<p>One of the colleges that my son is applying to cannot accomodate an interview at this point but did say they can conduct a phone interview and have set up a time next week to speak, the person said it will be about a 20 minute conversation.
Seeing that this is his first interview, and we are both new to this whole college thing, what kinds of questions should be prepared to ask/answer? Is he going to be doing most of the answering and at the end, they will ask if there are any questions? What kinds of questions are typically asked on a interview? I assume the phone interview will be very much the same as a in person interview. I just want to help him prepare the best he can possibly be prepared. If you have any insight we would really appreciate it. Thank you!</p>
<p>Your assumption that it'll mimic in-person interviews is sound. He'll probably be asked about his interests, what he sees he can contribute to the college (if he knows what the college's mission is). Maybe open ended questions about his HS career: what would you change about the last 4 yrs, What's your best accomplishment in the last 4 yrs, etc.</p>
<p>They WILL ask if he has any questions. Have your S have some legitimate questions that aren't easily found on the school's website. Perhaps particulars for his intended major, highs/lows about the physical campus itself, questions about social & cultural life.</p>
<p>Good luck to both you and him!</p>
<p>One of the questions I ask when I do them is "Is there anything you want the admissions office to know about you that you think might not come through on your application?" So maybe he should think of an anwer to that? Also, obviously, why did you apply to _______, what's your favorite subject, what's your favorite EC...But of course, it totally depends on the interviewer and the school. I'm not given any script.</p>
<p>For some reason, a lot of them tell me "I love learning for the sake of learning, not just for grades." Don't say that.</p>
<p>I had one phone interview and it was nothing like my in-person interviews. To forsake modesty for a moment, I rocked my in-person interviews. My phone interview was awful though. Perhaps I had a bad experience, so he shouldn't be nervous, but be prepared for anything.</p>
<p>During my on-campus interviews, I could read my interviewer, pick up on reactions, as thus "sway" the interview to my advantage. On the phone, it was harder to pick up on little cues, so I found myself feeling more awkward. </p>
<p>Also, my phone interviewer asked me silly, irrelevant questions that just served to annoy me. The questions were "pick three words to describe yourself," "what would you do with a million dollars?" and something else. I know that I should have been prepared for stuff like that, but no other interviewer ever coped out on me like that before! The other ones just wanted to talk. Also, whatever adjectives your son picks, he needs to have good reasons for picking. My interviewer asked me why I picked them after I listed them. </p>
<p>Tell him to go on *students(no space, but this link doesn't show up on CC without one) review(dot)com *for the school. Sometimes I find little-known facts about schools on that site. If he finds something like that, even if it is controvertial, he should ask about it. It will show that he did REAL research. Even the dark underbelly of a school can be brought up nicely/in a way that can then be used to his advantage.</p>
<p>He should have an answer ready for the "Why college X?" question. Schools want to know students have good specific reasons for wanting to go there. So far that has been a big part of my son's "in person" interviews, and I'd think it would be the same for a phone interview.</p>
<p>He should review what he sent them to jog his memory, especially if he applied to many colleges. They may have questions about his ECs, essays, etc.</p>