What You Should Know About the College Interview Process
Not every college offers an interview as part of its admissions process. Those that do, however, take them seriously — and that can be intimidating to any student.
Since the admissions interview can ultimately make or break your application (especially if the school is undecided about you), it pays to understand as much as you can about the process.
What Kind of College Interviews Are There?
Interviews may be either in-person or virtual (especially if you live overseas or the school is taking extra precautions due to the pandemic). Within that framework, interviews may be “required,” “strongly recommended” or “optional.”
In general, it’s best to assume that going to an interview is always to your advantage. If an interview is “strongly recommended,” you should treat it as if it were required, but even optional interviews can help nudge your application over the line and help your cause. Taking the time to do an optional interview reinforces your earnestness about attending that school.
What’s the Difference Between an Informational and Evaluative Interview?
Ultimately, every college interview can be looked at as either informational or evaluative.
An informational interview is designed to give you — as a potential student — a chance to learn more about the college atmosphere, the campus body and the opportunities you’d gain by going to that school. These are generally the only interviews described as optional.
By comparison, the evaluative interview is designed to give the school a closer look at you. How well you perform in the interview can either reinforce the things they’ve learned about you from your transcript or negate them.
This is your chance to shine, to let your personality show through and to impress the interviewer with your communication skills and your character.
How Do You Prepare for a College Interview?
Generally speaking, informational interviews are more relaxed and informal than evaluative interviews.
Does that mean you can relax if it’s just an informational interview? Unfortunately, no.
If you’re wise, you’ll treat every interview as if it were evaluative. You may be talking to an admissions officer, a faculty member within the field of study in which you’ve shown interest, alumni from the school or even a senior student. It’s better to assume that you’re talking to someone who can influence your chances of admission than not.
Even if the school is interested in gaining you as a student, your appearance and behavior throughout the interview could still affect your chances of admission. Here’s how to prepare:
- Dress appropriately. You want the interviewer to remember you, not what you were wearing. Conservative clothing is the rule of the day during this process.
- Expect to go it alone. The school wants to see how you handle yourself without your parents around, so your parents likely won’t be present during the interview.
- Consider your words carefully. Slang, swearing, sarcasm and arrogance can all create negative impressions. Be kind, humble and polite.
- Practice answering the kinds of questions you may be asked. You may be asked to talk about why you want to attend that particular school and why you’d be an asset, why you are drawn to your chosen area of study or what you think your biggest strengths and weaknesses may be.
- Have a list of questions ready. If the interview is informational, you may be the person driving the conversation — and you don’t want the interviewer to feel like they wasted their time. If it’s evaluative, your questions will showcase your sincere interest in the school.
Remember: Knowing how to handle yourself in an interview is a skill. Like any other skill, practice makes perfect. Work with your school counselor, your family and your friends to polish your answers and get comfortable talking about yourself.
What Should You Do After the Interview?
Finally, make sure that you thank the interviewer for their time — both when the interview comes to a close and after. A follow-up email not only shows your high level of commitment to the school itself, but it conveys a very adult level of respect for the interviewer’s efforts. It can also help the interviewer remember you, later — and that’s also of tremendous value to your case.
