I just got home from a job interview at Starbucks.
Why does this matter? I felt I came off very poorly - fumbled for answers, umm-ed, etc. I got the job, but I don’t think colleges will be as forgiving. I can just see the bored adcom scribbling “incoherent, clearly somewhat ■■■■■■■■” on my evaluation sheet.
Help! What can I do to prepare myself for interviews? Should I just not interview?
<p>which schools do you have interviews for?</p>
<p>Do practice interviews with anyone who is willing to help. Take them seriously. To practice for college X, prepare yourself beforehand by learning about and/or reviewing what you know, and would like to know, about College X.</p>
<p>And congratulations on your new job!</p>
<p>This worked for me: my Mom gave me this idea having experienced lots of job interviews. Start with your least favorite school, as practice, and work your way up to your first choice school. I did that and became much more comfortable as I worked my way through my 6 schools. You could also warm up with a teacher or counselor...do a role playing thing, but it helps to practice with real college interviews. Also have 5 specific questions at your finger tips to ask if the conversation lags. Don't be embarassed to have some questions written down. You can laugh about it in the interview. I had a little notebook with some questions I really didn't want to forget to ask. Look at the Student Engagement study for ideas about questions you might ask. <a href="http://www.indiana.edu/%7Ensse/html/students_parents.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.indiana.edu/~nsse/html/students_parents.htm</a> and one interview I had just consisted of a 45 min argument with the adcom person over whether intelligence should be centrailzed or decentralized and I didn't ask my questions .....so sometimes you just gotta go with the flow. you can always email some questions when you do your follow up thank you emails. hope this helps. the first interview is scarey but it gets easier.</p>
<p>I agree with Spiker.</p>
<p>Take advantage of the fact that your doing badly with your least-favorite-college interviews with prepare you for later, favorite-college interviews.</p>
<p>Also, realize that the interview might not have been as bad as you think it was. It's very easy to walk out of an interview, forget that 95% of it went well, and only remember the 5% that was awkward.</p>
<p>Yep. It's only human nature (or...that of the 21st century...heh) to focus on the negatives...</p>
<p>Interviews can either be evaluative where the results are used in admissions, or non-evaluative where the interview is offered by the college just to answer any of your questions. They can either be given by adcoms or by volunteer alumni in your area.</p>
<p>If the interview is evaluative, it won't count for much, but you could hurt yourself by coming across as arrogant jerk or some other undesirable type. </p>
<p>Probably the most important thing to remember is just to show up. Colleges like you to show interest in the college, and if an interview is offered, it is pretty much required that you agree to it. Colleges who offer interviews have volunteer alumni across the country and they will hook you up with one of those. (If they can't, it won't be held against you.) If you live with about 200 miles of the campus, you should visit the campus. Make sure they track all of your "interest".</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>I am going for a nonevaluative interview. Therefore, I have to ask all of the questions. Do you think it is okay for me to have questions in my hand? How sophisticated should I dress?</p>
<p>Interviews only go as far as if you're an outgoing person with a charismatic personality. If all you are able to do is give a negative impression, it's better off not asking for an interview.</p>
<p>But I guess the best way to prepare an interview would be ask one of your senior friends to do a mock-interview. That's what I would do. But I think people who give good interviews just have a knack for it. They're able to project themselves and are capable of making a lasting impression, a good one.</p>