Interview horror stories c/o 2027

[anxiousanimallover]

Write your rants about an interview experience gone wrong.... Ill go first, I was late to mine because I for some reason thought it was going to be my timezone and not where the school is....

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[puppydogtor]

Mine is from last year but to give y'all some hope...
My first interview was with Midwestern. There was still ~5 min left for my interview and the interviewer goes, "Well I think we've heard enough." I wanted to cry after, I felt like I said something that made me an immediate "Nope." I got accepted a week later The interviewer is one of my professors now and after knowing him I realized he didn't say that to be cold, he just doesn't convey emotion very well lol

 

[Rem99]

First-time applicant and I only applied to 1 school, so no pressure right? I had my interview this past Saturday, logged in 30 minutes early and made sure my internet connection was perfect, power cord plugged in, all the things. During the group announcement, my computer suddenly freezes and completely shuts down. I'm pretty sure I saw my soul leave my body and began frantically trying to get my computer back on. Thankfully it did and I came flying back online with a huge apology and a positive "But I'm here now!". The rest of the interview was great so hopefully, I can look back on this and laugh. I still have no idea what caused it to crash though.

 

[anxiousanimallover]

First-time applicant and I only applied to 1 school, so no pressure right? I had my interview this past Saturday, logged in 30 minutes early and made sure my internet connection was perfect, power cord plugged in, all the things. During the group announcement, my computer suddenly freezes and completely shuts down. I'm pretty sure I saw my soul leave my body and began frantically trying to get my computer back on. Thankfully it did and I came flying back online with a huge apology and a positive "But I'm here now!". The rest of the interview was great so hopefully, I can look back on this and laugh. I still have no idea what caused it to crash though.

I'm so sorry! Things out of your control, I just look unprepared with mine lol

 

[Rem99]

I'm so sorry! Things out of your control, I just look unprepared with mine lol

But you were still able to do the interview so not all hope is lost!

 

[EngrSC]

I'm not 2027 but I love this thread!

When I interviewed at Penn I was the last of the day. The person who interviewed before me went 10 minutes over so mine started late. Literally had been in there for 15 minutes (supposed to be 30 I think?) and the person running the show was knocking on the glass window saying my time was up. Felt like I had barely started talking, so I said a last couple things really fast and left. I was on the quiet Amtrak train back to DC (was staying with a friend there) and I got an email from the person who interrupted my interview saying he was so incredibly sorry, he thought I was the person before me in the interview room. He wanted to call me to apologize over the phone, but of course I was on the quiet train so couldn't talk. Anyway, the Monday after we were able to connect by phone and he apologized and told me I had been accepted to the program
No hard feelings though! I loved my interview day at Penn and even though my interview itself was short, my interviewers were great!

One of my interviewers (at a school I won't name) was a large animal surgeon and thought it was so cool that I was an engineer ... which resulted in him asking me all kinds of questions about material properties and other engineering stuff I purged from my brain. It was so unbelievably awful. I was stumbling over my words because it caught me so off guard. I ended up being waitlisted, which I expected. And it ended up being fine because I didn't like the area, wasn't impressed with the school, and just couldn't see myself there.

 

[battie]

From the interviewer side!

I was a student interviewer my 4th year. Of course it was COVID times still and so interviews were over zoom, which I was bummed about. I'd helped with coordinating student aspects of interviews the previous three years and had been super excited for interview day. I struggled with my tablet/lap top on and off all day and had to sit on my floor with two pillows propping up my tablet to make it decent height with a non-distracting background.

The vast majority of interviewees were champs! I will never forget how much I struggled to make my tiny tablet work. Had to sit on the floor with pillows propped under the tablet to make it level with my face. And choose a non-distracting part of my living room. I lost connection at least once.🤦🏼‍♀️ I didn't want to go to the school cause it was legit snowing and it was going to be my only day "off" that week. I got lucky and never disconnected during an interview at least.

 

[flotus]

Literally not in the interview yet but one of the admissions people asked us in the waiting room if we yawn when we get nervous, and tell me why I said “Yes and I also get really, really sweaty. Which I guess is normal, but I literally feel like I’m melting”
Why do I open my mouth???

I found out that day when I’m nervous, I also uncontrollably twitch. Like, my face twitches. Visibly.