Interviews and other items

Summer at Mudd continues to truck along.  The new building has a second story, the ice cream bike is making its rounds, and our visitors are being treated to that dire heat I mentioned in my last post.  It's toasty.  Good thing I have vacation coming up.

Before I head off to Moose Lake, Minnesota, I wanted to jump in with a few tidbits about interviews.  With Mudd's increasing popularity, we've had more interviews than ever this summer -- which means that if you want an interview on a particular day at a specific time, you should plan to book an appointment early (especially for August, I'd urge three weeks in advance if possible).  And please, be punctual!

I've written about interviews before, but there are a few things that bear repeating.

1. Dress comfortably.  Unless wearing a suit feels like second nature, you'll be much happier (and much less fidgety) in everyday clothes.  
2. Don't feel compelled to bring a resume.  Some students do, and that's fine, but don't be offended if it doesn't inform much of our conversation.  I'm more interested in delving into the why than the what.
3. Rest assured that we will see resume material later in the application process.  Rather than trying to find a subtle way to work your awesome SAT scores into conversation, use these twenty minutes to talk about what we won't learn about you from statistics.
4. Be prepared to discuss something that was difficult for you.  I know you want to show yourself in the best possible light, and I promise you that I'll try to keep 95% of our conversation positive in tone.  But since nobody glides through college without having a single challenging moment, I want to know how you react when things get tough.  
5. Spend some time reflecting on the kind of college you're seeking.  You don't need to have your college list finalized, but if you're still considering forty or fifty schools, you may not be ready to interview just yet.
6. Come prepared with a question or two.  This will show me that you've done some research into Mudd and/or have considered what kind of college will make you happy (point #5).  
7. Relax (if you can).  My goal is for you to leave the interview feeling like it was a friendly chat, not an interrogation.
8. It's okay to be a normal human being.  You don't have to spend all your free time saving the world and reading improving literature.  Like to hang out with your friends and read Harry Potter?  Guess what -- we do too!

If you're interviewing on campus this summer, good luck, and we look forward to meeting you.

PS If you're coming on a Thursday, bring change for the ice cream bike!