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illiterate-duck-blog · 6 years

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College Interviews - what to expect

YAY! Part two about College Interviews. Here’s some stuff to know.

1. What do I wear?

Wear something nice. Please please please. No sweatpants. No t-shirts. And I don’t care how cool your shoes are, I don’t want to see sneakers. I know, you don’t want to dress up because, well, what if no one else does? what if all the cool college kids look at you and think you’re trying to hard? Well, trust me, no one cares! Except your interviewer! They are looking for you to care, so just make your life easier, suck it up, and wear nice, formal clothes. I’m not talking full on business attire here. Maybe dress pants. Or a skirt. A collared shirt. Nice shoes.

2. Who will be interviewing me?

This is something I wish I knew. I thought it would always be adults in the admissions office who had tons of experience! Well, that’s not true. I was shocked when it turned out senior students were also there to conduct interviews. I was shocked when my interview was conducted by a senior student! And I was not prepared. So be ready!

3. How is it different if you are talking to a student versus a counselor???

Well. A student is a student. They are young and, most importantly, don’t know as much about the programs at that specific college. Some will, but not all of them will - so questions you have about specific programs or services might go unanswered. Also, they tend to stick to more scripted conversations (not always! but the weaker ones will) and don’t bring a lot of energy to the conversation. You, as an interviewee, have to bring some energy into the talk as well. Meet them halfway. Oh, and be ready for some stupid hypothetical questions they will shot your way when the standard questions die out. Counselors are often older (though sometimes only slightly!), have more experience, know more about specific programs, and (for me, at least) are easier to talk to. They also hide their emotions better, so it can be harder to gauge their reactions. Counselors will probably be looking for more ideas coming from you - your thoughts, passions, ideas about college - and students will try and stick to facts - what classes you took, what you are doing over the summer, etc.

4. You mentioned hypothetical questions?

Yes. Yes, sadly I did. I was not ready for my hypothetical questions and they went terribly, so I hope you will do better than I did my first time round. Hypothetical questions are really for the interviewer to find out dominant interests or values about you. However, they are also almost impossible to answer well on the spot. Here are some sample ones I’ve received, and possible answers:

a. If you could have dinner with any people, living or dead, who would they be?

Firstly, what kind of question is that??? I don’t know!!!!

Ways to plan to answer: Try to find people that represent your interests. Ex: If you are involved in sports, find an athlete to talk about. Or for you artists, find an artist to mention. Or if you listen to lots of music, find a musician you like, or someone that has an interesting message in their music. AND THEN BE PREPARED TO SAY WHY! Ex: “I would like to eat dinner with Win Butler, the lead singer from a band called Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire was the first band I became obsessed with and also had an interesting philosophy - they wrote a whole album about the oppressive and yet home-like feel of the suburbs and suburban areas. As someone who grew up in the suburbs, that particular album really connected to me.” SO, mention the person who represents something (anything) about you, say why, move onto the next person. Answer with three or so people.

b. If you had a day completely free of obligations or responsibilities, what would you do?

WHAT WOULD I DO??? Probably go on college visits (haha)

AGAIN, this should represent something about you. What you are interested in (hobbies), what environments you like (city, home, park), who you like to spend time with (family, friends) and why you like to spend time with them! Ex: “I would go into NYC with my best friend to walk around Chelsea, because I really enjoy visiting the city. We could visit galleries, there’s this Stephan Shore exhibition (he’s a influential color photographer) I really want to see, get unusual street food, walk the high line, and visit independent bookstores - I’m looking for a copy of the Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.”

BE SPECIFIC! I mentioned a specific artist and author - this helps define your taste and it gives the interviewer a sense of your personality. It also makes you seem like you know what you want and look quick on your feet. A specific answer (even an overly specific one) is so much better than “Well, I would hang out in New York City with my friend because we haven’t hung out in a while and I like to be around lots of people in the city. I like pizza too. We’d probably get pizza as well” (though that’s a passable answer if you’re thinking of it off the top of your head) : )

So, please, no matter how dumb you think these questions are, practice!!!! Practice as you walk to school, as you drive to the college, before you fall asleep at night. Spend at lease five minutes planning out an answer and you will be so relieved to have done that when the interviewer looks at you and asks “so Joe, if you had a day completely free of chores and homework, what would you do?”

5. Other questions I can prepare for?

YES YES YES. Here are some.

a. What can you bring to ____ college? Again, basically, this is a question for them to try and figure out important parts of your life. I usually answer with something along the lines of “my parents are very involved in a politically active community. I’ve grown up going to protests for immigration rights and advocating for affordable housing and now social issues such as these are a really important part of my life. I will bring my passion and desire fix such issues to campus.” (This is just my answer. To be honest, this is the question I’m probably the most worried about. So, if anyone comes up with other possible ways to answer this one, let me know!) I use this question to reveal a politically active side of me that isn’t often shown through the normal conversation about classes and grades. You could try and use this question to explain about a part of yourself that isn’t shown in other areas of the interview.

b. Why are you interested in ____ college? Please do research beforehand. This will help sooooo much. Figure out what a college emphasizes. Sometimes it’s community, sometimes it’s study abroad, sometimes it’s discovering yourself. Any of that is great. Mention some of the stuff you learned online - or, even better, mention an idea you picked up in the information session beforehand! Basically, this is the interviewer trying to figure out what you are looking for in college. Ex: “I was originally drawn to ____ college because of the great study abroad program, but now, after hearing about the emphasis on college campus community, I’m even more interested.” The only wrong answer for this one is “I don’t know.”

c. Why do you like the humanities/STEM? This question will only be asked if all your interests and possible majors are specifically humanities/STEM. Okay, possible answers. Again, it should reveal something about you.

Why humanities? I like to work with big ideas and emotions. I feel hemmed in by the specificity of many STEM fields and the idea of there being “an answer” (not trying to offend you, STEM people).

Why STEM? Being able to pin down an answer, or possible answers to a problem, is so helpful for me. I enjoy the idea that there are solutions, and I feel that STEM fields are much more widely applicable when solving real world problems.

Again, these are just my ideas of possible answers. I’m sure there are many other ways to go about this one.

d. What are you doing over the summer?

Be honest! But not so that it looks like you are someone who plays video games in the basement all day. Saying “Well, for the first week or so I plan on relaxing after the school year; I’ll catch up on some books I’ve been meaning to read” is fine, but then find something more specific to talk about. “I’m also volunteering at a summer camp for elementary schoolers” “I’ll be working quite a few shifts at the pool as a life guard” “I’m going to help my younger brother learn how to ride a bike.” DON’T go into detail about personal family plans (”well, first we’re going to visit my grandma in Florida”) - they are asking about you, not your family.

e. What was your favorite class this year?

Slightly less tough question. Any class is fine, just have a reason that it was your favorite. “I liked my teachers teaching style” is not an answer - why did you like their style? “I liked the content” - again, why? Answer the why.

6. So, there you go. Let me know if you have other questions. And remember: dress nicely, be friendly (nothing is worse than dealing with a kid who was dragged onto a college visit by their parents), maintain eye contact (not in a creepy way though), research the college beforehand.

Also, at the end of the interview, the interviewer will ask if you have questions for them. Yes, you do! If you don’t ask questions, you’re not showing great interest in that college. Prepare questions beforehand that are general about colleges you visit across the board. Pay attention to different things from the information session you are interested in or worry you. However, if you are worried about something on the campus (fraternities and sororities, heavy drinking, lots of parties are some things I’m always trying to suss out) phrase it non aggressively, very neutrally, in an interview; remember, an interview is evaluative, so be careful with wording and emotion that you show!

That’s all for now! Hope this helps!

#college #college interviews #college interview questions #dress nicely #please #don't wear basketball shorts and baseball caps #for the love of god #okay that's it for now #let me know if you have questions

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illiterate-duck-blog · 6 years

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College Interviews - what are they

So, I’ve recently been doing a lot of these because I’m looking at colleges and thought it would be helpful to attempt to compile what I’ve figured out into one space to help out others going through a similar process.

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Difference between a “conversation” and an “interview.”

These are the two words I’ve come across to describe the process of talking one on one to someone in the admissions office of a college. In my experience (I repeat, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I could be totally wrong about this, who knows) a conversation is casual. It is not evaluative. The person you are talking with will not take what happened in the conversation into consideration when looking at your application. They will probably remember and jot down things about you - your interests, what major you’re considering - but they won’t be looking at your every movement. This means you can ask questions that you’re curious/concerned about bluntly, and not be punished for bluntness (some questions I often ask are about fraternities and sororities, political engagement on campus, what students do on the weekend, the students connection, or lack, to the nearby city/town). These questions will be answered honestly as well; really, a “conversation” is for you to see if the college is a good fit for you. Also, at the end of a conversation, your parent/s are often brought in and they can ask questions as well. An interview is slightly different. Firstly, no parents, There are also slightly higher stakes. But don’t worry! It will be fine. Interviews are testing both you and the college. You are trying to figure out if you like the college, the college is trying to figure out if they want you. You might now be sitting here thinking, wait, why does it really matter for a college to like me? I get the final say! and that’s totally right. That’s often what I tell myself so I’m not nervous. If the interview didn’t go well and it’s not your fault it didn’t go well, well, then that’s that. Who cares if one fancy person in the admissions office thought you had a terrible interview. Interviewers will be looking for you to talk about yourself! They want to get to know you, and they want to get to know what interests you! They also want to know what you bring to the table (I’ve gotten the question “What can you bring to ____ college?” a number of times). An interviewer typically takes notes as you talk and will also keep track of what kinds of questions you ask. You should not be as blunt in an interview as you would be in a conversation; you should be polite. INTERVIEWS ARE EVALUATIVE which means they will be considered alongside your application. (TYPICALLY/ in my experience)

2. When do I have a college “interview” or “conversation”?

College visits are great things! Please, for the love of god, go visit colleges! Definitely try and do interviews/conversations in person! It’s really best to do them after you know a bit about the college. Ideally, you do them last. Colleges often offer three things when you visit: an information session, a tour, and an interview/conversation. If you are interested in the school, I recommend all three, and in that order! Or, you can do a information session and tour and come back later if you’re really interested for an interview. That shows “demonstrated interest.” But I’ve found it’s easiest to get it all done in one shot when the college is fresh in your mind.

3. What the heck is “demonstrated interest”?

Excellent! Glad you asked! This is the language I’ve encountered that basically means you are putting effort into getting into the college. Admissions people are looking for students to put effort in investing in the college. Then, they know that you care about your education, and that college in particular. In a sea of college applicants, “demonstrated interest” is one of the easiest ways to find which students are most passionate about that specific college.

4. How do I show “demonstrated interest”?

Well, college visits for one! Information sessions and tours are a great way to start out. Interviews/conversations are the next step. Then, if you are really interested, I suggest you find a way to get in touch with your college representative for your area, or the person you interviewed/conversed with.

5. How do I get in touch?

Email! Email email email. Guys, check your email! I can’t stress this enough. One really easy way to get in quick communication is to send thank you emails. Admissions counselors or the person who interviewed you will often give you a business card. Use it! See that email address at the bottom? Use it! Your thank you should be short - say thanks, say I’m glad we could talk about x y z (this is a great way to quickly hit on the points about yourself or the conversation that went well to remind them how great you are), and then sign out. Again, this shows appreciation and, most importantly, demonstrated interest! But for the love of all things holy, make it brief. Don’t wax poetic, please.

#college interviews #crazy stuff guys #i don't love them #but now at least you know how they work #this is all FROM MY EXPERIENCE #so maybe you had a totally different take on interviews #so yeah #my word's not gospel #just my two cents #what the heck are college interviews anyway?

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