We're all busy. Don't be a scheduling nightmare.

I'd been trying to reach the applicant for more than two weeks--I'd emailed her twice with no response and left her a voicemail on her cellphone. I was going to call her one last time before giving up and filing her as a non-response.

On the third ring, she picked up:

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm calling from _____. I wanted to speak with you about scheduling your admissions interview."

"Oh... right. Yeah, I saw your emails, but I've just been really swamped... um... how long is it going to take?"

"Typically 30 minutes to an hour. If possible, I'd like to schedule you either later this week or early next. Does some time in the afternoon, after school, work for you? Sometime between say 3pm and 8pm?"

"Oh... yeah, well, maybe... I've got practice after school most nights though, and I'm really busy. How about Saturday, like around noon? We could meet at the Starbucks out by me?"

"Right. I normally do my interviews near my office during the week, unless it's absolutely impossible to schedule. Are you completely unavailable on weeknights? I could go later too, if that would help?"

"Yeah, well, see I'm really busy, and I'm thinking about trying out for the school musical too. And I just really don't like driving into town..."

Ding.

Advice
First, it should be obvious but shockingly enough often isn't: Respect your interviewer. It's either someone who works in the school's admissions office or a local alumni who is volunteering his or her valuable time to meet with you. Either way, this is someone whose favorable opinion you desperately need if you want to have a chance of getting accepted.

What's the easiest way to tick off your interviewer before you've even met? Be a prima dona about scheduling the interview!

This is the very first impression that you're giving your interviewer--before you walk into the office, before you shake hands for the first time, your interviewer is getting an impression about what type of person you are. Don't let it be "self-centered brat". Maybe you're awesome enough to be able to claw out of that hole, but why would you want to dig that hole to start with?

Keep in mind the process. Chances are your interviewer is a local graduate (see earlier posts), meaning this is something they're volunteering to do in their free time. They probably have anywhere from 1-2 to 5 or more applicants to interview. Depending on the school, they may have an extended form or write-up to produce about each applicant. They undoubtedly have a deadline by which they need to get their report turned in.

To be successful, you need to do everything possible to make scheduling as simple and straight-forward as possible. You probably won't impress your interviewer with how accommodating and responsive you are, but you'll avoid giving them a negative first impression.

Ways to screw up:

• Don't respond to the email or call.
• Respond to the email, but leave it vague (ie, if the interviewer asks whether you're free any afternoon this week, reply "yes". Better would be "I'm free any afternoon after 4". Best would be "I'm free from 4-6 on Tuesday, 3-6 on Wednesday, or 4-7 on Thursday, do any of these work for you?"
• Demand an alternative time slot absent an extremely good reason
• Demand an alternative venue absent an extremely good reason
  

Ways to ace it:

• Be gracious to your interviewer, and find a time that is workable for you as quickly as possible. Note that "workable" doesn't mean "perfect." Not a morning person, but 7am is the only time your interviewer can meet with you? Then 7am it is--pick up coffee on the way.
• Reply to emails or calls immediately. If you need another day or two to finalize a time (say you need to reschedule another activity), respond to the call or email saying so: "Mr Jones, this is CJ. I just got your message about interviewing with your school. I'm very excited about meeting you, but let me call you back tomorrow afternoon to finalize a time--I think that Thursday will work, but I need to see if I can reschedule another meeting. Can I call you back tomorrow around 4:30 to finalize things?"
  
• Block off at least an hour on either side of the interview to get to and from the interview, allow for things running late, and to avoid being rushed and panicked. Block off even more time if you need to travel across town, your interview is during rush hour, etc. If practice lets out at 4:30, try not to schedule your interview at 5--you'll just be panicked and hurried.
• Absent an extremely good reason, always accept the venue that your interviewer proposes. If they want to meet you at their office, the library, a local coffee shop, etc, it's probably with good reason.
• If you have to skip practice, be late to rehearsal, miss a group meeting, or reschedule another event, 90% of the time you should do it. Your interviewer takes your interview seriously--you should too.
  

What's the lesson? Reply quickly, be courteous and respectful of your interviewer's time, and be as easy to schedule as possible.

But what if you're really booked?
Your interviewer expects you to be busy--after all, if you're applying to an elite college, chances are you're not just drifting through high school. They also expect you to prioritize your interview over most other activities and do everything in your power to schedule a time that's convenient to your interviewer.

When I'm scheduling someone, I'll typically offer up a half-dozen windows--afternoons on multiple weekdays and an evening or two--figuring that surely an hour during one of those slots works. If you can, reschedule or cancel other activities to make a time work for your interview.

But what if you really can't make any of the times your interviewer suggested? Apologize profusely for not being able to make any of the suggested times work, explain your conflict, and offer up 4-5 time slots that would work for you. Then let your interviewer pick, and make sure to thank them profusely for being flexible in working with your schedule when you meet.

What if you need to travel to the interview?
Often your interviewer won't live down the street from you. They may not even live in your town--or, more commonly, if you live in the suburbs they might live in (and want to interview you in) the city.

If it's within your power to meet them at their suggested location, accept without hesitation. Is it going to take you two hours to drive to your interview? Then drive two hours--think of it as additional time to get your thoughts in order (or, if someone else can drive you, more time to review your notes and prepare). Trust me, better for your chances if you travel two hours than for your interviewer to travel that far.

If you really, really can't travel that far--no one in your family or immediate circle of friends has a car and public transportation doesn't exist--explain your situation to your interviewer, offer what you can (can you meet them half-way?), apologize profusely and be as accommodating as possible. Do anything possible to avoid this though, since no mater how gracious your interviewer seems on the phone or email, you'll be starting out with one strike against you if you make them go out of their way to meet with you.

What if your interviewer is indecisive?
Instead of offering specific time options for a set location, what if you get an email that looks like this:

Dear Applicant---
My name is CJ, and I need to schedule you for your admissions interview. When do you want to get together? ---CJ

It's your interviewer's job to suggest times and a location, but sometimes they leave it up to you. What should you do? Take charge! Suggest multiple times that would work, and offer to meet either at their office or at a location that is convenient for them. For example:

CJ---
Thanks for contacting me --- I'm really excited to meet with you and find out more about your school. This week, I'm free on Wednesday from 4 until 6, Friday from 3 until 7, or next week on Monday from 3 until 8 or Tuesday from 4 until 6.

Let me know if any of those times work for you, and let me know if you'd like me to meet you at your office or some other place that's convenient for you--a local coffee shop, etc. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in person
---Applicant

Then, if you don't hear back from then in 2-3 days, email or call to follow up. (Being proactive and decisive like this, by the way, will impress 90% of interviewers).

Don't mess up your interview by setting a bad impression before you even meet--be as accommodating and easy to schedule as possible ---CJ