Most students assume that they should book interviews with colleges on their list that offer them a chance to talk with a member of the admissions team or an alum. Before booking an interview, however, here are some considerations:
Are You A Talker?
Some students like to engage in conversation, whether it’s to debate, discuss or just chat. I advise those applicants to snag an interview spot pronto. These students shine when conversing with people about their interests. Others prefer to communicate via writing, drawing, acting, playing sports, test-taking, etc. The thought of an interview usually produces excitement for the former and anxiety for the latter. The good news is colleges want both sorts of personalities. There are many ways to show a college that you’re interested in them and scheduling an interview is just one.
Do You Have Questions?
I advise my students to assume an interviewer is going to ask, “So, do you have any questions about our college?” And when that moment comes, I make sure my students have verbiage to fill an otherwise dull silence! In other words, my number one interview pro tip is: Have three questions that can’t be easily answered on the college’s website or through a Google search ready to roll.
What’s The Goal of an Interview?
This is a tricky one. Most of my students say that the only reason they want to book an interview is to show a college that they’re interested. Fair enough. But what about leveraging the interview to show off what a great conversationalist you are? Or how much you know about 19th century literature (my English majors) or aerodynamics (my engineer and physics majors) or the trends in early education (my child development majors) or how to predict a market swing in a bullish market (my economics or business majors)? The goal of interview is to not just to show demonstrated interest but to show off your smarts and ambition.
College interviews can be wonderful platforms to express personality and passion, but they also aren’t the most comfortable medium for every student. From years as a publicist and media trainer, I ensure my students who elect to do interviews are prepared for any “situation” that could arise. However, transcripts, application essays, portfolios, and activity lists are comprehensive student portraits; if interviews make a student nervous, I say, skip them.
AUG