Consolidated List of Interview Tips

Applying to College
1

Add to this list of interview tips!:

  • Dress nicely. No need to wear a suit, but look clean.
  • Always let the interviewer pick the location/time. At their office is a likely place.
  • Bring a CV but don't offer it to them unless they ask.
  • Come having 2-3 specific questions about the school in mind that (1) cannot be found on the website (2) could be best answered by an alumni. (Examples welcome!)
  • Come knowing 2-3 reasons why you want to go to the school that doesn't involve location/prestige/size/class size. (Examples welcome!)
  • Maintain eye contact, smile, listen to the interviewer and attempt to answer all of his/her questions.
  • If you need time to think about a question, pause and say "That's a really interesting question! Could I think about that for a moment?" - they may give you time to think or move on for now. Obviously don't do this for every question.
  • You don't need to brag about accomplishments - the college gets a list of those - but it's always good to highlight one or two of your main achievements when speaking (Ex: When talking about a challenge overcome, talk about something in that swanky internship you had, if there was such an occasion)
  • When you get up to leave, smile, shake the interviewer's hand, and thank him/her for his/her time.
  • Within a week, send a handwritten thank you note following up on the conversation
2

From the interviewer’s point of view, here are some basic questions. Please have a decent answer:

  1. What is something that you'd wish the admissions committee know about you that you weren't able to include in your application?
  2. The admissions committee has a hard job. What's the your one strength/accomplishment that you'd like to emphasize about yourself if you had a minute to speak with them?
  3. Academically, what's the most exciting topic you've discovered/researched in your 3.5 years of HS?
  4. How would your friends describe you?
  5. What are a few of the most challenging issues for students in your HS or people in your community right now?
3

I like anonymoose’s basic tips. I would add:

  1. Have your elevator speech ready. (That’s the 1-2 min summary that is the answer to the most common interview questions you will ever get: “Tell me about yourself.”)

I would also respectfully disagree with the last point. In this day and age, a handwritten note is not necessary, nor are you likely to have the interviewer’s address (which is private information). You will have the email address and that is perfectly acceptable for a ‘thank you’ email.

4

Thanks @T26E4 and @N’s Mom - that’s very helpful!