Hi there,
I’ve got my first college interview with an alumna tomorrow, and I’m unsure as to whether or not I should bring a resume. She doesn’t know anything other than my name and basic information and we’re meeting at a coffee shop.
If I should bring a resume, what should I include in it?
Thanks so much!
Bring it, but have it in a folder you carry with you.
Look at the website of the college and see if you are encouraged to bring a resume or not. Some schools say NOT to bring one, to just have a conversation with the alum. HOWEVER, the interviewers don’t always read the websites and some of them ask for resumes. (S had that happen with a terrible interviewer last year; he knew she wasn’t supposed to ask for one, but she was doing a lot of things she wasn’t supposed to do.) Then if the alum asks for a resume, you are ready.
Good luck!
@Lizardly thanks! What kind of information do you suggest I include in the resume?
Look up a sample resume online, a good, brief one page resume , not one of those that goes on and one for pages—you are in high school, how much could you have done? I would include any jobs, volunteer activities, major high school and non school extracurriculars, your GPA and class rank. You want a brief summary, not a lot of prose imho.
I am old school. I used to interview kids and wanted a conversation to find out more about the kid in a low key setting. I would use the resume to keep the conversation going. If you are passionate about an activity, list it. If you do something off beat, list it.
@server456 @Lizardly had good advice. Often for college Honor’s Applications you need to submit a .pdf of an “expanded” resume. Our son did this once, and then customizes it for each school he applies to (usually just adding the school’s UIN / ID number for his application). He printed it up for face to face interviews. If clear and concise, we have found it is ok to have several pages. Here is a format UT Austin recommends http://ddce.utexas.edu/schoolpartnerships/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Expanded-Resume.pdf My advice is to take this format, fill it out, then for face to face interviews have 2 versions ready to hand out, the “expanded” version in all its glory, and the “short” version where you have pulled out all the bullet points below each entry. During the interview, if asked for a resume, you can ask if they’d like the short or expanded one… -psy
Agree with all of the above advice. Prepare a resume and bring it with you in a folder. Ask the interviewer if he/she would like your resume (if they say yes, you have it, if they don’t want just move on). For many interviews a resume is a good jumping off point for conversation because the interviewer can ask you about specific things you have done, classes you have taken etc. Also be sure to prepare some questions you have about that college, have some reasons why you like the school and feel you are a good fit for the school etc. You can google “sample college interview questions” to get some ideas of what you might be asked. Alumni interviews usually aren’t’ a huge deal – some alums are great interviewers and others are not so just try to relax (as much as possible) and be yourself.
I found this list to be a basic (but good) primer when prepping my son: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/tp/college-interview-questions.htm
Ideally, you can tailor your interview to the school, but if you can answer these 12 questions well, you will be better off then many of your peers.