Nervous? Check. Excited? Check. Ready? Probably, just make sure you give this a look over before you do your college interviews. The college interview process is an important factor in the process, especially for private schools. Schools want to make sure that they have personable students that are good conversationalists and interesting people. Here are just a few things to help you do your best.
1. Practice—make sure to have a good friend or parent ask you some sample questions in an interview format. This way, you will be prepared for the questions that the interviewer asks and won’t be quite so nervous. The interviewer has usually looked at some of your application, so they will probably ask you questions about what you put on your apps.
2. Be Courteous—you absolutely want to show up a little bit early to the interview and show the utmost respect throughout the process. The worst thing you could do is to show up late and waste some of your interviewer’s time.
3. Do Your Homework—you definitely should know some key facts about the school before you go into your interview. It also helps to have looked at the school’s website a bit. Sometimes, they’ll ask you about the school and if you know things about it, you will seem more enthusiastic about going there. Also, if you can get any information about your interviewer, remember that as well. Sometimes, the interviewers are members of your community and it helps to ask them about their experiences at the school. Remember, in addition to seeing if you are a good fit, they are trying to convince you to go to the school as well.
4. Wear Nice Clothes—it’s important that you make a good first impression and one of the main components of that is your clothes. I’d recommend wearing something not quite the level of a prom dress or a tuxedo, but something nice. For guys, I’d have some slacks, a shirt and tie; for girls, well, I’m not 100% sure, but I’d wear a nice dress.
5. Remember They Are a Person Too—the people that are interviewing you are people that have gone through high school and college. They have lots of wonderful memories from school (or they probably wouldn’t be doing college interviews). Don’t be scared of these people, try to have a normal conversation with them.
Good luck with your college interviews. I remember going through them a little bit nervous, but as they went by, they got progressively easier. Have a wonderful day!
Peace,
Tyler
TYLER: Gregarious and upbeat, Tyler recently relocated south from Davis, California to UCLA—where he is a sophomore and is actively exploring his passion for Christianity, music, and sports.
awesome post, tyler. i’d also recommend coming prepared with a couple thoughtful questions. interviewers will sometimes ask if you have any questions for them once they’ve finished. this can be a good opportunity to learn from someone who is knowledgeable and show them that you’re inquisitive and proactive.