Why Interview?

Interviews are an opportunity to meet with college reps, gain information and make a more informed decision about which college to attend. Interviews are also an opportunity for colleges to get to know you better (and rarely will an interview negatively impact your admission chances).

What to Expect

Most interviews last approximately 30 minutes. You can expect these types of questions:

COLLEGE-FIT QUESTIONS

• Why do you want to attend our college?
• What can you contribute to our college campus?

Talk about what you've learned about the college and why you feel it's the right place for you. (Remember that you have to research a college ahead of time to answer this type of question well.) Discuss your extracurricular activities and achievements that show your character.

PERSONALITY QUESTIONS

• What three adjectives best describe you?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Give examples of how your chosen adjectives describe you. Talk about how you've used your strengths to accomplish something. Talk about how you overcome your weaknesses. For example, you can say, "I have a hard time learning new languages, so I set aside more time to study them."

QUESTIONS ABOUT ACTIVITIES, INTERESTS AND GOALS

• What activities do you find most rewarding?
• What is your favorite book?
• What do you want to do after graduating from college?

Discuss how you think college can help you meet your goals. Be sincere and honest in your answer — don't say things just to impress the interviewer.

What to Ask

• Specific questions about majors and programs of study
• Questions about life on campus
• Questions seeking advice for incoming freshman
• Questions that showcase your talents and interests
• Questions that showcase your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the school
• Questions about fit (for example, “What kinds of students seem happiest at this school? What kinds are least happy?”)

4 Tips for Nailing Your Virtual Interview

Prepare As You Would for an In-Person Interview

Just because your interview is happening online, doesn’t mean it’s not an actual interview. Other than preparations to travel to the interview, you still need to prepare the same way you would if you were going into the office. That means researching the company and role, preparing to answer common interview questions, and coming up with questions to ask your interviewer in return.

Prep for Optimal Eye Contact

Eye contact is important for all conversations, but even more so for job interviews. As a start, make sure you’ve found a comfortable distance that allows you to look straight ahead rather than down at the camera. On your computer screen, place the window where your interviewer will appear is centered and aligned with your eyes. That way, when you look at them, as you naturally will during your conversation, you’re also looking at the camera.

Record A Practice Interview

Setting up a mock video interview with a friend or parent can help you zero in on anything you need to watch out for. To get ahead, you should consider recording your practice. When you play it back you’ll notice if you’re making eye contact, fiddling with papers, as well as how comfortable you are engaging in a conversation. Once you review your interview, you’ll be able to make adjustments.

Listening, Rather Than Reacting, When The Other Person Is Speaking

In a conversation on a video platform, jumping in with your response too soon can mute the other person’s mic and cut them off entirely. This can seem rude, even if you didn't intend to.  It’s important to remember it ’s not always immediately apparent whether someone is done speaking or just pausing. To avoid talking over someone else,  once you think your interviewer is done, take a beat before you answer.