A surprising number of high school seniors – yes, even those with incredible grades and test scores! – are stressed and anxious about having a one-on-one interview as part of the college interview process. The reason is quite simple. Many teenagers have had very few sit-down, personal conversations with an adult they don’t know. However, any well-meaning adult can provide some vital and important practice to minimize the angst. Such “practice” will also pay off in many unanticipated ways, but especially in situations like the college interview.

Below are some points about the personal interview process I have gathered from hundreds of students and dozens of school interviewers. While many of these topics are especially common during interviews with top-tier schools, these points are valuable to ponder for any interview, including scholarships, internships, graduate schools… and jobs.

The college interview is usually done by alumni who are also successful local professionals and most often are an active participant in the school’s local alumni organization. However, there is an increasing number of graduate students who are giving school interviews. Students should make sure to identify which of these designations their interviewer represent before the interview. Getting interviewed by someone who is a recent graduate is invaluable in discovering what the current school culture and climate are currently like.

Doing a bit of Internet sleuthing to find out about his or her occupation/interests/major courses of study is highly warranted and encouraged. Such research is not only completely appropriate it is expected and can likely be a valuable addition to the conversation. In most cases, the interviewer will be very interested in finding out a student’s level of maturity, social graces, conversation skills and many of the characteristics that schools have identified as “niceness.” Think – Does the student say please and thank you? Did the student open the door for the person behind them? Getting an interview is a blessing and students approach the experience as a unique opportunity to have a good conversation with an interesting person.

As you can imagine, the number of questions that the interviewer can ask are…innumerable. However, there are definitely common themes that can be entertained and considered. These are areas that even if they are not covered specifically in this interview are good to contemplate and prepare possible ways to answer… just in case.

A couple of classic questions that will almost undoubtedly come up – and are often are warm-up questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell me about your school.
• Tell me about your classes.
• What is your favorite class?
• What is your least favorite class?
• What sort of activities are you involved in? (this is a wide-open door for you to talk about your extracurriculars and passions outside the classroom and definitely talk about BSP and your LIF development)
• What are you most excited about participating in at U of X?

Then, you will be asked some other questions to find out if you really know the college you are being interviewed for, and if you can see yourself being successful there…and why. These might be represented in the following:

• Why do you want to attend U of X, specifically?
  (It pays to know as much as you can about U of X, so do a bit of homework about the school. Concentrate on those things that make the mission/curriculum/student body of U of X unique.)
• What characteristics/skills will you bring to U of X?
• Why should you be admitted to U of X?
• Is there anything you are concerned about?
  (This may also come in the form of “What would you change about U of X?)
• What are you most excited about participating in at U of X? (clubs, sports, music, etc.)

I check in with dozens of students each year to find out if there are new trends in the interview questions. They agreed with the above categories as central themes in their interviews. If you can answer the above questions cogently and with reflection, you will be prepared for the main tenets of the interview.

And while the questions asked are out of the interviewee’s control, it is very advantageous for YOU to have questions ready to ask. You are actually expected to ask questions. Asking thoughtful, creative/insightful questions are one of the best ways to make a positive impression and the interviewer is asked to look for, encourage, and evaluate this part of the conversations. Questions about academics and social perspective/justice are especially valued as well as your having an interest in.

Some good example questions to ask an interviewer:

• Who was your best mentor at U of X and have you kept in touch?
• Do you keep in touch with your classmates?
• What makes U of X’s classes or professors inspiring?
• What was the most difficult class you took and what is your most prominent memory of that class?
• What class did you learn the most from, and how has it helped you in your daily life?
• Who was the most influential or incredible student you met at school?
• Given what you know now, what would you change about U of X?

Ask questions that provide the interviewer an opportunity to talk about specific qualities of the school. Remember, they wouldn’t be part of the interview process if they were not proud of the school.

And finally, some of the most important parts of the interview are ancillary to the conversation but in many cases can completely make – or at least set the tone for – the first impression:

1. Be on time
2. Dress appropriately – business to business casual unless the interviewer has suggested otherwise (If you talk to him/her on the phone prior, you might ask what they will be wearing so you can recognize them)
3. Listen first, but do not hesitate to ask questions…they are expecting you to be an active part of a good conversation.
4. Employ the “soft skills” such as a good handshake, humility and good posture.

• Handshake – it is your second impression, your smile and posture are first
• Presence – smile, confidence, relax, and be engaged with the person across from you…don’t let your mind wander.

Above all, the main things to remember during any college interview are simple: enjoy the conversation, relax, and be yourself…and the rest will fall into place.