College Interview Checklist

Before the Interview:

☐ Check to see if the schools you’re interested in offer or require interviews
☐ Make an interview appointment at schools in which you are interested
☐ Research the college before the interview
☐ Review the list of possible interview questions (below) and prepare your answers
☐ Prepare a list of questions for the interviewer (suggestions below)
☐ Find out if you need to bring any documents with you (transcript, test scores, resume, etc.)
☐ Make note of any particular talking points you want to bring up during the interview

Possible Questions You May Be Asked In An Interview:

☐ What are some of your biggest achievements during high school?
☐ What, if anything, would you change about your high school?
☐ Why do you want to attend this school?
☐ Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
☐ Why will you be a good fit for our school? What can you contribute?
☐ What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses?
☐ We are interviewing hundreds, possibly thousands of prospective students. What makes you unique?
☐ What are your hobbies and interests outside of the classroom?
☐ Tell me about your family.
☐ Describe a difficult situation in your life and how you overcame that.

Suggested Questions to Ask the Interviewer:

☐ What qualifications in a prospective student, aside from grades, stand out to you?
☐ What can you tell me about [insert a department of interest]?
☐ What do you see as the biggest challenges freshman face during their first few months on campus?
☐ What separates this school from similar schools in the region?
☐ How do you visualize the ideal [insert school name] student?
☐ Does the school have any plans to grow or change in the next five years?
☐ How does this school prepare students for the post-graduate job market?
☐ What do you like most about this school?
☐ What would be your main criticism about this school?
☐ What are some misconceptions people have about this school?

During the Interview:

☐ Be confident, calm, and honest
☐ Use eye contact
☐ Use appropriate, formal language. No “yeah” or “umm” or “gonna”
☐ Be enthusiastic and express interest in the school
☐ Ask specific questions that indicate you’ve done some research
☐ Shake hands and make sure to thank your interviewer at the end

After the Interview:

☐ Write down a few notes about the interview for reference
☐ Make sure to get contact information from interviewer before leaving
☐ Follow up with a thank-you note and refer to something specific that was discussed