5 Tips to Nail a College Interview!
How to Nail Your College Interview!
For many, college interviews are daunting. It can be easy to be inundated with myriad anxieties and what-if scenarios. What will the interviewer ask? More importantly, how should you respond? What should you talk about and what should you avoid? Before you know it, you’re down a rabbit-hole and digging yourself even deeper. But it doesn’t have to be like that - I know, because I did it. For all you forward-looking seniors out there, here are 5 tips to nail a college interview!
Be early!
Never underestimate the effect of appearing organized. Try to be there at least a half hour before your interview (or 5-10 minutes if it’s on Zoom) to show that it is a top priority for you. If you are taking a tour of the school before or after, try to schedule your interview with this in mind. It may be that the interviewer is running late themselves because of another interview or some other obligation, in which case they will appreciate your timeliness even more. Dress nice-casual to demonstrate that you’re taking it seriously and be sure to offer a professional hand-shake (depending on safety.) These little things go a long way towards painting you in the best possible light.
2. Be calm!
Of course, we don’t mean push away your nerves or feign over-confidence. First of all, maybe you’re not super comfortable and that is more than ok: it’s expected. The interviewer knows that nearly everyone that comes to them is going to be nervous. They do not want you to be uncomfortable; they just want to get to know you - it just so happens that the system in place for doing that is often overly stressful.
Think of being interviewed as talking to a trusted teacher or college counselor and responding to them: you should speak with respect and mindfully, but not hyper-cautiously and unsurely. If you really can’t shake the feeling in your stomach, try practicing with a friend of a parent/guardian until it feels more natural. It can feel at times that talking to an interviewer is totally different from talking with someone whom you trust, but we promise you that it can be just as smooth. Interviewers are just people.
3. Be genuine!
When asked questions like “what three adjectives best describe you?” or “what are your interests?” a lot of students are tempted to give the “right” answers. It’s important to note that there is no magic book of answers. The interviewer does not have a checklist of buzzwords or . When they ask these questions it’s actually because they want to get to know you, not some exaggerated, ideal image of a perfect student. Moreover, interviewers can tell when you’re not being yourself and that’s not helpful for either them or you. Above all, be honest and real when you respond.
4. Have a conversation!
Whether from scouring the internet for mock interviews or talking to your friends, you may have some idea of the types of the questions that you may be asked. It’s not a bad thing to have a general idea how you might respond to certain questions, but you should not map out your responses. Do not follow a script, but respond in the moment. Sometimes the best answers flow from an idle mind. This doesn’t mean that you should blurt things out as they come to you, but be prepared to think critically and openly on the spot. Also, along the same lines as above, interviewers can sniff out stilted answers - they do nothing to tell them if you would be a good fit for their school, which is the whole point of being interviewed in the first place.
5. Follow up!
The interviewer will likely offer you their email to ask any questions that may come up for you after the interviewer. You do not have to email any questions afterwards, but it is always a good idea to send them a “thank you” email. Be sure to let them know that you appreciate them taking time out of their day to speak with you and that you loved learning more about the school. This is another one of those little things that is so easy to do and can make a big difference. I promise you that they will appreciate hearing from you and it will tell them that the school is still very much on your mind.
Good luck seniors!
For tips on preparing for your college interview, check out this post!
