MIT Interview?

[Haphazard]

I'm going to an interview as a part of my application to MIT in two weeks. Anything in particular I should know or do? It said I could bring things or a portfolio. What kind of things should I bring, if I bring anything at all?

Arg.

 

[nomadic]

Nice. Definitely not surprised to hear that. Good luck. I dunno much about MIT application process though.

But Cal Tech is good too. My good friend is getting his PhD in biology there, so let me know if you have any questions about that too.

 

[CleanCuteNFP]

Sorry I have nothing to offfer other than be yourself and rock on.

That is awsome.

 

[Athenian200]

Any kind of awards or certificates you've won/earned, anything that would demonstrate your abilities or accomplishments. Possibly something you've made, if it's very good and required a lot of technical skill to create.

I'm not sure, though, but that's my best guess.

 

[Timeless]

Wow, MIT?

Good luck yo!

 

[avolkiteshvara]

Don't tell them you like to smoke pot.

 

[Haphazard]

Don't tell them you like to smoke pot.

I'll take note of that.

I'm guessing I also shouldn't show up to the interview high?

 

[ygolo]

It has been a long time, but I believe you'll be meeting an MIT Alumn.

What Athenian advised is good. But including writing you've done, (especially if short) would be good as well.

Be confident and composed, yet humble. (I, personally, was sweating bullets, and came off as really arrogant to boot--don't do that.)

Let your record stand as it is. Make no excuses for a weak point on your record. If (s)he asks you about it, state what you think about it, maybe give a reason, and state how you've improved (will improve). However, in general you don't want to dwell on it.

Be interested and knowledgeable about the program you are going to enter. Ask a lot of questions about how MIT life was for the Alumn. Ask for general advice.

Answer the questions asked truthfully. Having been an interviewer in other situations, I can tell you that it is really obvious when someone is embellishing.

 

[Haphazard]

There are two things that most worry me:

1. the describe yourself question, which is apparently inevitably in all interviews.

2. Should I bring my knitted projects? I do have he schematics of the doll I'm working on right now, and it's mostly finished. I designed it myself, but I don't know if that's what they're looking for.

 

[Usehername]

have you checked out the MIT bloggers? MIT pays students to blog. they are likely a goldmine of resources.

 

[Athenian200]

1. the describe yourself question, which is apparently inevitably in all interviews.

I can tell you how to describe yourself, but I can't tell you how to emphasize what they want to hear, as I have no experience with this process.

If I were you, here's how I'd describe myself:

"I like to make things in my spare time, especially things that involve a degree of creativity and skill, as well as attention to detail in the process. Specifically, I'm into creative writing, cooking, knitting, and drawing. I also enjoy searching for new and better ways of doing things, but still see the value in and draw from traditional methods. Reconciling these approaches in a unique and interesting way is often a theme of my work.

I'm fond of music and instruments, and have devoted a lot of time to studying their properties and seeking instruction in their use. I've even played in my school orchestra/band.

I also make time to invest in social networking sites and personal blogs, because I appreciate the human element and the input of others. I recognize the importance of maintaining and managing ties to people. I'm skilled at balancing my creative work, my social life, and my school work in such a way as to prevent one from dominating and stifling the others."

That's kind of rough, but there's probably a lot you can use in there. That's how I imagine you describing yourself to someone. You should try to put that in your own words, though, as I'm pretty sure my language is a lot more stuffy and formal than anything you'd say.

Oh, and mentioning that you've participated in NaNoWriMo, your School's Creative Writing club, and some other things you've done that relate to your interests might be helpful, too... though that stuff might be better for putting on a form than talking about. Not sure.

2. Should I bring my knitted projects? I do have he schematics of the doll I'm working on right now, and it's mostly finished. I designed it myself, but I don't know if that's what they're looking for.

I would say so, especially if you're going for a Liberal Arts degree. Your interests would seem to make you qualified to go for one. But again, I know nothing about this stuff.

 

[Haphazard]

I would say so, especially if you're going for a Liberal Arts degree. Your interests would seem to make you qualified to go for one. But again, I know nothing about this stuff.

Okay, I plan on bringing a work in progress, a doll with rather complicated construction, and the first doll I made to show how much I've improved in design.

The new doll however is based off of a pre-existing character in an anime. Should I bring a picture of the original character the doll is based off of (to show off my mad interpretation skills of how to make a two-dimensional character into three, where I stylistically symplified, etc), or should I not, because it's a pre-existing character, and not original?