Students hosts / admissions committee

[DokM3m3]

First time I'll have a student host for my interview day, so I'm not sure what to expect/how to act, etc. Feel free to answer any of the below questions or provide ANY input. I know this is SDN, but please try not to be condescending.

Should I be asking a lot of questions about student life, experiences - or should I wait until the actual interview day?
Should I respect the fact that the student has a busy life and stay to myself?
Do they generally bring you somewhere for dinner the night before or night of? or do I go on my own and find somewhere to eat?
Do they talk to the admissions committee about me? Can they do that? Do they do that?
Is it fine if I just watch Netflix the night before to chill or should I be engaged in conversation and trying to learn as much as I can with the host?
I'm addicted to the iron and this is a 2.5 day stay. Can I ask if they can show me the gym lol or should I wait it out?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

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[voiceless]

1) Should I be asking a lot of questions about student life, experiences - or should I wait until the actual interview day?
2) Should I respect the fact that the student has a busy life and stay to myself?
3) Do they generally bring you somewhere for dinner the night before or night of? or do I go on my own and find somewhere to eat?
4) Do they talk to the admissions committee about me? Can they do that? Do they do that?
5) Is it fine if I just watch Netflix the night before to chill or should I be engaged in conversation and trying to learn as much as I can with the host?
6) I'm addicted to the iron and this is a 2.5 day stay. Can I ask if they can show me the gym lol or should I wait it out?

Hey! I stayed with a couple student hosts, so I'll answer your questions from my experience.

1) You should definitely ask questions about student life and the student's own experiences, as they may be able to provide you with some insight into the culture of the school that you weren't able to glean from the website (for caveat, see #2)
2) Follow the student's lead. At one of the schools I went to, I stayed with two different student hosts; one was really busy and wanted to study and left me to my thoughts, while the other wanted to show me around town.
3) They definitely are not obligated to take you out to dinner; if they do, common courtesy is to pay for their meal. Again, follow their lead, they'll let you know in words or in subtle gestures how much they want to interact with you.
4) My understanding is that student hosts are not a part of admissions. However, if you're super rude to them/get drunk and trash their room, I'm sure a little birdie will find its way to the admissions committee.
5) Same advice as #2, follow the student's lead.
6) Please just wait it out. Do some bodyweight exercises or something.

 

[DokM3m3]

Hey! I stayed with a couple student hosts, so I'll answer your questions from my experience.

1) You should definitely ask questions about student life and the student's own experiences, as they may be able to provide you with some insight into the culture of the school that you weren't able to glean from the website (for caveat, see #2)
2) Follow the student's lead. At one of the schools I went to, I stayed with two different student hosts; one was really busy and wanted to study and left me to my thoughts, while the other wanted to show me around town.
3) They definitely are not obligated to take you out to dinner; if they do, common courtesy is to pay for their meal. Again, follow their lead, they'll let you know in words or in subtle gestures how much they want to interact with you.
4) My understanding is that student hosts are not a part of admissions. However, if you're super rude to them/get drunk and trash their room, I'm sure a little birdie will find its way to the admissions committee.
5) Same advice as #2, follow the student's lead.
6) Please just wait it out. Do some bodyweight exercises or something.

Thanks so much for the responses! For the dinner, I meant to say 'show me where the dining locations are,' but I guess you answered that by saying it depends on the host and to just look out for subtle gestures.

 

[WIMNFamilyMed]

First time I'll have a student host for my interview day, so I'm not sure what to expect/how to act, etc. Feel free to answer any of the below questions or provide ANY input. I know this is SDN, but please try not to be condescending.

Should I be asking a lot of questions about student life, experiences - or should I wait until the actual interview day?
Should I respect the fact that the student has a busy life and stay to myself?
Do they generally bring you somewhere for dinner the night before or night of? or do I go on my own and find somewhere to eat?
Do they talk to the admissions committee about me? Can they do that? Do they do that?
Is it fine if I just watch Netflix the night before to chill or should I be engaged in conversation and trying to learn as much as I can with the host?
I'm addicted to the iron and this is a 2.5 day stay. Can I ask if they can show me the gym lol or should I wait it out?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Gym. Just ask if they go, if you two can go or they have any guest pass type things or say memberships. OR ask If they want to go for a walk and can show you the neighborhood. You get more student life intel and fitness, and they can use time you would have talked on a couch at home to take a more productive break by exercising too.

 

[Cookiess]

Should I be asking a lot of questions about student life, experiences - or should I wait until the actual interview day?
I would base this off of their initial interactions with you. I would ask them if they wouldn't mind answering a couple questions you had and see how they respond. Everyone is different and some are more open to conversations/questions than others. Also timing is a big factor as they might not be as open to answering questions if exams are around the corner. If they are open to answering questions, then you can ask away. I think student hosts can give you a sense of the student life and experiences that you may not have as much time to do during the interview day.

Should I respect the fact that the student has a busy life and stay to myself?
This is also person dependent. It'll depend on their personality and their exam schedule. If they seem open to spending time with you and showing you around, then feel free to take them up on their offer.

Do they generally bring you somewhere for dinner the night before or night of? or do I go on my own and find somewhere to eat?
Same answer as number 1 and 2. If the school offers a pre-interview dinner, your host might be able to drop you off but it depends on their availability. You could ask about their availability when you first meet your host and see what vibe they give you.

Do they talk to the admissions committee about me? Can they do that? Do they do that?
Some student hosts are part of the admissions committee but in general I think they generally try to limit their interactions with their interviewees prior to the actual interview. I believe at my school they try to avoid pairing interviewees with their interviewer in terms of hosting. In general, your host probably wouldn't mention anything about you to the admissions committee unless it was something significantly bad that you did during your stay.

Is it fine if I just watch Netflix the night before to chill or should I be engaged in conversation and trying to learn as much as I can with the host?
Either or is fine. We know the interview day will be stressful so it's totally fine to keep to yourself the night before the interview. Ask questions if you have them but don't feel forced to interact with your interviewer.

I'm addicted to the iron and this is a 2.5 day stay. Can I ask if they can show me the gym lol or should I wait it out?
You could ask your host when you first meet them about whether it's possible for them to show you around and show you the gym. If they don't have time to, then I would try to explore the gym on your own if its close enough.