Some common questions that the interviewer may ask:
- Why do you want to attend this college?
- What is your favorite/least favorite subject in school?
- What is your favorite extracurricular activity?
- What is your favorite book/author?
- What do you want to do after college?
- What is your biggest strength/weakness?
- Who is your biggest role model?
- What is your biggest achievement to date?
- Tell me about an obstacle you’ve overcome.
- Tell me about yourself.
You don’t have to memorize an answer for each question. Just think about them prior to the interview so that you have an idea of how you might respond.
Prepare Your Own Questions
Think about what you want to ask the interviewer. Ask specific questions about the school, your intended major, campus life, athletics, and study abroad opportunities etc. If you have a particular interest, ask about pursing this interest while a student at the college. You can impress the interviewer with your passion and knowledge.
What to wear
Be a chameleon! By this I don’t mean dress in a variety of colors. Rather, follow your interviewer’s lead and adapt to your surroundings. If your interviewer wants to meet at her architecture firm’s office, you should wear business attire. But if she wants to chat at Starbucks, you can probably dress more casually. That said, never wear t-shirts, jeans, shorts, tank tops, sneakers or flip flops.
If the interviewer asks to meet at his office, you can Google his company. Is it a medical office where everyone wears a suit and tie? Or does he run his own computer programming business from his home where someone in a suit would look out of place? Therefore:
Know your Interviewer
Gather some basic information and familiarize yourself with his background. A LinkedIn search will reveal:
- Picture
- Graduating year (and approximate age)
- Occupation
- Company
- Responsibilities at current job
Knowing these basics about your interviewer will help you to approach the interview in a more informed way. If her current occupation is of interest to you, it will provide useful conversation points.
Write a Thank You Note
A brief and to-the-point note is in order. Write it on paper. Don’t email it. Get an address before you leave the interview. Enough said.
Finally
College applications are not made or broken by the interview. So relax and enjoy talking about yourself!