(Sorry for posting so many threads on this page :/)
So I have an interview at my first choice college (Rice University) this weekend. It’s my first college interview, and I haven’t even finished applying to Rice yet, so I don’t know what to expect, and they don’t know anything about me yet either. Can anyone give me some tips?
Should I bring a resume to the interview to help them get to know me, or would that be trying too hard ?
Should I dress up (business casual) ?
It sounds you need help on building a resume rather than the actual interview. Look at multiples of resources online that elaborates on building a good resume - I would list an activity and mention your role and your accomplishments.
Of course, be prepared to talk about it as the resume might not be enough. The interview should be pretty casual - I only had one college interview among a dozen where the interviewer was rigid and extremely formal; the rest were conversations.
Dress up semi-casually - no full suits (if you’re a male) but no basketball shorts either. A nice collared shirt and a pair of khaki slacks should do. Or a nice blouse for a female, although I lack knowledge in this field
Take two copies of the resume. One for your interviewer and one for yourself. That way, you can use the resume as a memory tickler, to make sure you fully cover topics.
Also, use this opportunity to find out more about Rice. Make sure it deserves to be your first choice school. Ask questions about student life, activities, departments that interest you, who might be teaching or mentoring you.
My D did a few interviews and here are some tips.
-Definitely bring a resume. She did a short elaboration of her activities, internships etc. It is a great way for the interviewer to find subjects to speak about. You can look online for sample resumes for college.
-Be prepared to speak about your academics, activities, work experience etc.
-Have some school specific questions prepared in advance (my D put a few questions on an index card and put the index card in a folder with her resumes just in case she needed to refer to it – but she didn’t)
-Business casual for sure (for a guy khaki and a polo/button down shirt, for a female something like a sundress, slacks and a blouse are fine.
-Be yourself – it is an opportunity to learn more about the school and to have them learn more about you.
On attire:
When I went into my Harvard interview, I dressed casually. The guy interviewing me was absolutely delighted that I didn’t dress up. He spent 20 minutes talking about how a lot of the other people dressed up, and he criticized them. He said this is about your mind and interests, not about the way you look.
When I went into my interview for a full scholarship at Clark University, everyone was dressed up, and I was expected to be as well. I wore a full suit, and that was normal and expected.
Moral of the story: ask. Email admissions or someone who has done the interview before and just ask what you should wear. Easy (:
On content:
Some interviews matter more than others. For example, my Clark interview was the single most important part of my scholarship application. They record it and show it to a panel of 20 faculty members in order to select the winners.
Harvard’s, on the other hand, has almost no weight whatsoever. I kept in contact with my interviewer, and he expressed a lot of distaste for the lack of influence he had in the process.
On presentation:
Be yourself, definitely, no matter what. That’s a given. Further, if you want to impress, figure out beforehand what makes you a good fit for the school. Memorize their motto, look up some alumni, figure out what sort of student thrives at the school. I think admissions, especially at good schools, aren’t just looking for generically “good” students, they’re looking for students that will enjoy/thrive in their environment.
Thank you everyone for the tips!
I just emailed admissions about an unrelated issue yesterday, so I don’t wanna email twice in a row to ask about attire lol. I’ll just assume business casual.
My kids did several interviews. My S wore nice slacks and polo shirt, my D wore a simple skirt and blouse. Neither brought resumes. Both said the interviews were conversational and relaxed. Questions along the lines of : What classes are you taking, which do you enjoy (or not enjoy). What do you look for in a college? What are your extra curricular activities?
Have a “why” to your answer (Why is that your favorite class? Why do you like that extra curricular? etc.) In other words don’t just say — “I like Physics.” but rather “I like Physics because…”
