I have a college interview tomorrow, any advice for how to do well?
Here’s a couple things I’d like to get advice on.
–How to dress? (for a girl)
–How formal vs how informal (interviewer just graduated (23ish), whereas I’m 18. He’s not much older than I)
–Should I bring a resume?
–How should I prepare for the interview?
–Any tokens of wisdom or anecdotes are very much appreciated!
Thank you!!!
-ConcernedRabbit
I would say dress business casual. If you google “business casual”, you will get an idea. You don’t need a resume. With respect to prep, more than anything, be confident and engage in a casual conversation. Of course, you should know things like what interests you about the school, you academic interests, … Don’t forget to take a notebook and pen. Good luck!
Have some answers to obvious questions. “What made you apply to college x?” “What are your favorite subjects/ extracurriculars?” “What jobs/summer experiences have you done and why (or why not) were they valuable to you?” Have some questions for the interviewer ready. Whatever is important/interesting to you.
(and at least for me, as an interviewer, I have no opinion on how someone dresses. I more or less expect them to dress as they would on that day if they were not having an interview).
Something that has helped me in interviews is knowing about the school more…Check out the catalog or other resources to learn little things such as sports, the team mascot and name, school colors, history famous graduate or faculty. This should not take long. This information is mentioned more frequently than we expect, show you have done some homework about the school, and have some filler info if the interview lags a bit. If you have a personal connection get some facts. Oh, and if a school team is really good like national top 20 and the coach is…or has a famous current or former athlete know that. This personal connection adds warm, connection, and even teasing of you such as our mascot is a weird statue but do you know why it was chosen, So add warmth, connection, humor and so on, without much potential of harm like a joke falling flat to most (FYI: the one who got it will love you.) or too personal. You are not friend but you want to be interested and approachable.
Interview is in 4 hours…and last minute comments are much appreciated. I’ll be sure to let you know how it went!
Try to relax and be yourself.
Know what you like/why you are a good fit for the college.
Have a question or two about the school that isn’t answered on the website.
If you have a resume bring it and offer it to the interviewer.
Try to relax and be yourself (worth repeating)
How you dress depends on where you are meeting. Since you are meeting on a Sunday with a younger interviewer, I assume it is somewhere casual like a coffee shop. If so, dress casually and comfortably. Nice sweater and slacks are usually “safe”. Have some stock questions prepared, but nothing that you can Google and find out in 2 minutes. How or why questions are much better than what questions – the point is to engage in a conversation. Have an idea of what you want to draw attention to in terms of your strengths and accomplishments, with personal anecdotes to support your “pitch”. People like to hear stories not lists. As far as bringing a resume is concerned, I have had good and bad interviews when the interviewee has brought one (I don’t ask for one to begin with). When the resume is short and highlights things that the candidate wants to elaborate on, it is a good framework for discussion. However, if the resume includes the kitchen sink, it can become distracting and the conversation can become unfocussed if the candidate tries to explain every minor award and activity. Personally, if someone hands me a 2/3 page resume in small type for a 45 minute interview, my eyes start to roll.
Make sure you have some questions for them.
Possible questions - why did they choose the school over other places they applid, are they still in touch with any of their roommates and what are they doing, how did the school prepare them for finding work/further education after the school, what dorms they lived in and what they liked/didn’t like about that particular dorm, favorite teachers/subjects that you shouldn’t miss even if it’s not your major, etc.
My D found that a resume helped some interviewers focus a conversation because her academic/EC interests were made very apparent. One interviewer declined the resume and that was fine as well. I think it depends on the interviewer.
Guys, I went to the interview, I was myself, and while the interview was supposed to be about 45 minutes, we ended up talking for about an hour and a half! He told me that I was the best candidate he has ever interviewed and that I spoke like someone who ready to graduate from the school rather than just an applicant.
I decided to ditch a resume, and I dressed more casual. I was just calm and natural and it went the best it could have gone.
Thank you all so much for your advice!