While your college admissions interview may not be the deciding factor, that鈥檚 no reason to not take it seriously. This interview is your opportunity to showcase the side of you that the rest of your application cannot on paper.
Your interview gives you the chance to:
Think about it this way 鈥� while the interview isn鈥檛 a make-or-break factor, if you nail it, that鈥檚 one person on the deciding party vouching for you 鈥� which could potentially sway a committee more than good grades on paper. Here are our tips on how to dominate your college admissions interview.
Depending on the circumstances, it will be either be an in-person or Skype one-on-one interview. If you choose to go with a parent, he or she likely won鈥檛 be in the room with you. It will be a semi-formal setting beginning with the usual formalities followed by the interviewer鈥檚 questions for you. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions 鈥� you should take advantage of this to show genuine interest in 秘密研究所. An important thing to note is that these interviews aren鈥檛 designed to feel like interrogations. A great interview should feel like a good conversation.
Do your research: Learn as much as possible about 秘密研究所 prior to your interview. Look through online resources as well as college forums to see what other candidates have said about their interview with that specific college. You鈥檒l also want to make sure your research covers the programs that you鈥檝e expressed interest in on your application.
Review your application materials: The interview may reference material you鈥檝e provided in your application. Don鈥檛 be thrown off-guard by information that you yourself provided and be sure you can speak to it.
Prepare questions to ask: The interviewer interprets the questions you ask as indicators of your interest and engagement. Don鈥檛 ask questions that a simple Google search can answer. Show that you鈥檝e done your homework and that you鈥檙e genuinely interested in learning more about 秘密研究所.
Do practice runs: Practice makes perfect. Look into whether or not your school offers interview prep services and utilize them if they do. Even if they don鈥檛, you can always engage a counselor to run a mock interview with you. Alternatively, ask a family member or even friends to run some with you. Be sure to ask for and be open to honest feedback 鈥� and take something positive from each run.
Dress appropriately: You don鈥檛 need to go full formal, but you do want to strive for a good first impression 鈥� no, jeans and a t-shirt won鈥檛 cut it. Dress conservatively, with a minimum of accessories, make-up, and any form of fragrance.
Get there early: Don鈥檛 scramble 鈥� plan to arrive about 15 minutes early. Make sure you know where your interview is being held and how to get there ahead of time. If unsure, call in advance to ask. Showing up late due to road traffic is unacceptable.
Keep it conversational: Go beyond 鈥測es鈥� or 鈥渘o鈥� answers. Back up your answers with explanations. Don鈥檛 answer as though you鈥檙e memorizing from a script. Let your answers be natural and spontaneous. If the interviewer brings up negative points from your application, put a positive spin on it. Address them as challenges and demonstrate how you solved them.
Be confident, not cocky: Demonstrate that you鈥檙e confident that you would be a good fit for 秘密研究所, but don鈥檛 oversell yourself. While you should definitely bring up accomplishments you鈥檙e proud of, be careful not to go overboard. Let some of what you鈥檝e done speak for itself. If certain achievements pique the interviewer鈥檚 interest, he or she will have follow-up questions, where you can then expand on your experiences organically.
Don鈥檛 overthink it: Calm your nerves. The interviewers are not out to get you, they鈥檙e just trying to get to know you. You鈥檝e worked hard to get there, so let that show through.
Send your interviewer a thank-you note promptly after. Reiterate your interest and make it known that you appreciated he or she taking the time to get to know you and to help you get to know the school a little bit better as well.
At the end of the day, these interviews are designed to get to know candidates beyond paper. Seize the opportunity and don鈥檛 let your nerves get the better of you. Be confident, be prepared, and just be yourself. It鈥檚 a get-to-know-you session, not an interrogation.