The interview is the toughest part of the college application process for most people. You get one chance to show that you are serious about attending the school and you have the knowledge and skills to excel. If you don’t get your interview right, your chances of being accepted are very slim. Unfortunately, this is the hardest part because most people don’t have experience with this kind of interview before.
Preparation is key if you want to do well and you will really struggle if you go in without putting the work in beforehand. If you are concerned about your performance in your college interview, here are some tips to help you prepare.
Prepare For Common Questions
There are a lot of common questions you are likely to be asked in most college interviews. An example of this is, “What are your strengths?” or, “What are your weaknesses?”
Another good question to prepare for is, “why this college?” You should always be prepared with reasons why you love their school and what makes it unique. You need to show them that you have done plenty of research about the school and you are not just giving them generic answers. When preparing for these types of questions, think about some specific examples that include details. The more detail you can provide in your response, the better.
Do Lots Of Practice Interviews
Practicing your interviews is the best way to get a feel for your answers and make sure that they are concise but also detailed. There are consultancies that will conduct an hbs mock interview and give you feedback. If you are looking to get into a top school, the interviews are incredibly competitive and you would benefit from this kind of professional help. You can even practice with friends or family members to help you hone your answers. If you do plenty of practice before the big day, you will feel a lot more relaxed in your interview.
Write Specific Questions For The Interviewer
Asking the interviewer questions is very important, so prepare them beforehand. Think of questions that demonstrate that you have researched the school and the course. Things that show your passion for the subject are good too. So, ask detailed questions about the courses or maybe even the professors that are teaching. Ask about the facilities, university housing, and extracurricular activities too because this shows that you are going to engage fully with everything the college has to offer.
Be Yourself
When conducting practice interviews, you need to be very careful that you are being genuine. Do not just go through the motions and ask rehearsed questions. This will come across in your answers because they will not sound natural or authentic. You want to show potential colleges that you are the right fit for their school so don’t give them a cookie-cutter version of yourself. Instead, be confident but also humble about your skills because this shows character too!
As long as you take the time to prepare before your interview, and you follow these tips, you will land a place at your dream school!
