9 Tips to nail your College Interview
Many overlook the role of college interviews in the entire admission process and while some believe it to be very important, the best way for you to think about it would be to recognize it as one of the factors that is going to decide your admission into the college. With this mindset, you will ensure that you don’t take a light approach towards it.
With that being said, let us look at a few top college interview tips you need to keep in mind to nail your next interview.
Research the college
Research the college not just from their website but also from their news articles and social media accounts. Believe it, many forget this top college interview tip.
This will help you get accustomed to the workings of the college and also help you obtain important information regarding the college in terms of its placement records and its year-on-year enrollment numbers which could come in handy to build an overall perspective about the college.
Go through past college interview questions
Look online to see if anyone has posted questions from that college. You could use online Q&A forums like Quora and Reddit, and you could also leverage groups on Facebook and LinkedIn for the same. Go through these questions as many times. Such commonly asked questions can make an appearance in your interview as well.
If not, make sure you are up to date about hot topics about the college that the interviewer might ask you about. This top college interview tip is bound to give you a head start.
Connect with current students and student alumni
Connect with current and/or students to get much more insider knowledge, which you could leverage and refer during the interview. Make sure you mention the names of the students as that would add a more authentic feel to what you’re saying. This could end up being one of the most valuable top college interview tips you come across.
Here are the different platforms on which you could connect with them:
- Social Media
Review your college application materials
Make sure you read all your application materials in case the interviewer asks you a question about them. This, in turn, helps you remember your flow, narrative and your pitch as to why you’re the best fit.
Have some questions for the interviewer
The interviewer is not just there to ask questions about the college. So make use of the opportunity to get some insights about the college from the interviewer itself. Ofcourse, questions about the college can give you better insights about the college but to nail the interview, one of those clever things you can do is to make sure you research the interviewer himself and incorporate that information into your interview. Employing this top college interview tip shows initiative on your part.
Dress for the occasion
Interviews are a two-way street. This is something we can all agree on. But, it’s not just a two-way street in terms of how you speak and interact. The way you show up; your dressing sense is also a two-way street. And even if the interviewer is not dressed up, it is your responsibility to appear well-dressed suiting the occasion, which in this case is the interview.
Be genuine and be yourself
An interview is not just about being fluent in your communication or showing off your accolades. The most important aspect of an interview is how well you can present your true self, stick to your values and beliefs. The trick is to just be your authentic self and not try to be someone you are not just to land the interview.
Practice the interview beforehand
Make sure you practice with someone and/or in front of a mirror. These mock interviews need not only include how you put forward your answers but can also be about how you respond to certain remarks, your posture and body language. This will make you feel confident and ensure that you’re not memorising the answers but owning them.
Rest before the interview
A very undervalued and overlooked interview tip is to make sure you rest well before the interview. Do not stay up too late and most importantly, make sure you arrive before time if it’s an in-person interview or try to get in the zone if it’s an online interview. Starting an interview when you’re anxious and/or tired can drive things south very quickly. Hence, rest well so that you can give your best in a calm state of mind.
College interviews not only demonstrate your interest in a college, which can boost your acceptance odds but also, in some cases, can make up for lacklustre GPA and test scores.
A face-to-face interview gives admissions the best insight into you as a person: why you want to attend the college, what you want to do while you’re there, and other such insightful information about you.
Be your authentic self and keep the above-mentioned top college interview tips in mind to ace your next college interview.
How Can GradRight Help?
While getting into college isn’t easy, there are ways to make better and informed decisions especially while choosing and applying to universities that best suit your criteria. You need not only top college interview tips but also expert guidance.
To tackle this problem, GradRight is has launched another platform called SelectRight, an AI-based data-driven platform that enables you to select, shortlist and apply to the right universities that are best suited for you.
SelectRight comes with unique features and to top that, there are alumni you can connect with, mentors and experts to guide you with your college admissions including your college interviews!
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