I will probably be going to my first interviews next week. i was wondering if those with interview experiences could relate to me some questions that tend to be asked. also, i sometimes have trouble communicating my ideas clearly and it’s often hard for me to have a direct stand on certain issues, so any tips for getting by? thanks
<p>Read the college's web page thoroughly, and come prepared to ask questions that the web page doesn't answer. For instance, if you're interested in a certain major, look up info about the courses, and the professors. Then, when you're in the interview, you'd be able to give some specifics about why you're interested in that college -- how its course offerings relate to what you want to learn in college.</p>
<p>Where will you be interviewing? Some people here may have experiences to share related to those places.</p>
<p>If you can do it, pick some colleges near you that you aren't strongly interested in and have interviews "just for fun", in other words schedule interviews and see how it goes. You don't want your first time to be for keeps. As for being nervous, its just a matter of getting used to it; the first day of HS you were probably nervous walking around campus, today I bet you don't give it a second thought. Interviewing is no different.</p>
<p>Rehearsal is a good technique. Get a book on job interviewing and practice answering those questions. Colleges are going to ask much of the same thing -- "tell me about yourself", "what do you consider your strengths", "tell me about a problem you had with a friend and how you solved it", etc. These are all pretty standard; just substitute "enroll here" for "work here" and the work-specific ones translate too. Practice first in front of a mirror, then have a parent or friend play the role of interviewer.</p>
<p>One of the most important times, BTW, is when they turn to you and ask if you have any questions. I guarantee you'll be asked this, and its not just to fill time. Its your turn to show you've done your homework and can ask cogent questions that show you know about the particulars of the school and have read the material available in the viewbook, on the web, etc. and have considered yourself as a student there and what questions would arise.</p>
<p>My first interview I was kinda nervous and my mind went blank after he asked the first question (which, incidentally, was "so tell me about yourself"). I didn't know where to begin, so after gaping like an idiot, I said I didn't really know where to start and that I was kinda nervous. So then we both laughed, he said not to be, something came into my head and I started talking. (Just about the classes I was taking, what I enjoyed doing outside of school, what sorts of things I'd been doing in the past few weeks). Whatever I said led naturally into more questions; I talked about a Social Security Reform bill I was writing for a JSA convention, so he asked me what my position on it was, and we talked about that for a while. It was really natural and fun once we got into it. The only part that stumped me was when he said that Harvard really valued a certain independence and asked me for an example of a time that I'd shown initiative (in slightly different words than that); I floundered for an answer and then thought of something PERFECT about 20 minutes after the end of the interview. (I was kicking myself, but I did end up getting in anyway -- just goes to show that you shouldn't overanalyze the tiniest details of your interview)</p>
<p>My second interview started with the question "what do you do with your friends for fun?" So I talked about the way we interact, movies we've seen together, trips into San Francisco, how the fact that we learned to work with cameras for a particular extracurricular has become a part of our sense of fun, nerdy jokes, all sorts of stuff. And then it went from there -- he asked me about my taste in movies, about how I liked living in a small town with access to a big city, about the particular extracurricular and my classes. More questions sprung from those.</p>
<p>So anyway. In my experience, interviews often start off generally, so think of some interesting things to say about yourself that could spawn further questions. If you keep the interviewer engaged, it'll be more like a conversation, which makes it MUCH less stressful. Basically, they're just trying to get to know you... so try to enjoy it! And definitely make sure you have very specific reasons for wanting to go to their school, and try to have some good questions for them that show your interest and your understanding of what the school's about. Finally... don't freak out too much if you screw up a little bit (if you don't answer something that seems important quite right, if you betray your nervousness, whatever) -- they realize that you're 16, 17, 18 and don't expect you to be perfect.</p>
<p>oh do i need to bring any papers with me? I have an unofficial transcript and I could type up my extra curriculars and all of that if these are needed</p>
<p>I asked my interviewers if I should bring stuff... they said I didn't have to but I could if I wanted to. Didn't end up having time or energy to bring anything, but it was fine.</p>
<p>you don't need a transcript, but it can be helpful if you put together a mini-resume listing courses, ECs, interests, etc. Then you can mention it in a casual manner. Eg -- "I brought a resume if you'd like to use it". This can give the interviewer who may not have gotten much info about you from the college a base to start. But while its nice to have, its not at all necessary. Interviewers are used to talking to candidates cold and that's why they start with the general questions. It gives them topics to probe further.</p>
<p>You can NEVER predict what they ask. I have interviewed at several colleges. All of them ask totally different questions.. Just be yourself. that's all. if you're nervous, it won't hurt you!</p>
<p>At WUSTL they asked me which animal I would want to be...unexpected...</p>
<p>There's no way to prepare for a college interview... Just be yourself, honest, and try to present yourself the best you can!</p>
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There's no way to prepare for a college interview
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only true if none of the questions can be anticipated, and if answers to broad categories of questions can't be rehearsed in advance. These are rather heroic assumptions, to say the least ...</p>
<p>Estargrl, People who conduct college interviews whether they are current students, alumni/ae or members of the admissions committee, understand that young people are nervous in situations like this. They really do want to like you and they really do want you to like their college. Usually (and I'm sure there have been notable exceptions) they try very hard to put you at ease. They will try to find a point of common interest and the conversation will take off from there.</p>
<p>The most common question for ANY interview -- college or job -- is not a question at all; it is "Tell me about yourself. . ." Be prepared! What do you want this person to know about you? Think about your positive points, your suitability for the college in question. What do you like to do in your spare time? What are your favorite classes?</p>
<p>The second most common questions are what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses? Your strengths should be your accomplishments -- either academic or extra-curricular. Weaknesses are tough. You need to put a positive spin on them: "I'm a perfectionist and care too much about the quality of my work."</p>
<p>A good way to prepare is to cruise through the course catalog in your areas of interest. Familiarize yourself with the types of programs offered by the college. </p>
<p>As Mikemac says, prepare a list of 2 or 3 questions. These shouldn't require simple answers that you could find on the college's website, like what are the meal plans? Rather, they should be something philosophical, thoughtful, or academic in focus, like would X college be a good fit for someone who wants to do research in astrophysics? You might want to ask a specific question comparing X college to another school, like how would you compare X's history department to Y's?</p>
<p>If the interviewer asks you what other colleges you're applying to give him/her a range of reach/match/safeties. You don't have to list them all.</p>
<p>I like the idea of preparing a BRIEF resume for the interviewer, but don't shuffle papers.</p>
<p>Show up early so that you're relaxed. If offered a drink, choose water. Get the interviewers name card or e-mail address. Immediately afterward send a thank you. Maybe you could include another question or a continuation of a topic that you discussed. The point is this person can be a good contact throughout the application process.</p>
<p>Smile a lot. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through.</p>
<p>thanks for all the the suggestions :)</p>
<p>I have been looking through sample college questions, and i realized that some will be really hard for me to answer. for example, I am not sure what my greatest accomplishment is and I also don't think i had one particular event/person that influenced me. If I'm asked one of these tough questions, should I just think of something to answer those that could work or could I kind of intelligently state that i have never had one accomplishment that has super affected me and is greater than all my others, though I have had many smaller accomplishments that I am proud of. also, another question i've seen is "how do you fit into your high school?" does that mean socially?</p>
<p>Last week I went for an interview. The best advice I can give is to be yourself. Look up information about the college before you go, like activities that interest you. The toughest questions they asked me were: "if you could choose any roommate, who would you choose?" "if you had 24 hours free for yourself, what would you do?" "how would your teachers and friends describe you" and "describe the last time you laughed at yourself"</p>
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I have been looking through sample college questions, and i realized that some will be really hard for me to answer. for example, I am not sure what my greatest accomplishment is and I also don't think i had one particular event/person that influenced me.
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Try not to read too much into the questions. Keep in mind the ultimate goal is to get a sense of you as a person, what makes you tick, and so on.</p>
<p>Some kids have a wonderful accomplishment they devoted a great deal of time to; for example an Intel Science winner or getting the lead in a school play. But for gosh sakes, you're only 17!! Not everyone has something like that, so in answering that question I'd suggest referring instead to the things that you DO pursue. For example, smile a bit sheepishly and say "while nothing really jumps out to me as a great accomplishment in these 18 years, I volunteer every week at the town soup kitchen" and go on to elaborate a bit on that.</p>
<p>As for event/person that influenced you, some people have had a person or event that is really a turning point. But many haven't. So instead talk about the broader swath of events or people that have influenced you. For example, "many of my teachers have held me to high standards, and although it sometimes felt frustrating at the time to rewrite an essay 12 times, I can look back and see how it helped me improve my ability to express myself. For example Mr. Smith ..." In this passage I haven't identified one single person as the turning point in my life, but at the same time I'm acknowledging the influence of others.</p>
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"how do you fit into your high school?" does that mean socially?
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Another thing to keep in mind in interviews, whether for college or jobs, is that questions are often deliberately vague in order to let the candidate choose the path of the answer. And what you choose to talk about also tells something about you. Socially is one direction, but you could also decide to answer about where you fit in academically, where you fit in terms of leadership, etc.</p>
<p>thanks for clarifying those questions for me mikemac</p>
<p>to add a bit more to how to answer questions like these, if you don't have a specific answer then go with the theme of the question. For example, the underlying theme of the question "tell me about your greatest acomplishment" is "tell me something(s) you're proud of and that sets you apart from the crowd". If you don't have one "greatest" accomplishment you can still address the question by talking about an area of strength such as volunteer work, or your sports participation, etc. </p>
<p>So for the 2nd question you posed, that of an event/person that influenced you, see if you can identify the theme underlying the question, and answer prepare an answer for that.</p>
<p>Are you guys talking about the interview with the admissions officer or that with an alumnus? Is only the former considered in the admissions process?</p>
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Are you guys talking about the interview with the admissions officer or that with an alumnus? Is only the former considered in the admissions process?
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The former definitely counts, the latter in some circumstances. If you tell an alumni interviewer you're only applying because you're parents are making you, or admit to some other serious problem, you can bet that will be on the report and will have an impact.</p>
<p>Alums aren't highly trained in inteviewing, nor do they do enough interviewing to get a good cross section. These of course are generalizations, but I think they're usually true. So the adcoms tend to discount what they say unless they uncover a problem. On the other hand experienced alums generally get a feel for who gets in and who doesn't, so even if the adcoms aren't basing their decision on what the alum says it doesn't mean the alum has no clue which way its going to go. The way I've heard it, it seems hit-or-miss for the ones they rave over but the ones they dish seldom get in.</p>