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Acing the College Admissions Interview
by Terri Suico
Summer seems to have just started, but fall is right around
the corner, and that means that colleges will be holding admissions interviews
with prospective applicants. The admissions interview is a place for the
admissions representative (or someone else connected to the school) to see
another side of you. It is also a chance for you to get an insider's view of
the college or to explain an inconsistency in your academic record in a
personal, heartfelt way. To help you make the most of this opportunity, here is
some advice on getting and surviving the college interview:
Determine If the College Offers Interviews: Although
few colleges require an interview for general admissions, some colleges such as
University of Rochester and Hamilton College highly recommend interviews. Some
interviews are more evaluative and formal in nature, while others are
informative and are geared towards you asking questions about the school and
the admissions process. If you think you would be effective in an interview,
then plan to take advantage of as many as you can.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm: Most interview
scheduling is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check the web site about
the process for arranging an interview, or contact the admissions office.
Generally, admissions interviews on campus are your best option. However, if you
are unable to get a campus interview, find out if the college offers interviews
with admissions representatives or alumni in your hometown. Whatever you do, do
not wait until the last minute. When I did alumni interviews for Vanderbilt
University, I would start as early as October. However, most of the requests
came in January and February, and several times I had to turn down students
because my interview schedule was full.
Research, Research, Research: No one expects you to
know every single detail about the school, but you do need to go into the
interview with some understanding about the college. One question that I
enjoyed asking students was "What drew you to Vanderbilt?" The best responses
showed that the applicants had carefully thought about the school and why it
would be a good fit for them in terms of the academic and social climate.
Whether they had visited the school or just done a lot of research online and
through friends, their answers were much more genuine and reflective than just
saying that they liked Vandy for its gorgeous campus and relatively mild
climate (these two reasons came up regularly). The bottom line is that you want
to make a connection between your interests and what the college offers.
Identify your Key Messages: You don't want to sound
too rehearsed or have entire monologues memorized, but you should think about
the ideas and points you want to discuss before the interview. So if you love writing for the school
literary magazine and editing the yearbook, be sure to convey why you enjoy
these activities by relaying a brief example of work you have done. It is also
a good idea to have a key message related to the college's academic offerings.
Even if you are undecided about your potential college major, you can still
explain the areas you wish to explore. For instance, the student who writes for
the literary magazine might say, "I am undecided, but I am interested in
exploring diplomacy and world affairs, as well as English because I might enjoy
a career in international relations that involves writing and communicating.
Be Specific and
Elaborate: If you are asked what courses you have most enjoyed in high
school, avoid just saying "biology." Instead, provide some information about
which aspects of the course you most enjoyed.
You might say, "I enjoyed biology, particularly our study of genetics
and the brain. I hope to build on this knowledge by taking some neuroscience
courses in college."
Explain Discrepancies
in your Record: If you have a good reason for a year or a semester of
lower grades such as a death in the family or a serious illness then you might
consider explaining the situation briefly to the interviewer (this is more
appropriate for campus admissions
professionals, not students or alumni). Another example would be if you have a
learning disability or an attention deficit. You want to explain how your
learning style affected your performance and what new strategies you have
adopted to improve the situation. For instance, we have worked with students
who had opted against taking medication for attention issues. Later, they
decided to give medication a try and it made a dramatic difference in their
grades. Others worked with tutors or coaches on organizational and planning
strategies with positive results. It is important to explain the changes you
have made and why you expect the improvement to continue. Remember, such
explanations are only valid if you are truly working to improve your study
habits and can anticipate a stronger academic performance during senior year.
Can I Ask You a Question?: Be sure to ask questions about different
academic programs, extracurricular activities, or campus culture. This is
particularly true if you are interviewing with an alumnus, who has firsthand
knowledge of the undergraduate experience and can give you insight on the
school's highlights and lowlights.
Accentuate the Positive: Maybe you just got a
rejection letter from another college. Maybe you overslept. We all have no
good, very bad days. However, do not let negativity hijack your interview.
While some questions, such as ones concerning your high school experience or
the subjects you have difficulty with, might lend themselves to ranting, try to
end your discussion of these topics on a positive note. For instance, when
answering the question, "What subject do you have the most difficulty with?"
you might want to include your strategies on handling these difficulties. For
instance, a student I interviewed discussed at length how she was able to
contend with her problems with calculus by regularly meeting with her teacher
and doing extra problems to help her grasp the different concepts.
Relax and Be Yourself: Don't worry about dazzling
the interviewer with your rapier wit or astounding him with your 10-step plan
for world peace. Most interviewers want to get a better sense of who you are
beyond your application. When I interviewed students, I wasn't looking for a
stand-up comedian or someone with an ostentatious vocabulary. Instead, I wanted
to get to know the students and determine if they would be a good fit for
Vanderbilt. Rather than aiming to impress, go into the interview with the goal
of letting the interviewer see who you really are.
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