alumni often have zero access to any information about your student. We didn't know this at first and thought the interviewer had access to the kid's application packet and assumed they knew certain things. They do not, in our experience. They only have your kid's name and contact information. So - have your son bring up topics about the school that he is interested in and steer the conversation in those more comfortable directions when he can.

I just see high school they went to, contact info and which school they applied to (like engineering, arts and sciences).

i always tell the student that it’s low stakes (as I don’t think (nay, I know) these things don’t matter much for admissions) but to use me as a resource to learn about the town/school esp if they haven’t visited. 

“Wall Street type” doesn’t actually mean anything. 🙄

Edited September 3, 2022 by madteaparty

[bibiche]

27 minutes ago, madteaparty said:

“Wall Street type” doesn’t actually mean anything. 🙄

 But I saw the movie!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Gekko

[Roadrunner]

3 hours ago, madteaparty said:

I just see high school they went to, contact info and which school they applied to (like engineering, arts and sciences).

i always tell the student that it’s low stakes (as I don’t think (nay, I know) these things don’t matter much for admissions) but to use me as a resource to learn about the town/school esp if they haven’t visited. 

“Wall Street type” doesn’t actually mean anything. 🙄

Should we specify “Wharton” type? 🤣

And also “that women from who know where admissions” type. 
 

Over. In a second.