With college interviews upon us, we thought we would go over the basics of what to expect and how to prepare. While older applicants applying to grad school programs might have already been through the process, for many high school applicants the college admissions interview is the first formal interview they experience.
Many colleges offer optional interviews as part of their admissions process. For the most part, these are not the most important element of the admissions decision, and often serve as sort of a confirmation of what the school already expects. Some schools, however, do place greater importance on these than others.
Should I opt-in?
Do strongly consider it if the school is your top choice. It serves two purposes – one, letting the school know that it is indeed your first choice of institute. It confirms that you are serious about it and are doing all you can to learn about them and give them the opportunity to get to know you a bit more. Opting in for the interview is another way to demonstrate interest in a school, and is another chance to talk about yourself. Two, it gives you a chance to learn more about the school from a first-hand source. A good interview has an exchange of information and flows like a conversation.
Do check with your counsellor, or at least try to look up how much a school values the interview before making your decision to opt-in or out. Barring a poor attitude, blatant discrepancies between your application and your words, and simply not showing up for a scheduled interview, chances are that you can add a point or two in your favour by going through with it.
The Interview Process
The interviews are conducted by representatives of the school. These could be current students, alumni, admissions staff, and occasionally even professors. They tend to be no more than an hour and are a relatively casual conversation between you, a prospective student, and them, a person with knowledge and experience of the school and its culture.
For an in-person interview, or a video interview, dress neatly in business casual. It can be helpful to have a copy of your resume with you as well, even if you aren’t outright asked to bring one. Don’t be late! Show up on time: 5 to 10 minutes early is ideal.
Just like the supplementary essays, each school’s interviewer will have different questions, ranging from ‘What’s your favourite book?’ to ‘What is one thing you’d like to change about your high school?’
Generally, they do tend to cover 3 broad questions, which are also the most commonly asked:
- Why are you interested in this school?
- What are you interested in studying?
- Tell me about yourself.
The good news is that a lot of the prep that you’ve done till now has equipped you to answer these questions. All you need to do is understand how to communicate those answers verbally as opposed to via writing.
How to prepare to answer the broad questions:
- Why this school?
You don’t need to know every single thing about a school before your interview, but you do need to know what about it appeals to you, and back those reasons up with some specifics.
Research the school, try to speak to alumni if you can, and follow their social media for insights from current students and faculty.
Avoid blatant flattery – the interviewer already knows the school is great. They want to know why you think it is going to be great for you and your experience.
- What do you want to study?
Let your passion for a subject shine through here! The ultimate aim of going to college is to learn and gain knowledge, so feel free to let your intellectual vitality show.
Remember that you do not need to know exactly what you want to study right out of high school – undecided is an option, and a sizeable percentage of college students change their major. Talk about your areas of (academic) interest, the subjects you enjoy, and what you would like to explore in the future.
- Tell me about yourself
A simple way of helping someone get to know you a bit is by discussing your interests and accomplishments and outlining the impact they have had on you and your life. There is a fine line between bragging and being proud of what you have achieved – you want to aim for the latter.
Try to describe yourself in 3-5 words, and just like with the Why This School answer, back it up with examples.
How to Prepare
Practice! Don’t let the first time you vocalize your answers be in the actual interview. Prepare your answers – without memorizing them – and practice answering with a peer, parent, teacher, or counsellor. Get used to talking about yourself in a conversational manner. What classes do you like? What non-academic activities do you enjoy?
Interviewers almost always give you an opportunity to ask them questions – have one or two ready to go before your interview in case nothing in particular comes up during the interview.
Interviewing can be intimidating, and as cliche as this might sound, taking a moment to calm yourself and breathe can help place you in a confident, relaxed space before you jump in.
Your interviewers want to help you succeed – most are doing interviews voluntarily, especially student and alumni interviews. They are enthusiastic about their school, and they want to find students who share their passion.
Be the best version of yourself by remembering that you are what matters here. At the end of the day, the college interview is a conversation, so be your best natural self.
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