You’ve applied to your top colleges. After weeks of anxious waiting, you get an email notifying you that an admissions counselor wants to interview you! While you’re super excited, you might also feel nervous. So here are some tips for how you can ace your college admission interview:
1. Review your application
There’s no shame in taking some time to read over your essays you submitted to the college. The person interviewing you will probably have a copy of your application in front of him, so you’ll want to make sure you remember what you wrote and why.
2. Talk to current students
Every student at the college had to go through an interview process. So if you know any current students, ask them what their interview was like so you know what to expect.
3. Practice, but don’t script, your answers
With any entrance interview, you know there are some questions you should expect:
- what you like about the school
- why you’d be a good fit
- your passions
- high school interests
So while you can practice some answers to these questions, don’t script them out. You’ll get nervous if you’re trying to recall exact wording and you’ll lose your credibility. Your personality won’t come through as well on a script.
4. Dress to impress
If your interview is in-person, dress for the occasion. And wearing business casual doesn’t mean you can’t show off your personality. We’ve got some suggestions for business casual on our Pinterest page here.
5. Make eye contact
One of the best ways to appear confident is to make eye contact with the people interviewing you. After all, you wouldn’t avoid looking your friend in the eyes– so why should you avoid the admissions counselor?
6. Unless you’re doing a phone interview.
If you live too far from the school and need to do your interview over the phone, you can dress more comfortably. Have a few notes in front of you to help you keep your thoughts down. You can even write down a few questions to ask the school.
7. Prepare some questions
Every interviewer will ask if you’ve had any questions about the school. So come up with a few. Ask about extracurricular, local opportunities, how to get good internships, etc. But don’t ask something so obvious about the school that you should know.
8. Do some background research on the school
By the time you have your college interview, you should know:
- the school’s accomplishments
- the school’s mission statement
- the school’s student handbook/honor code
- different programs and classes you might be interested in.
9. Know why you belong at the school
Prepare a few reasons for why you love the school, why you’d fit in with the students there, and what you have to bring to the school.
10. Be confident!
You shouldn’t be nervous when answering questions in your interview. Be confident! You’re an incredibly talented and intelligent individual that any school would love to have. So don’t sweat it!
11. Let your passions shine
Whether it’s a love for ancient Rome, classical music, or a book of the Bible, show what you’re passionate about! Your passions are what make you unique and memorable– don’t hide who you are. As cliché as it might sound, be yourself.
Finished your interviews and still weighing your options regarding your college decision? Click the link below for a free guide to selecting a college!
