In December 1962 I had the privilege of an interview with the late Joe Bolster ’52.
Dad and I had ridden a Greyhound bus for three days and nights to get to Princeton for the interview. At the end of our interview, Mr. Bolster asked, “Do you have any questions about Princeton?”
I asked, “How is the fishing at Princeton?” (I was crazy about fishing, even in the deserts of New Mexico.)
Mr. Bolster was surprised at the question, and he fumbled for an answer. But he didn’t need any answer at all. I had fallen in love with Princeton from the moment we arrived on campus.
I am sure that my Princeton interview has influenced my own interviewing. (I have spent nearly five decades interviewing candidates for the UC Berkeley Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarships.)
Over the years I have usually opened the interview with a brief overview of how I’ll report the interview. I say, “I imagine that I’m writing a letter to my mother to tell her about meeting some terrific students ...”
Early in the interview I often ask, “Tell me about your trip to Berkeley today,” or “Tell me about your hometown.” (I love traveling and wish that I could know more about every hometown.)
We don’t have to tell students about their odds of admission to UC Berkeley. Each student we interview has already been admitted. But I do make a general comment about admissions. “Chances are that you will be admitted to a number of very good places,” I say. “But I do hope that you’ll give Berkeley serious consideration.”
And as I report on each interview, I ask myself, “How will this person make UC Berkeley a better place?” The PAW article has covered each of these points very well. But I thought that I’d just share my own experience.