How to Ace Your College Interview

When I applied early decision to Penn, I was offered an interview with a Penn alum. Initially I was terrified at the prospect of being cornered by a stranger and bombarded with trick questions, but I soon figured out that the college interview was just a chance for me to show my personality and enthusiasm for Penn, which may not have been fully reflected in my application.

Most universities today offer interviews as an optional or, sometimes, required aspect of their admissions process; they are conducted on-campus, locally, or via Skype by admissions representatives or alumni. While your test scores and grades can reveal your quality as a student, a college interview is a great way for you to bring insight into who you are as a person and what you’ll bring to their school. While interviews aren’t built to make or break your admissions to a university, a good interview and a great impression left on an interviewer can be an added bonus to your admissions file.

I currently serve as an Alumni Interviewer for Penn and using my experience thus far, I have come up with the top 6 tips for acing your college interview:

1.    The basics- Be on time and dress accordingly: For those of you who are perpetually late people, your college interview is the one day in your life you should absolutely be on time! If meeting your interviewer at a local coffee shop or library, plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early. If your interview location is some place you’re unfamiliar with, leave your house unusually ahead of schedule to ensure you arrive on time even if you get lost. Regarding your dress code, dress modestly and professionally. There’s no need to show up in a tuxedo or ball gown. For boys, a nice pair of slacks and a button-down collared shirt should suffice. For girls, a knee-length dress or skirt with a non-revealing blouse and blazer will do. Please leave the 5 inch stilettos at home.

2.    Become an expert on the school: Interviewers want to know that you truly care about their school and took the time to research and learn more about it. Schools only want to admit students who are genuinely excited about attending. Therefore, before an interview, dig deep into the university’s website and learn some interesting facts about the college that you may be able to share during the interview and impress the interviewer with. You should be able to speak intelligently about the school’s freshmen curriculum, your interested major, school traditions, etc. One question that will undoubtedly come up in the interview is “Why do you want to come to our school?” Make sure to have at least 3 unique aspects about the school that appeal to you and make you a perfect match.

3.    Be able to answer “Tell me a little about yourself”: This is another question bound to come up and usually at the very start of the interview. While it sounds like an easy question, “Tell me a little about yourself” is actually so incredibly open-ended that it may be difficult to succinctly sum up your entire being in a few sentences. Instead of giving the cliche answers that you’re a hard working student or a caring older sister, really think of how you can explain to the interview who you are. What are you passionate about? How would your friends describe you? What is your family life like? Do you have any quirks? What makes you laugh? What are your guilty pleasures? If you’re able to answer these questions, you’ll come up with an answer unique and tailored to who you are.

4.    Leave the shyness at the door: This is your opportunity to make the best of what can be a nerve-racking situation, by being confident in who you are as a student and person and being your most enthusiastic and bubbly self. A shy, unresponsive or painfully nervous interviewee won’t leave a lasting impression. Now, we don’t want you to become a chatterbox, but don’t be afraid to talk openly about yourself, your passions, and even be willing to share some anecdotes. The more you open up to the interviewer about yourself, the easier it will be for them to write a valuable interview report. If you’re interested in the arts, share a story about how you grew to love theatre. If you write for the school newspaper, share a story about a meaningful article you wrote. Don’t make the interviewer feel like he’s pulling teeth to get information about you. Be open and willing to talk.

5.    Know yourself: Be able to talk passionately about your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, favorite classes and least favorite classes, family influences, great struggles, biggest challenges, your proudest moments, your happiest times, etc. All of these questions are going to come up during the interview. Be prepared to answer these questions and share aspects about your life that you have not already written about in your application essays.

6.    Ask questions: The last question of any interview is always “Do you have any questions for me?” Never say no! This interview is a two-way street. The interviewer gets to grill you and then you get to grill them and learn more about the school. Come prepared with at least 5-10 questions to ask. If being interviewed by an alum, pick their brain about why they chose the school and what were their favorite and least favorite aspects, in an effort to basically get them talking about themselves for the last few minutes of the interview. Also ask questions about your major or department your interest in, campus life, and the freshman year experience. This not only shows you’ve done your research, but you’ll also walk away with some insider perspective you can’t necessarily find on a university website.

Remember the purpose of a college admissions interview is for the interviewer to discover what is this student like?, what does this student like? and what would this student bring to our school? If you can answer these key questions, you’ll ace your interview!

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Natasha Scott is the author of The College Admissions Bible. Visit www.CollegeAdmissionsBible.com for more information. To contact Natasha for a speaking engagement or other opportunities, email her at info@collegeadmissionsbible.com or call 973-951-4613.