How to Prepare for Yale Alumni Interviews

www.getyourself... Learn what the Yale admissions committee is looking to learn from your alumni interviews, discover what actual Yale alumni interviewers put into their reports, understand how to avoid common pitfalls and how to successfully interview, and get a better sense of how alumni interviews are used in Yale's admissions process.

[@zavienlandfair3294]

I watched this an hour before my Yale alumni interview. It really helped.

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Zavien Landfair--Thanks for letting me know! Good luck! Let me know what happens. :-)

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Zavien Landfair--What happened with Yale?

[@ldffly]

This is a video offering great advice. I attended Yale back in the 1970s. If you were going to survive the place in those days, you had to know your own mind very well. If you were not up to argument and being able to respond to having your ideas and plans challenged, you were cooked. That is intellectual maturity--realizing that not everybody is going to pat you on the head for being you. I have to laugh at the example of the student who wanted to be a doctor. I saw a few of those types when I was in high school. "Why do you want to be doctor?" "Well, I'm one of the brightest in my class and I've got great SATs. What else? Medical school is just the next logical step. " Guess what? None of the people I knew who thought that way became MDs. That is very superficial, as you say.

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Idffly - Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and experience. I think a lot of high school students are so busy or spending so much time online that they don't give themselves the necessary time to contemplate.

[@Tough2mac]

Intellectual maturity is not required for higher learning any longer. Conformity is the rule of law these days.

[@raymondzhao6015]

My interview with Yale is in a couple of days. I'm nervous because I'm quite introverted so I express my thoughts better on paper than through conversational means. However, I will take your advice and practice out-loud to myself and get an idea of what I will talk about. Thanks for your tips!

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Raymond Zhao - Just remember that your interviewer wants to have a good conversation and is genuinely interested in you! Good luck!!!!

[@raymondzhao6015]

ProfessorBernstein I'm happy to say that I was accepted into Yale! I believe that my interview was pretty pivotal in my acceptance. I got an awesome interviewer and you gave me some awesome tips. Thank you!

[@rizzoli7]

@@raymondzhao6015 wow...congrats dude!

[@lzmunch]

low key gives myself anxiety the night before my interview

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+lzmunch--I'm a little confused by the wording of your response, but just go into the interview in an upbeat mood ready to talk about yourself, your interests, and why Yale. Also, remember, the best alumni interviews are juicy, dynamic conversations. If you've completed your Common App essay and Yale supplement, you should have plenty to talk about! Remember, your interviewers haven't seen your material!

[@sungminbae7344]

Thank you! This video helped me a lot. I have an interview with an Yale alumni tomorrow... he seems to be a lawyer and my interview will take place in his office ahh! wish me good luck

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Sung Min Bae -- Have fun! Honestly, the best alumni interviews are just really good conversations. Will you let me know how it goes?

[@sungminbae7344]

Of course! I just finished my interview and it went much better than I expected. He was a lawyer and my interview took place in his law firm so I was a little afraid.. but he was very friendly and nice. I tried my best to relate my interest and motivation in video games to my intended major Computer Science and I told him how I loved the way Yale gives Computer Science majors flexibility to take various other courses as well. I also appealed to him my interest in residential college system... I was given detailed explanation and I told him I would love to socialize with my colleagues possibly by playing video games together haha. Overall, the interview went really well. I was afraid for the interview since my mother tongue is not English, but thanks to your video and several other reports I read everything was done fantastically!

[@celebritymemes9043]

Sung Min Bae DID U GET IN???!!!

[@rockhunter126]

I have 1 hour before my yale interview; wish me luck and thank you for the tips!

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Good luck Shiva!!!!

[@nikhilapte1912]

Have you applied to SCEA 2024 Shiva ? which country your interview happened ? Hope it was a good interview

[@rockhunter126]

It was good; our interview lasted for 1hr and 30 min (it was supposed to be an hour). Is this a good sign?

[@rockhunter126]

nikhil apte ya and i would say ya it went well; gl to your college admissions!!

[@ProfessorBernstein]

@@rockhunter126 Great! It sounds like the interview did go well. Please let me know what happens with your admission decision. :-)))

[@jetjock8079]

Wow, this could apply to job interviews also - excellent advice

[@kimikojackson-valle4698]

Mine is next week! I’m super nervous!

[@scollins8840]

How was your Yale interview? What kind of questions did they ask?

[@kimikojackson-valle4698]

S Collins omg I was so nervous but I think it went okay. My Yale alum was a doctor and she asked the easiest questions that were so hard to answer! For example: What is your favorite book? Why Yale?

[@scollins8840]

@@kimikojackson-valle4698 I'm sure you did great! Good luck.

[@jessicayang2172]

How would I show my strengths and my good qualities without coming off as arrogant??

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Jessica Yang - Talk about experiences that illuminate them. For instance, you don't necessarily have to say "I'm very good at taking the initiative," but you could give an example that shows it. An interviewer might ask you to talk about your intellectual interests. You could give concise but vivid details and anecdotes about them that would also convey these qualities. I hope this helps! Good luck with your interview.

[@jessicayang2172]

ProfessorBernstein thank you! This will help me in so many ways! Always loving and learning from your videos!

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+Jessica Yang - Let me know how the interview goes. Feel free to share here or email me (my email address is on my website). :-)))))

[@jessicayang2172]

I will! But I think my interview is in mid June or something like that. But I’m already preparing carefully and I’ll let you know how it when the time comes. Haha. Thanks for actually replying to my comment. I haven’t seen any other channel that individually helps the viewer!

[@JohnnstR]

Hi, I have a Yale interview on Friday coming up. If you are going into a field (I.E. electrical engineering) because it is where your academic and technilogical strengths lie, but you are unsure whether or not it is your passion, would it be a mistake to express this to your interviewer? Or would it be better to go all out and talk like you know what you really want to do and give examples like you explained?

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+JohnnstR - That's a really good question. My initial response is to recommend that you talk about what it is about electrical engineering that you find interesting and why you feel these are your strengths. I'd definitely go in prepared to talk about why Yale, and that will enable you to express (through some specific details) why you are drawn to the way it allows you to take liberal arts classes with students outside of engineering because you also want to keep exploring other interests and passions (and maybe even bring them together). I wouldn't recommend saying you're only applying to engineering because of your academic and technological strengths in the area. I hope this helps. Have fun at your interview!!!

[@JohnnstR]

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing about the liberal arts classes. It's a good idea to bring things together as well.

[@nikhilapte1912]

Hi my daughter has applied in Yale SCEA as international freshman from Mumbai, India. Application was submitted early October 19, so far no interview call from Yale. Does it mean she ia not likely to get selected ? Not having interview is it negative indication ? or Yales admits some without interview?

[@ProfessorBernstein]

+ Nikhil Apte--Hi. This is what Yale says, "In some regions, the number of applicants exceeds the number of interviews available. Interviews will be offered on a space-available basis to as many applicants as possible, but applicants may not request an alumni interview. Please do not attempt to contact Undergraduate Admissions or the local ASC volunteers to request an interview. While ASC interviews are available in most parts of the United States and in many foreign countries, there are places where we do not offer alumni interviews. If an alumni interview is not available where you live, don’t worry. Interviews are not required for our Admissions Committee to evaluate your application, and students who are not able to have an interview are not disadvantaged."

[@ahmedozair2348]

Guys if the interviewer said you have passed the interview what does that mean.