Wharton interviews: adcom or alum??? We prefer adcom.
Hi Sandy,
For Wharton, do you suggest an On Campus or an Alumni interview? Do you think it matters (I know they say it doesn’t).
HMMMM, IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ADCOM AND CAMPUS INTERVWS ARE LESS RISKY– ADCOM AND CAMPUS INTERVIEWS ARE BASICALLY MORE MACHINE TOOLED–BY THE TIME THEY GET TO YOU, THEY HAVE BECOME ROBOTIC IN A GOOD WAY IN ASKING QUESTIONS AND EVALUATING ANSWERS. SO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET ODDBALL QUESTIONS OR MEET A SUPER A**HOLE (ALTHO YOU COULD MEET A REG ONE).
ALUMS OFTEN 1. ARE INEXPERIENCED, 2.TAKE THE THING TOO SERIOUSLY, 3. DONT HAVE LARGE DATA BASE TO COMAPARE YOU TO,SO THEIR INTERNAL MODEL OF WHAT A GOOD INT/ANSWER IS CAN BE WILDLY EXAGGERATED–THEY EXPECT HOLLYWOOD LEVEL PRODUCTION VALUES IN ANSWERS AND OFTEN YOUR OWN LOOKS (DESPITE NOT LOOKING IN MIRROR RECENTLY). ETC. SO ALUMS ARE JUST UNPREDICTABLE, AND WHILE FOR THE MOST PART, YOU GET A FAIR SHAKE, AND SOME ALUMS ARE OLD HANDS (SLAP HAPPY AND UNDER-EMPLOYED) IT IS PZZBLE TO GET AN ALUM ON A HECTIC DAY, BAD WEEK, ETC. ETC. ANOTHER WILD CARD FACTOR.
I ADVISE ADCOM/CAMPUS INTERVIEWS FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, ALTHO IT IS NOT A SUPER DUPER DIFFERENCE, IT IS PZZBLE TO GET A NUTCASE ALUM AND THAT CAN IMPACT OUTCOME. HOW OFTEN? DUNNO?
THERE ARE ALSO PLENTY OF STORIES ABOUT JERK ‘STUDENT-ADCOM’ INTERVIEWS AT WHARTON, BUT THAT DOES NOT LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IMHO.
