# Insane College Interviews



## bobgaggle (Mar 22, 2008)

I recently interviewed for acceptance into the Technical Direction field of study at my first pick college. That was the hardest interview I'd ever done. I went in expecting some tough scrutiny of my portfolio, a few "why should I accept you" questions, maybe some quick thinking scenarios. What I got was a guy who seemed to try to throw me off. He saw that I'm from Northern Virginia and started asking me all these questions about the Redskins, Joe Gibbs, their past seasons. I'M A THEATRE PERSON!!! I DON'T FOLLOW FOOTBALL!!! Luckily though I read the paper and knew a little bit about Gibbs retiring and the Skin's track record. Crazy stuff.
After that he went through my portfolio without speaking then asked me if I preferred Oysters or Blue Crabs. What?!?!? I've only had oysters when i was in Bermuda, and I've never had Blue crab. He started making a big deal about how he couldnt believe i'd never had blue crab since I'm from the Chesapeake Tidal area. Apparantly he doesn't know that Northern Virginia is in a league of its own. I live in the second richest county in the country...NoVa is like a separate state...

Moral of the story, be prepared for anything when talking with drama people.


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## Footer (Mar 22, 2008)

Meh, doesn't really suprise me. The guy was trying to make small talk with you because of two reasons, either he looked at your portfolio and wanted you so he needed to fill the time given or he did not like your portfolio and wanted to fill time. Most people are looking that you have a good personality, he was trying to relate to you. Most colleges don't really care if you have an amazing portfolio because everyones experience before you go to undergrad is different, they are looking to see if you are a good worker and have a good personality.


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## mbandgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Footer4321 said:


> Meh, doesn't really suprise me. The guy was trying to make small talk with you because of two reasons, either he looked at your portfolio and wanted you so he needed to fill the time given or he did not like your portfolio and wanted to fill time. Most people are looking that you have a good personality, he was trying to relate to you. Most colleges don't really care if you have an amazing portfolio because everyones experience before you go to undergrad is different, they are looking to see if you are a good worker and have a good personality.



I encountered the small talk treatment in an interview as well (I am leaving the name of the institution out of this on purpose). The trick behind this is to see if you are telling the truth. The best thing to do is say, "I don't know" or "I have never done that." They are trying to catch you in a lie. If you hold your ground then they will respect that. I held my ground and may have even insulted one of the professors, but in the end I was accepted into that school. I am not sure if i am going to go there yet or not.


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## Spikesgirl (Mar 23, 2008)

charcoaldabs said:


> I guess I'm the only one not going BFA? Ha. I may need to re-think that though... :neutral:



If it's any help, that's the route I went initally, then went back for the tech degree, then one in journalism, then another in...well, you might say I'm a perpetual student. At least in case of an accident - I'm well papered.

It really depends upon what field you go into as to whether you actual need a theater degree or if a BFS will suffice. You can always go for your Masters in your disclipine. 

Bobgagggle - it sounds more like he was just trying to make small talk that wasn't theater to see if you were afflicted with tunnel vision. Some theater folk - that's all they know, see, do - and employers may be looking for someone who's a bit more well rounded and plays well with others. We frequently did high profile events and needed to be able to talk with people from a variety of backgrounds, so I was asked about travel, food, museums, art, history, people management skills etc. in my formal interview. Very little was asked of me about theater because it was all right there on my resume. They wanted to see what else made me tick.

Charlie


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## Sean (Mar 23, 2008)

bobgaggle said:


> I recently interviewed for acceptance into the Technical Direction field of study at my first pick college. That was the hardest interview I'd ever done. I went in expecting some tough scrutiny of my portfolio, a few "why should I accept you" questions, maybe some quick thinking scenarios. What I got was a guy who seemed to try to throw me off. He saw that I'm from Northern Virginia and started asking me all these questions about the Redskins, Joe Gibbs, their past seasons. I'M A THEATRE PERSON!!! I DON'T FOLLOW FOOTBALL!!! Luckily though I read the paper and knew a little bit about Gibbs retiring and the Skin's track record. Crazy stuff.
> After that he went through my portfolio without speaking then asked me if I preferred Oysters or Blue Crabs. What?!?!? I've only had oysters when i was in Bermuda, and I've never had Blue crab. He started making a big deal about how he couldnt believe i'd never had blue crab since I'm from the Chesapeake Tidal area. Apparantly he doesn't know that Northern Virginia is in a league of its own. I live in the second richest county in the country...NoVa is like a separate state...
> Moral of the story, be prepared for anything when talking with drama people.


I don't follow football either, but being well-rounded means you can talk about things. Being well-read enough to talk about Gibbs retiring is a perfect example.
As other people have said, I really doubt he was trying to trick you, etc. When I interview job applicants, I'll ask about where they're from. If I know somebody from there, or a venue, I'll ask about them. I've talked about BBQ with people from NC, lobsters with people from Maine, mosquitoes (and June Bugs) with someone from WI, and pizza and bagels with people from the NYC area. Making conversation is also often a way to get an applicant to RELAX and show some personality. I like food, so I'll often talk about it. Obviously, he likes football. 
I will say though, that the way you explain yourself sounds very elitist. So, you're from nova? So what? What does that have to do with your consumption of crabs? If you haven't broadened your horizons, go check the price of crabs--they're not cheap. And, you probably SHOULD try some--they are very tasty.

--Sean

(in NOVA)
Alexandria, VA


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## gafftaper (Apr 4, 2008)

The small talk is very important actually. Remember that they see a stack of hundreds of applications that are all highly qualified in both academics and experience. So how are they supposed to decide who to let in? If everyone's got an "A" gpa, everyone's been doing tech since middle school, everyone was the student T.D. at their high school... what is there to differentiate you? It's your personality in the interview that sets you apart and makes you stand out.


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## Grog12 (Apr 4, 2008)

charcoaldabs said:


> I guess I'm the only one not going BFA? Ha. I may need to re-think that though... :neutral:


Not nessecarily.


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## Spikesgirl (Apr 4, 2008)

I remember interviewing for my first college - I only got in because I had theater to boost my overall development- they didn't want just good grades, they wanted people who had been out in the community doing things besides just studying. I wasn't going for a theater degree at the time, so the tech work was in my favor. I would have been screwed if I'd been majoring in theater.

Now nearly every college app I've seen strongly suggests thtat their incoming students have a 'well round' community service/social life away from school as a basis for even applying. 

My advice, become gifted at small talk. Learn to converse on a variety of subjects, whether they interest you or not, it can only add to your favor.

Char5lie


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## Logos (Apr 5, 2008)

At my University/College interview I (having worked as a semi pro and pro in the industry for some time) was asked what I thought I would learn from the course given my experience and background. I looked him straight in the eye and said "every theatrical experience is a learning experience, if you don't learn something new everyday then you should find another business." 
I got in.
I should tell you that I was hungover to he** and it was the first thing I thought of. If I'd been perfectly sober I probably wouldn't have got in.
Oh I was 35 at the time so was legally (but stupidly) hung over.


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