You have been selected for a final interview to your dream college! Interviewers are officially meeting you for the first time, after carefully selecting you and a few others based on your profiles (well done!).
The impression that you make here may be one of the deciding factor on whether they grant you admission or not.
Here are a few tips you can run through that will help you remain confident and bubbly during your college interview.
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Research, research, research!
By researching on important details such as courses and extracurricular activities, you will be able to identify what the college is looking for. Through this research you will know how much weightage do colleges give to the interview process and prep accordingly, how to sell yourself based on
their profile and show that you did your research!
Through this research you will likely develop your own questions specific to your own interests about the school that you may in turn ask the interviewer. This is always a plus plus!
Tip; Ask specific questions that cannot be answered from the school’s website
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Be specific and to the point
Exaggeration gets you nowhere and is easily caught by interviewers. Just remember that “nothing less, nothing more” is the key to dealing with all kinds of interviews. Otherwise you will set yourself up for failure. Talk about your strengths enough that they understand your abilities – do not lie!
Of course interviews are nerve wracking, but try not to ramble. If you spend too much time talking you may lose your thought process leaving the interviewer confused. Based on
step 1 you should already know what they are looking for.
At the same time do not make it a yes-no session, try to think of the interviewer as a person who can judge you on your emotions and try to engage them into a conversation.
For this look at step 5!
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Be yourself, but be your Best!
In every interview situation be ready to answer ‘Tell me about yourself” question. This is where most people usually fumble, and if you know what to say you have an edge. This is how interviewers will judge your introspectiveness. Spend some time thinking about what makes you, you. Usually it is best to start with your experiences and relating it back to why you have applied to the college and what you hope to gain out of it.
Remember to prioritise academics!
Tip; Think of three things you want to convey to the college representative. Write these down, keep it concise and practice! Google possible college interview questions as well.
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Prepare for Common College Interview Questions
Most of the college interviews are carried out by alumna or administration. The interviewers tend to ask similar questions, unless it’s for a speciality. Therefore, if you want to nail the interview, make sure that you’re prepare answers for the following questions.
- Why do you want to attend this college/university? (Hint: Specific examples are always key! Your interviewer wants you to be as excited as they were–and are!—about their college).
- What’s your favorite subject in high school? (Hint: Link it with the degree or extracurricular activity )
- What do you want to study in college?
- What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in class? (Hint: Give examples that highlight your strengths)
- What are three interesting things about you that I wouldn’t know from your application?
- What’s an example of an obstacle, a failure, or a mistake that you learned from?
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Dress to impress
How you dress matters in every interview situation – it shows that you are a serious and mature student candidate. Try not to over-glamorize. Look simple and crisp for the interviewer to be impressed by you.
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Timing is everything
Make sure you arrive at least 10 minutes before the agreed time to give your interviewer a good first impression. Plan your day accordingly and make sure to avoid heavy traffic so you can reach the location on time.
GOOD LUCK!
