An Insider's Guide to the College Interview
Jul 20 '01
The Bottom Line A college interview is not generally a fun experience, but this advice should make things a bit easier for you.
Sadly, no matter how much good advice I give you, your interview will most likely not be a very fun experience. However, knowing what to expect will make the process a heck of a lot easier. As an alumni interviewer for one of the country's top 10 liberal arts colleges, I will give you my top 10 points on what to expect, what to do, and what not to do, on your college interview.
1. The telephone call:You will most likely receive a call from either the admissions office of the school or an alumni interviewer, who generally interviews off campus. Off-campus interviews usually are conducted in the interviewer's home, which will, hopefully, be close to where you live.
Be polite on the phone, and try not to sound as though you just woke up, even if you did just wake up. Even if you don't feel this way, try to sound pleasant and enthusiastic about having an interview. Be prepared to change around your plans if the interviewer wants to see you within the next few days.
Important: Make sure to get the interviewer's name and phone number, in case an emergency comes up and you need to reschedule, or in case you get lost on the way there.
2. Getting to the interview: Make sure you know how to get to where you are going for your interview. If possible, if you are going to an interviewer's house, try driving there the day before or the morning of the interview to make sure you won't get lost. Time the drive to see how long it will take, because it is very important that you arrive on time. If you are going to a campus interview, make sure you know where the admission's office is.
3. Dress appropriately: It is better to err on the conservative side. Even if you are going to an interviewer's house, you need to dress nicely. This means no jeans, shorts, tank tops, or sneakers. Even though there is nowhere on an interviewer's report where he or she judges your appearance, first impressions do matter, and you want to make sure that yours is favorable.
4. Attitude: You will most likely be nervous, but you need to try to relax and be yourself. Be friendly, and be enthusiastic about the school. Don't try to act cool. A little kissing up about the school never hurts, (i.e. I visited the campus last May and was so impressed by the blah blah blah...), either. But don't go overboard.
5. Elaborate: I have had many applicants act as though they had to get through the interview as quickly as possible so that they could escape. Even if that is on your mind, (and it probably will be), try to relax and take your time with the answers. The interviewer is using the questions as prompts to get you talking about yourself. The more useful information that you can reveal, the better. So, if the interviewer asks you, "What did you like about your job last summer?", don't answer "it was fun" or "it was interesting"-- explain exactly what it was that was fun or interesting about it.
6. Knowledge: Please, please, please learn about the school before coming to the interview. Even if you haven't been to the campus before, you can read the school's brochures or study the website. I can't stress how important this is. Your interviewer will want to know why you are applying to the school, and you need a more specific answer than "the campus is pretty" or "it has a good reputation." I once asked an applicant what he wanted to major in if he got into my school, and he answered, "business." My college does not have a business school...
7. Common questions: Aside from the question about why you want to go to the school, here are some more questions that you might hear:
* What did you do last summer?
* What is your favorite class at school?
* What is your most challenging class at school?
* Questions about extra-curricular activities
* Questions about leadership experiences
* What do you want to study in college?
* Do you have a job?
* Have you taken any honors or AP classes?
* Where do you see yourself after college? (I don't usually ask this one, because I don't think it's very fair, but I know that a lot of people do ask...)
* What other schools are you applying to?
8. Be prepared to ask questions: And not simple questions that can be answered from the brochures such as "how many students are there?" or "what is the student to teacher ratio?" You might ask about specific programs offered by the school, what the housing is like, job opportunities through the school, etc. If you have an alumni interviewer, he or she will be more than happy to tell you about his or her experiences. Don't be afraid to ask. Ask "what did you like about your school?" or "why did you choose to go there?"
9. Don't be afraid to brag a bit: When the interviewer asks you "is there anything else that you want me to know about you?", make sure that you let him or her know about anything else that you think is important about you. This will most likely be the last part of your interview, and will be the last thing that your interviewer remembers. So don't be shy! I often learn the most interesting things about candidates from this question.
10.Follow up: If possible, follow up with an e-mail or a note thanking your interviewer for his or her time and reiterating your interest and enthusiasm for the school.
And that's it. Hopefully this knowledge will make your interviewing a slightly less harrowing experience. Good luck!
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