I was asked about my foreign educational background. The interview was very positive and I found this to be very encouraging because a lot of people have negative attitudes towards degrees from outside the USA, though from my experience, there is a lot of spoon-feeding in the USA educational system.
Read all the tips I could find about interviewing.
What impressed you positively?
The reception by the diversity office and most students that I spoke to.
What impressed you negatively?
Vanderbilt had encouraged interviewees spending the night in Nashville to stay at a particular inn, which was supposed to shuttle interviewees to the interview venue. The shuttle proved unreliable and I was late for a few minutes, though not for the actual interview. The admissions office secretary was not warm in the way she received me, and I found some of her actions very unfriendly. For instance, after the interview I was supposed to go back to the diversity office but she tried to stop me.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
That the accommodation and shuttle promotions were not as honest and reliable as they looked. I also discovered that the whole process is very subjective and though the actual interviewer might be great there might be other people in the periphery who might influence the process negatively.
What are your general comments?
Overall, I was excited about the whole expereince, but there was a lingering discomfort about the treatment I received from the secretary in the admissions office.
📍 On-Site Experience
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Neutral
What is your in-state status?
Out of state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
7+ hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Automobile
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?