Q about interview (on or off campus)

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Q about interview (on or off campus)

by austin_writer » Mon Nov 09, 2009 12:30 pm
I know you get this question all the time. And I read quite a bit about this. There is no correct answer to this question, but I would love to get your input based on the circumstances specific to my situation.

I live in Austin. And say I receive an interview invite from McCombs (which says it does not discriminate between on and off campus interviews- https://acsprod.mccombs.utexas.edu/texa ... w/body.asp). Will it still not make any difference if I interview on or off campus? Will they expect me to interview on campus because I live here?

The main difference between on and off campus interviews seems to be that the on-campus ones are very structured. The off-campus ones are more informal. I would prefer the latter based on my personality - I can impress people but when things are too structured, I feel a bit stifled. But if interviewing on campus is going to fetch me brownie points, I am willing to give it a shot too.

What do you suggest? Any tips on selecting the interviewer?
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by Cindy Tokumitsu » Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:30 am
Hello,

There's not a black-and-white answer. First, it depends on who would interview you on campus, a student or an adcom member. If the latter, it's beneficial because you have the chance to directly influence a decision-maker. It might look a little strange if you're local but don't interview on campus.

On the other hand, if you feel you would do much better in the other setting, it might make sense. I think the answer is in the degrees: how much more effective are you in the other setting, how much more would you have to prepare to be effective in the on-campus setting, etc. If you feel you can do the proper preparation to be effective, I suggest interviewing on campus in your situation.

Best regards,
Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com