As part of the college application process, you may be asked to interview with a member of the college admissions committee or an affiliated alumnus/a. It really depends on the school. Interviews are becoming less central to the application process. And while they are now more likely to be done via phone, Zoom, or Skype, if you are applying to U.S. colleges that require an interview, you may find the information below useful.

You will be asked pretty generic questions at the beginning that will become more specific over the course of the interview—and will depend on the answers you provide. Here are some generic questions you can expect:

• Why do you want to attend this college?
• What would you like to study?
• What will you contribute to our campus?
• What’s your favorite class in school?
• If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?
• What activities do you take part in?
• What is your favorite book?
• What are three interesting things about you that I wouldn’t know from your application?
• What’s an example of an obstacle, a failure, or a mistake that you learned from?
• What would you like to do after graduation?

Think about the WHY? Why do you like certain courses? Why would you change something about your school? Why is one particular book your favorite? Do NOT say that you want to study a particular subject in order to make a lot of money. That doesn’t go over very well. Instead, evince a genuine passion in the subject. And if they ask you about your weaknesses, come up with something credible that does not make you appear arrogant.

Also, show the interviewer that you know something about their college. (You acquire this knowledge by reading about the school on their website.) Try to convey to the interviewer why/how you feel that particular school meets your particular interests/needs.

We would suggest that you write out answers to these questions and be able to recite them. You do not have to memorize your answers, just be able to reproduce them orally. You do not want to appear rehearsed. So, don’t try to memorize your answers, just KNOW them.

Practice your responses by having somebody ask you these questions and then answering as if you were in the interview. Remember that you want to be as specific and detailed as possible. You want to separate yourself from all the other people who are being interviewed.

Finally, always send a thank-you note. And try to personalize it so that the interviewer recalls you more clearly. If you made a connection with the interviewer, be specific about how in your thank-you note. Otherwise, simply express your continued interest in the school and thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you.

Questions about this post: Email robert@designsonlearning.com