College interviews can be stressful to some students. But what you need to realize is that this is a relatively easy part of the college process. If you follow these few basic bits of advice, you can ace your interview and leave the stress at home.

DO:

• Prepare by practicing with a friend or parent.
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before – dozing off mid-interview may in fact count against you.
• Be natural, be yourself.

DO NOT:

• Over-prepare and psyche yourself out. One or two practice runs are plenty.
• Arrive late.
• Arrive too early. Showing up more than 5 minutes prior to the interview is considered bad form – especially if it is at the interviewer’s workplace, since it could interrupt her schedule and disrupt her work.

Commonly Asked Questions

Before the interview, you should prepare for some common questions that the interviewer may ask, such as:

• 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 entire answer for each question; just put some thought into each question and make sure you won’t be surprised or stumped by any of them.

Prepare Your Own Questions

Just as important as preparing for the interviewer’s questions is preparing your own. The right kinds of questions can not only leave a good impression, but also be informative for you. Take the opportunity to ask specific things about the school, such as your intended major, campus life, athletics, and study abroad opportunities. If you can engage in really substantive conversation on your particular interests, you can impress the interviewer with your passion and knowledge.

Dress Code

What to wear to interviews is a point of contention between some college advisors. But when it comes to dress codes, there is no one-size-fits-all rule (the pun was intended!). The key is adapting to your surroundings. If your interviewer wants to meet at his law firm, you absolutely should wear business attire. But if she wants to chat at the neighborhood coffee shop, you can probably dress more casually (guys – ditch the tie; girls – leave the pantsuit in the closet). There is definitely a lower limit when it comes to casual though – I would not recommend t-shirts, jeans, shorts, or tank tops in any situation.

One thing you can do to determine the right dress code is to do some research. If the interviewer asks to meet at his office, you should Google his company. Is it an old-school insurance company where everyone wears a suit and tie? Or is it a young startup internet company where someone in a suit would stick out like a sore thumb? Which brings us to the next point:

Research Your Interviewer

Athletes know the value of home field advantage. It isn’t just the thousands of fans cheering you and booing your opponent. When you are playing in a familiar environment, you are able to worry less about the little things and focus better on the game.

The point of researching the interviewer is not to creepily dig into his personal life, but gather some basic information and make yourself familiar with his background. A basic LinkedIn search will reveal these key pieces:

• Picture
• Graduating year (and approximate age)
• Occupation
• Company
• Responsibilities at current job

Knowing these few things about your interviewer will give you a better sense of how to approach the interview. If her current occupation is of interest to you, it will provide useful conversation points.

After all, the interview has a dossier full of your background information – why shouldn’t you have the same?

Extra Credit

• If you have a strong online presence, this is the perfect time to talk about it and send the interviewer off with a “leave-behind,” something he/she can look at afterwards. I strongly encourage business cards. If you leave the interviewer with a card containing your name and website/blog, she will most certainly take a look at it later. If you don’t have your own business cards, no problem – just write down the url on her card.
• Thank-you notes after interviews are a definitely plus. Ask for an address where you can send the note, and send a brief, dead-simple note thanking the interviewer for her time. Email notes are okay, but paper is preferable, since it may end up in your application file.

In Summary: Style Points

Remember – interviews isn’t about answering questions correctly, or saying exactly what the interviewer wants you to say. In the end, they are more about style than substance. All the interviewer wants to see is someone who is curious, intelligent, personable, and can carry out a decent conversation. As long as you are comfortable during the interview and show genuine interest, you’ll come across well.

Related posts:

1. Review of the College Board’s New Official SAT Study Guide – 2nd edition!
2. Using Your Personality To Get Into College
3. How to Write a Great College Essay
4. Helpful Article on the College Process
5. The Consensus on College Essays? Don’t be boring!