July-August 2019

Alumni interviews
provide a way to get
some additional
perspective on a
student’s
background,
interests, passions,
motivation level and
so on.
SIphotography/iStock/Getty Images
Could you please tell us a bit about your
role as an alumni interviewer for MIT?
I was looking for ways to give back to MIT,
because of the great education that I received
there. One of the ways was to participate as,
what we call, educational counselors. They are
part of a global alumni network, which assists
the MIT admissions office in its evaluations of
applicants. I’ve been doing it for about 10
years. I started in Beijing, did it in Korea and I
am looking forward to continuing this here in
India.
The educational counselors’ work is really
focused on the undergraduate admissions
process. Students’ application packages
typically include their transcripts from high
school, standardized test scores, letters of
recommendation, awards, recognitions and so
on. All these things are very quantitative and
descriptive. But, as MIT and many other
institutions understand, a kind of personal
connection is important to assess whether or
not a student would be a good fit for the
school.
An institution utilizes its alumni network
around the world to meet prospective
students. We tell them what a great institution
it is, share our own experiences about what
we did during our time there and answer
questions that they might have to help them
determine if the institute is the right fit for
them. Alumni interviews provide a way to get
some additional perspective on a student’s
background, interests, passions, motivation
level and so on.
What are some of the main qualities that
interviewers look for in their candidates?
I think that each university has its own
criteria and way of evaluating students.
Universities usually look for someone who is
intellectually stimulated, a self-starter, intellectually
curious; someone who has demonstrated
maturity, communicates well; someone who is
strong in the different academic disciplines.
That said, I look for students who have
demonstrated that they have a deep and active
passion for the field of study they’re
interested in. I’m keen to know how they
have taken their interest in a field and done
something to demonstrate a passion for it that
goes beyond just “I like it.”
The second thing that we look for is
students who are a good match for the
institution. We sometimes look for that
indescribable, intangible quality of someone
who is just, for lack of a better word, brilliant.
Someone you meet and, within five minutes
of a conversation, you are just awed by their
intellectual stimulation, rigor and enthusiasm.
You feel that this person would make a
tremendous contribution to your alma mater.
Educational counselors need to express these
qualities through examples and anecdotes. I
use the interview process to get to know the
students—Why are they the way they are
today? Who shaped their interests? What life
events? What encouraged them to pursue a
particular field of study? I have a few
questions that I ask. But, the conversation
really goes in the direction that the students
want to take it; I’m just along for the ride.
Do you have any tips for a successful
interview?
Number one: prepare. I don’t mean that
you look in a mirror and rehearse lines—that
becomes pretty obvious to the interviewer.
What I mean is spend some time asking yourself
some serious questions, like “Why do I
want to go to this institute?” “What is it that
really interests me about that school?” “What
would I do if I were given that opportunity?”
“Is there something special about this institute
versus many other great universities?”
The second thing I would say is that
students should be honest with themselves.
When a person starts talking about something
that they are genuinely passionate about, you
don’t have to spur them on to talk about it.
Genuine interest and passion just flow out of
that person during the conversation. I’m not
saying that you have to know everything
about the institute. I try to discern if a student
has deep passion about something, whether it
be a social, economic, political, religious,
academic or scientific issue. We want to
understand what are those passions and what
is it about you that is unique or different.
Also, be on time, be respectful and dress
appropriately for the interview. And lastly, and
this is the hardest part: try to have fun. I know
that the application process is a stressful time
and getting a call for an interview with alumni
can seem overwhelming. But, just go out
there, do your best and enjoy yourself.
32 JULY/AUGUST 2019