The Interview

Interview policies vary from college to college. An interview may be required, recommended, or not offered at all. The location could be on- or off-campus. And you might meet with a member of the admissions staff or with an alum. It all depends on the college.

If you have the opportunity, you should strongly consider doing college interviews. First of all, you can paint a richer picture of yourself, going beyond what is captured in a high school transcript and some standardized test scores. In addition, the interview allows you to express your interest in the college: if a college has to choose between two similar applicants, then the one who cared enough to schedule an interview and really engage with the interviewer may have a slight edge.

Questions You Might be Asked

Interview questions can vary widely, but there are some general themes you should definitely be ready to tackle. Before your interview, think about the following and discuss your answers with friends or family members.

• Why do you want to attend this college? (Do your research!)
• What is your intended major, and why?
• What are your long-term goals and dreams?
• What do you like to read, and why?
• Whom do you admire?
• How would your friends and family describe you?
• What's your favorite academic subject?
• What's your favorite extracurricular?
• What do you do for fun?
• What are you most proud of?

Questions to Consider Asking

By asking questions during your interview, you can not only exhibit interest in the college, but also gather valuable information. Skip topics that could easily be researched online or in a book ("Is there a campus newspaper?") and ask more fuzzy or subjective questions. Here are some ideas:

• What do students consider to be the biggest pros and cons of your college?
• What do students like most and least about the surrounding town?
• What draws students to your college?
• If you had to generalize, how would you describe your student body?
• What's the social scene? What do students do on weekends?
• What's the housing situation? Do students live off campus? Are there a lot of commuter students?
• Can you tell me more about X, a major/extracurricular that I'm interested in?

Of course, be sure to ask your questions appropriately. You should come across as genuinely curious, not overly critical. Also, adjust your questions to your interviewer: an old alum, for instance, probably can't tell you much about the current state of your major.

Interview Tips

"Research the college and have some thoughtful questions in mind. Students who ask insightful questions come across as smart and interested. Students who seem uninformed—like the one who asked about the business major when my university doesn't offer a business major—don't make the best impression."

"Act professional. I try to be open-minded, but I have to wonder if a student is seriously interested when he or she writes lowercase emails, arrives late, or shows up in casual clothing."

"Know what you care about, and be ready to discuss it. Some of my most fascinating interviews have been with applicants who took a simple question and ran with it. For instance, I asked one applicant to explain a summer program she had attended. Rather than simply saying, 'It was a leadership camp,' she eagerly shared its impact on her. Her sincerity and enthusiasm were a huge plus."