The InterviewPart IV

The Interview…Part IV The deadline for Early Action has come and gone. I hope all of you who applied for EA got a chance to contact your EC and have an interview. So now that all the interview reports are being filed, its a good time to talk about what goes into an interview report. What we wont see in your interview report are your scores or your grades. We also wont see everything that youve already told us in the application. If we did, what would be the point exactly? Your interview report shouldnt be just a repeat of what you wrote in your application. It will mention some of those same things but do it in a detailed way that there just isnt room for in your application. So what will we see then? Well see more detail about various projects you worked on or groups you belonged to and worked with. The reports will discuss in depth those activities that were most important to you and why. They will also talk about what you added to the project, how you helped overcome a difficulty encountered by the group, or what you learned from the experience. The report will also talk about why you would be a good addition to the MIT community. ECs know MIT, went to school here, know what it was like and what kind of people and personalities enjoyed their experiences as a student here. They tell us how you would fit into the lifestyle, culture and community here at MIT. Sometimes theyll say they would love to be your lab partner or roommate if they were to be a student at MIT today. While they dont compare you to themselves or to their friends, they do try to envision you here on the campus, walking down the infinite corridor, going to classes, swimming at the Z-cen ter, working in the labs or playing ultimate frisbee in the Great Court. Its pretty cool, actually. What the reports also dont say is if you should or shouldnt be admitted to MIT. ECs know that they dont have enough information to tell the Admissions Office what to do. Nor can they tell you if you will be admitted so please dont ask them what they think your chances are. Getting admitted is not like handicapping a horse race or buying a ticket for the lottery. The only similarity to a game of chance is that you have to play, to win. ECs cant tell you your chances because they dont have all the details about you when they write their reports or meet with you. The interview is just one piece of the puzzle that shows us who you are during the selection process. And now for todays helpful hint :-) Regular Action applications are due on January 1. The deadline to contact your EC for an interview for Regular Action is December 10th, but Id recommend you contact your EC much sooner than that and try to have completed your interview by December 10th if possible. Youll be glad you did!