I'd say you've got about a 50/50 chance of being recommended by me

March 24, 2008 12:13 PM

What should the response be at the end of a college interview?

About two weeks ago I had an interview over the phone for Whitman College in Washington. Since then I've talked to other kids who have said that the interviewer at the end of their interview said something like "I will recommend you." The end of the interview was a pleasant good bye, but he did not say anything to the effect of what my friends said.

He encouraged me to send some short stories to him, so later on I sent two over email. His response was a one word "Thanks." Is this normal? Should I be expecting more if he is going to recommend me for acceptance? Am I just over thinking this plate of beans?

posted by Corduroy to education (11 comments total)

All my interviews ended as yours did. Except for one interview - which ended with "You're a terrific applicant, I'm certain you'll get in." I didn't.
posted by kickingtheground at 12:30 PM on March 24

Agree with kickingtheground. My Harvard interview was the best one I had but I got two rejection letters from them come April 1st.
posted by roomwithaview at 12:38 PM on March 24

Don't read in to it too much, interviewers have their own personal styles. That said, I wouldn't send any more emails unless requested.
posted by phrontist at 12:40 PM on March 24

You're overthinking it. "Thanks" means "thanks", probably he didn't have time or wasn't prepared yet to say more. I would think if anything it's uncommon for the interviewer to disclose on the spot what sort of recommendation they're going to make, particularly since they often don't make that decision until they've talked to all the candidates they're scheduled to interview and are in a position to make comparisons. "Interviewers vary" is the most accurate nugget you're going to get in this thread, and this "Think of yourself as a salesman trying to close the deal; don't give the customer any other way out except to accept the deal" kind of behavior would make me (I do a lot of these interviews) think "Ew, oily over-coached used-car salesman" more than "I want this student here." My impression would have been formed by that point anyway, and anything short of an outright "fuck you" on departure would be unlikely to affect it much.
posted by Wolfdog at 1:08 PM on March 24

As an interviewer, I'm seconding phrontist. Every one has a personal style. There is no super-secret 'book' on what we should tell candidates we really approve of ... except to write them strong recommendations.

Maybe 'I'll recommend you' is this guy's patronizing response to everybody- except for strong candidates? Who knows?

The one-word "thanks" likely just means this guy is busy. He has another life with other commitments. For most colleges, interviewing is done by alums, volunteering their own free time. This maybe the most important thing in the world for you right now but for him, well its probably not.
posted by vacapinta at 1:15 PM on March 24

Seriously, the interviews don't actually matter.
posted by awesomebrad at 1:16 PM on March 24

You're overthinking it, don't worry: I applied and received an offer of admission from Whitman and the interviewer (who doubles as one of the people on the committee who make decisions, btw, at that school) didn't say anything other than, "Thanks for your time."

I remember I repeated the phrase back at him/her (can't remember which) and we both laughed.

I got in.
posted by arnicae at 1:19 PM on March 24

Seriously, the interviews don't actually matter.
That also varies. They can be very important.
posted by Wolfdog at 1:21 PM on March 24

I conduct interviews for that highly selective school in New Haven, CT. I never tell my interviewees "I will recommend you" and in 50+ interviews I've conducted I've never asked for an interviewee to submit supplemental material to me. So there's further anecdotal evidence of how different interviewers have different styles.

As a courtesy, I tell my interviewees that if they have any questions that they didn't think of during the interview "or anything else that comes to mind", that they should feel free to contact me. For me, this is more or less a fib. I generally submit my write-ups within a day or so, so their window to provide meaningful followup is awfully short. I've never had a followup piece of information be useful in my writeups.

I usually wish people "good luck" -- but this isn't an indication of how strong I thought they were.
posted by QuantumMeruit at 2:52 PM on March 24

Like everyone else says, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I never even interviewed at Whitman and I got in--and graduated from there last May. If they accept you and you've got questions about the school, hit me up. I'll be happy to help you out.
posted by gwyn at 7:41 PM on March 24

Remember, kiddo: it's a recommendation, not an acceptance letter. College Application Committees work in mysterious ways.
posted by BenzeneChile at 12:16 PM on March 25