Schools What Should I Expect in My University of Rochester Scholarship Interview?

AI Thread Summary
The University of Rochester offers a scholarship program specifically for Syrian students, prompting an applicant to seek advice on preparing for a Skype interview with an admissions counselor. The applicant, unfamiliar with the interview process due to the lack of such requirements in Syria, expresses nervousness about potential questions. Insights from others indicate that interviews typically focus on personal interests, motivations for choosing the university, and general background, including hobbies and high school experiences. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating personality and effective communication skills, particularly in spoken English, which may not be fully assessed through written tests. Concerns about the level of English used during the interview and its duration, potentially exceeding 30 minutes, are also raised. Overall, preparation for common interview questions and maintaining a positive demeanor are recommended strategies for success.
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Hello
The University Of Rochester has a special scholarship program for Syrian students.
I as a Syrian citizen applied to this program and the Admission consular wants to set up an interview with me via Skype so that we can talk.
what do you think he's going to ask me.
any advice would be appreciated.

just for the record:
here in Syria ,we don't have to do any interview when applying to a university so I am really not familiar with this and really nervous about it too.

if you do have any suggestions ,please post them.


notes:
I am applying as a freshman to study Electrical Engineering.
my High school overall average is 72.55% .
the University didn't require me to send SAT or ACT scores.
I don't know if they're going to waive the English proficiency requirement yet. (they usually ask for TOEFL scores).



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During my freshman college interviews they basically wanted to get to know me as a person. Smile to the camera (literally) and be friendly, make sure to demonstrate your personality, and since you are applying for EE, know how to communicate your interest in the field (why you are interested in it and what in particular draws you.) Also, try not to show nervousness.

I'm not sure what questions they'd ask you, but they asked me some questions like "Why are you interested in this school?" "What hobbies do you do in your spare time?" "What might you be interested in majoring in?" "How was your high school experience?" Some also threw in a couple of random questions about the history of the town/place I came from, or current events going on in my local area. Make sure you prepare some good, specific answers to questions like these, and focus on the positive (or if there are any parts of your story that may not be so positive, dwell on the things you learned from it.)
 
In this particular case, certainly one thing they will want to determine is how good your spoken English is! (NOT always clear from a written test.)
 
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HallsofIvy said:
In this particular case, certainly one thing they will want to determine is how good your spoken English is! (NOT always clear from a written test.)


what kind of English do you think the interviewer is going to use with me?? Advanced English??
I have made a research about college interview questions and answers and I can talk about that fluently but I am afraid he will consider me a very good English speaker.

how much time will it take ?? do you think it will be more than 30 minutes?
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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