Most colleges do not require an interview, but some do! Colleges such as Georgetown, Northwestern, University of Pennsylvania, William & Mary, and Yale (among others) require potential students to complete an interview before being accepted.

If you have been invited to an interview, it will likely be conducted with an alumni or a current student of the college. Admissions officers are much less likely to conduct interviews- admission officers have many other responsibilities, and they usually delegate interviews to other workers.

 

Two Types of Interviews: 

  • Informational interviews: This type of interview is designed to give potential students more information about the school. During this interview, you will gather information that will help you decide if the school may be a good fit for you. Alumni or students generally conduct these interviews.
  • Evaluative interviews: This type of interview is designed to let the admissions committee understand who you are outside of the material provided in your test scores, high school transcript, and application essay(s). An admissions officer may conduct this interview.

 

Preparing for College Interviews: 

  1. Read through all of the information the college has provided you. Make sure you come prepared with any material they may require.
  2. Some schools provide a list of potential interview questions. It’s expected that students will be able to answer each question. Give yourself enough time to brainstorm answers and practice saying them out loud. Don’t wait until the last minute!
  3. If your college has not given you a list of potential questions, don’t worry. You can still prepare by researching potential questions and preparing your answers.
  4. Ask a friend or family member to conduct a mock interview with you. Give them a list of questions and instruct them to ask you the  questions in a random order. Ask them to evaluate the proficiency of your answers and the professionalness of your body language.
  5. Bonus activities: practice your handshake, choose a professional outfit, and plan a reward for after the interview!

 

Questions to Help You Prepare: 

Answering following questions will give you a base of answers that you can draw on during your interview. These questions cover some common topics in interviews, and having a general sense of your answers will help you answer related questions.

  1. What two adjectives best describe you? Give one example of why one of those words came to mind.
  2. Are there any special circumstances, living situations, or relevant family aspects that have had a significant impact on your personal or academic life?
  3. What do you consider some of your greatest strengths? How did you come to realize them?
  4. What extracurricular activities have you been involved in? What achievements have you accomplished? Describe the ones that are most meaningful to you.
  5. Why is a college education important to you?
  6. What are some of your long-term academic goals and what do you intend to study?
  7. Have you had any experience in a leadership position? If so, what did you learn from the experience?
  8. Have you served your community or had any volunteer experience? If so, which of these was the most memorable or meaningful and why?
  9. Are there any challenges you have faced and overcome that you would want someone to know? Be sure to include what you learned from the experience.

 

We hope this guide was helpful as you prepare for college interviews! If you have any questions about the college interview process, please comment them and we will reply.