College interviews can be a little nerve wracking and scary. You spent months researching schools and filling out applications, and now you have to talk about yourself out loud to an actual person. But the good news is that a college interview isn’t a high pressure interrogation. It’s a conversation between you and the school so that you can get to know one another.
The school wants to know who you are as a person and know what your values are. And you want to know more about the school because as much as they are interviewing you, you are also interviewing them. With the right preparation, you’ll be able to walk in or log in feeling as confident and composed as possible and ready to shine in your interview. Let’s take a look at how you can get an interview ready without any of the stress.
Get to know what the interview is about.
Before you start planning your outfit or preparing your answers, it can help to know the goal of the college interview. It’s not going to quiz you on how many AP classes you’ve taken or how many extra curriculars you can list in 60 seconds. The college interview is about understanding who you are beyond your application and learning what you’re passionate about. It’s about seeing how well you’d fit into the culture of the school and gives you a chance. Questions exploring whether the school is right for you. Think of it as a two way street because while they are evaluating you, you will also be evaluating them.
Ask artificial intelligence for help.
Preparing for an interview doesn’t have to mean sitting by yourself in your room rehearsing your answers to a mail. In fact, one of the easiest ways to prepare smartly for your interview is to get a little bit of help from AI. In most cases, it’s always advised to leave artificial intelligence out of it when you’re preparing for anything or writing anything. But when it comes to interview questions, you can get help with asking academic questions, the kind that makes you sound curious, engaged, and ready for a college level learning environment. You don’t have to default to the questions about campus food. You could ask about the teaching style in the first year call curriculum or whether there are any interdisciplinary programs. You can also get AI to quiz you as if they are the college so that you can feel more prepared about what questions might come your way.
Get your research done.
You don’t have to memorise the entire course catalog before you do a college interview. You just have to understand a basic sense of what the college wants from you and what the course is going to teach you. If you’re interviewing for Med school, for example, you may get asked questions based on your values to see whether or not you know how to critically think in the moment and how you can problem solve. It also helps to understand your passions and your biases. You should take a look at the academic programs that could interest you at this school and any professors whose work you admire.
Practice, but don’t use a script.
You’re going to be asked some pretty standard questions among others, and practicing how you might answer these questions sounds like a great idea on the surface, but memorizing your responses word for word is going to be obvious. You’re not giving a talk, you’re having a conversation, so you need to keep it as natural as possible. Focus on telling your story in your words and ask friends, family members and colleagues to help you with your answering.
Prepare your own questions.
The interview goes both ways, so while you’re being asked questions, you should be considering the ones that you want to ask in return. Asking questions is one of the best ways that you can show that you know what you want. You can ask what students he’d do for fun on the weekends, or what things they wish more applicants knew about the school. You could also sprinkle academic questions that we mentioned earlier, which shows you’re already thinking like a college student.
Dress comfortably.
You should always treat an interview for a college like you would a job interview. Some people like to go the whole hog with a suit, but as long as you’re wearing something neat and casual professional, you’re going to do well. You should think about what you’d wear to a school presentation or a casual job interview and keep your accessories to a minimal. You need to feel comfortable both sitting and standing up. For virtual interviews, choose somewhere quiet and well lit, and test your camera and microphone ahead of time. Dressing the part is a good idea so that you feel more confident and more prepared.
Get there early.
Whether you’re attending online or in person, you need to arrive at least 10 minutes early. It gives you time to settle in and take some deep breaths and avoid any last minute stress. Have a backup plan for your Wi-Fi in case your Internet goes out because while people understand tech issues happen. You don’t want to lose your shot.
Remember to be yourself.
It’s the golden rule of any college interview. You should never try to give the answers that you think the interviewer wants to hear, but the answers that you truly mean. Talk about your hobbies, your projects and the books that you love and share your real passions and goals. This is your moment to shine and you should be telling them why they want you to be part of their school. They’re looking for real people who are ready to learn and contribute to the community, and you have to show that you are one of those people.
Follow up with a thank you note.
When the interview has concluded and you’ve got home again, send an email to thank them for their time and let them know that you’re still open to any further questions they may have since you’re making their decision. It’s a good way to get you remembered in the minds of your interviewers, and it ensures that you are standing out among the crowd.