What I wish I knew before my college interviews - updated

After going through many, similar interviews, I thought it would be a good idea to create an updated thread on college interviews.

The last one ended in 2015, and you can access it here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/admissions-hindsight-lessons-learned/246098-the-thread-for-college-interviews-p1.html

I feel like a lot of the interview threads on CC are about what questions the interviewers ask, etc. But with alumni interviews, it is so variable, and I don’t think certain questions are the “right” way to prepare. Even with the same alumnus at my school, students had drastically different questions. So here’s my advice, and feel free to post yours too.

For reference, I did an interview for Penn, Princeton, Rice (on-campus), Cornell, Harvard, Duke, MIT, and Yale.

A. MEETING THEM: If you’re meeting in a public place (and you probably are), meeting at first will probably be awkward. And that’s okay. In some of the interviews, my interviewer and I sat next to each other waiting without even knowing it. My advice would be to (1) get there early, (2) send your alumnus/alumna an email letting them know you’re there and (3) consider letting them know something you’re wearing (My Yale interviewer told me she was wearing polka dots and it was so helpful!) If your interviewer beats you, you need to be the one to go up to them and ask if they’re so and so. Also get there early because there might not be empty tables! My Cornell interviewer and I literally just pulled two chairs up; I was 15 min and still couldn’t find a table, so it happens. Also understand that they might have majored in something completely different than you, but it doesn’t make them any less qualified to interview you. You also might not “click,” but that does not equal a bad interview.

B. FLEXIBILITY AND SCHEDULING: Try to keep your schedule as open as possible. Though, sometimes your schedules might not match up, and it’s not the end of the world. My Yale interviewer got switched because me and the first guy had literally NO time we could meet that matched up. Prioritize the interview over things like hanging out with your friends; you don’t want to frustruate them. Also, they probably WILL NOT follow up on your interview date. So, you better get a CALENDAR and write down the exact time, date, and location (and probably their name and the school). You don’t want to forget the interview!

C. REVIEW: Review your application. Recall what you wrote. What major did you apply for? What did you write about in your essays? You want to make sure you elaborate on your application. Don’t repeat your app, but let your interview be an opportunity to make things clearer and add information you didn’t already mention. Also, look at information about the school. Why does the school fit your interests? What are some things you would participate in if attending the school?

D. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF: Most of my interviews started with this question. It will usually segway into other things, but be prepared to answer it! What activities do you like? What’s your favorite subject? Think about the things that make you you, that make you unique, and use this question to mention your interesting traits.

E. QUESTIONS: Every interviewer asked me if I had any questions in the school. They might not know all the answers, and it’s okay. They’re interviewing you, but you’re also interviewing the school. What are the dorms like? How do the students interact? Why did THEY pick the school? Come prepared with questions, and it’s a great way to show interest in the school!

I hope someone finds this useful, because I REALLY wish I heard this a few months ago.

And, please have a good answer to why you are applying to that specific school.

@momofsenior1 yes!! You don’t want to look like you applied to a school just for it’s prestige!

Look up specific research, course offerings, etc!

Lots of good advice, there, @h8nnah. And as someone who does interviews for his alma mater, I’ll add that students should keep in mind that in most cases the interview doesn’t carry a lot of weight in the decision to admit a student. Yes, in some instances it can help or hurt a student’s chances a bit, especially if the student is a borderline case. But unless the interview yields important information that wasn’t included in (or wasn’t apparent from) the student’s application, the interview probably won’t be thing that gets a student accepted or rejected.*

Given all that, there’s really no point in getting overly stressed about an interview. Students should take the interview seriously, but should remember that interviews are two-way auditions (students want the school to admit them, but the school wants to convince the students that they should come if admitted). So yes, come with questions, and be prepared to discuss the school and what you think of it.

*For example, I know of a case many years ago in which a excellent student was nearly rejected from an Ivy because of a dip in her grades. It came out during her alumni interview that her mother had cancer and the applicant had been running the family’s household. The young woman hadn’t mentioned this in her application, nor had her high school guidance counselor noted it in her letter of recommendation. The university accepted the young woman after learning of her situation. (I heard this story directly from the university’s dean of admissions.)