Research the mission of the school
Thinking about your answers to potential questions can be invaluable. You don’t want to be caught off guard, stumbling through a response with “uhs” and “I don’t knows”. You can seriously demonstrate interest by showing how you “fit” at that school. Make sure you’ve done your research and have good questions to ask the interviewer as well. Don’t inquire about something that you could find the answer to yourself. Actually practicing with someone may help reduce the jitters, so don’t forget to have a dry run. Independent Educational Consultants can put you through some practice sessions, so that you will feel prepared.
Ask your guidance counselor for standard college interview questions, they either have a copy in their files, or they can find a web address with standard questions. I would spend some time before hand preparing for any potential questions you may get and do an outline of your responses. Do not construct verbatim responses because this will make you more anxious, and you will come across as ingenuine to the interviewer if your responses are scripted.
Be prepared for questions such as: Who are you? What accomplishments, activities, people are most important to you? What and who made you into the person you are today? What interests you? What are your passions? Where are you going? What are your goals? What are your dreams? How do you see yourself developing over the next five/ten years? What course of study are you thinking you’ll pursue? Why this college? What is it about the confluence of your goals, your interests, your talents and your personal style that brings you to consider this college? What do you know about this college that tells you it would be a good match for you? How will this college help you reach your goals?
When you go to an interview, take your resume with you. The interviewer will appreciate having notes to refer to during and after the meeting. Prepare a few specific questions about traditions or programs at the school. This will show that you are familiar with the college and will give you the opportunity to learn more. Interviews should be informative as well as evaluative.
Practice so your responses are natural but not too polished. You don’t want to sound like you’ve said the same thing 10 times before, but you do want to make sure you get your point across. Find a friend, a relative, or your college counselor and spend a few minutes making sure you are making the impression you want to make.
During the interview, remember that while you are trying to sell yourself to the school, the interviewer is trying to sell the school to you. The ultimate point of the interview is to show that you are a good person – polite, and honest with a sense of humor about this unnerving admissions process. To do this effectively you have to be yourself.
Prepare yourself by being ready to answer the following commonly-asked questions:
Offer a firm handshake to express confidence. Stand up straight and make eye contact. Try not to fidget. Speak in complete sentences, omitting slang expressions such as “like”, “you know” or “um.” Stop and think before you speak. Listen carefully to the questions asked, and express your ideas clearly as well as your enthusiasm for the school, both when asking and answering questions, as well as during the discussion. The likelihood that you would attend the school, if admitted, can actually impact on your chances of acceptance. And breathe easy, as you’re not on trial! The interview is for your benefit as much as it is for the admissions office.
Honestly is my best policy. Don’t pretend. Don’t try to guess the “right” answer. Instead, feel good about yourself and try to convey that feeling to the interviewer. You can be positive about your accomplishments without sounding conceited. Since the interview is designed to help the school search for positive personal qualities, make sure the interviewer knows you can play well with others would likely become a congenial and productive member of the college community.
I have a hot list of interview questions on my computer, and I run through these questions with students before they go on interviews. By practicing in front of a mirror or with another person, a student can prepare him or herself for the real deal. There are some classic interview questions: strengths and weaknesses; challenges overcome; favorite subjects in school; goals and objectives. All students should know their answers to those questions before that meeting with the interviewer. I also have students – even young students applying to private schools – carry in their questions on an index card or sheet of paper. Interviewers often allot time for such questions, and they reflect well on the particular student and serve to reinforce his interest in the school.
Remember that you are the center of attention, so try to enjoy yourself. Focus on being open and sincere. Be yourself. Try not to answer the interviewer’s questions with one-word responses, which will make it very difficult for him or her to learn about you, your accomplishments, and your aspirations. On the other hand, try not to ramble on with too many unnecessary details (especially if you’re nervous).
Be ok with being nervous. Everyone who has ever sat in that chair, for generations before you, has been nervous. It’s expected. Take a deep breath, and consider even telling the interviewer “I’m nervous.” It will enlist him or her to your side. Try to make frequent eye contact, but don’t look like you’re in pain or uncomfortable. It’s an interview, not a root canal. And don’t forget to get the necessary info to send a personalized thank you note, card, or email before you leave.
A few of my favorite tips include making sure the student makes the phone call to schedule the interview themselves. If possible, schedule the interview 2 or 3 weeks in advance and confirm your appointment the week of the interview. Before the interview, study the school’s catalog and online resources so you can respond to the interviewer’s questions and ask intelligent questions of your own. And definitely arrive early, especially for an on-campus interview, as it is very easy to get lost on a large college campus. Plan on touring the campus, as well as attending the information session before your interview. You will then be in better position to ask and answer their questions.
Make a great first impression by dressing reasonably well, including good grooming and neatness. They count! How you are dressed reflects how important this interview is to you. Definitely do not chew gum during the interview or wear a baseball cap (even if it’s for the school you’re interviewing with) and make sure your cell phone is turned off.
most selective colleges require interviews so you need to get ready and consider mock interviews as the best way to practice. Counselors are the best ones to work with. Be prepared to ask the right questions such as rention rate and career placement services etc.,
Tips for Acing Your Interview
Ok — so that’s not really 3Rs — but I think that relaxing is really important so I thought I’d list that twice!
Some schools require (or recommend – think of that as “require”) an interview as part of the admissions process. Other schools offer interviews as a means for the student to learn more about the institution, but do not consider the interview for admissions purposes. And some very large schools don’t offer interviews at all because of the huge number of applications with which they deal each year.
Some schools require (or recommend – think of that as “require”) an interview as part of the admissions process. Other schools offer interviews as a means for the student to learn more about the institution, but do not consider the interview for admissions purposes. And some large schools don’t offer interviews at all because of the huge number of applications with which they deal each year.
Before heading to your college interview it is important that you make sure you have done some research on the school at which you are interviewing. Take some time to look at the school’s website, as well as any materials they have sent to you via mail or email, and begin developing a list of questions that you have about the school and its programs. It’s important to remember that the interviewer wants to get to know the real you, not a scripted version of yourself, so it’s better not to have rehearsed answers. Remember: the interview is a conversation, not a lecture, so make sure you come prepared to ask questions, too!
First of all, relax! An interview isn’t an interrogation, but a conversation. This means the student has to play her or her part in the process. Prepare for your interview by learning all you can about the school and then developing genuine questions you’d like to discuss. Put some time into thinking about your strengths, your challenges, and why you believe the school is a match for you.
Be familiar with a colleges strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to articular why you are interested in attending. Practice and have three points you wish to make to the interviewers.
Be yourself. Be genuine. Mind your manners, but you don’t have to be overly formal. (Be sure to send a thank you note once you return home!) Before the interview, PREPARE. Learn about the school; about the majors; about special programs. Go into the interview prepared to ask intelligent questions. Doing your homework will be impressive, and will help you get to know the college’s personality before you are seated in front of an interviewer.
Regardless of the kind of interview one may have, the process always offers an opportunity for an applicant to make a good, distinctive impression. Consequently you should come prepared, ready to talk about yourself and the school—and how they might well come together in the future. Be ready to discuss the things that matter to you and about the aspects of the school that have drawn you to it. Be ready to share your passion and expand upon things you may have already discussed in your application. Be ready with some questions, but don’t ask the obvious—things that you could have learned through even a cursory look at the website. Ask about things that reflect your existing depth of understanding as well as your curiosity. Show yourself to be a thoughtful individual who will be a positive addition to the school community.
Prepping: students can get tremendous results in practice or prepping for the SAT/ACT, prepping (or re-writing) the Essay, and yes prepping for the College Interview. Practice makes perfect. Obtain a list of typical interview questions and rehearse. As you practice your answers first in front of the mirror to check posture and body language, then move to rehearsing in front of live bodies (parents, college counselor), finally try a school.I had my three children “practice” at a school we were NOT going to apply to, in order to get them real life experience. For the same reason, now I offer an interview prep service for my families
The best ways to prepare for an interview is to remember the 3 Rs: RESEARCH RELAX RELAX Ok — so that’s not really 3Rs — but I think that relaxing is really important so I thought I’d list that twice!
Study yourself!!!! the purpose of the interview is to learn about you and what you have done throughout your life that makes you a great candidate for the school. Keep a copy of your resume with you so that you can highlight your accomplishments and know what makes you your best person and how you will incorporate that in your studies and at the university.
— Become familiar with the college before the interview. — Think about what you want the interviewer to learn about you. — Think about 3 or 4 strengths or experiences you want to share. — Think about what weaknesses you want to explain.. — Anticipate questions that may arise because of anything unusual in your application. — Prepare a few questions you have about the school. — Prepare a binder or folder with paper, pen, a copy of your resume, your SAT/ACT scores, your GPA, and questions you have for the interviewer.
Since the interview can be a pass/fail, interview prep with a professional is surely worthwhile. If that’s not possible, rehearse with friends or parents and visit a book store and read up on some interview strategies. You should also be aware of the 3 things you MUST bring to any interview.
Practice, practice, practice. Don’t go in to an interview cold. Have your counselor, parents, sibling or friend ask you a series of questions. Get feedback. Try answering a few questions in front of a mirror. It is ok to be nervous, but you don’t want to shut down in an interview.
Certainly practice can help, but don’t overpractice. Preferably practice with someone who is not a family member like a teacher or counselor. You can get a list of frequently asked interview questions from the internet (collegeboard has some for example). You don’t want to appear “not real” to the interviewer. Relax and be yourself. Interviews can only help your chances, they do not hurt your chances.
Do your homework! During the interview, you want to demonstrate that you’ve selected that school for a specific reason. Many students select schools on name basis alone, but you’re not like many students. Differentiate yourself! Be as specific as possible. Make the case not for why the school is a great fit for you, but why you are the perfect candidate for it. Discuss how you plan to contribute and why you would make a fabulous addition to the school.
Practice, practice, practice! Have a friend of yours ask you the questions you fear the most. Ask your parents or a counselor to do a mock interview with you. This is what we do as educational consultants to help students prepare for “evaluative” interviews. The Unigo college advisors would be glad to coach you. 🙂
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