College Discussion - View Single Post

mikemac · 10-07-2006, 03:02 PM

here's my standard advice: if you can do it, pick some colleges near you that you aren't strongly interested in and have interviews "just for fun", in other words schedule interviews and see how it goes. You don't want your first time to be for keeps if you can avoid it. As for being nervous, its just a matter of getting used to it; the first day of HS you were probably nervous walking around campus, today I bet you don't give it a second thought. Interviewing is no different.

Rehearsal is a good technique. Get a book on job interviewing and practice answering those questions. Colleges are going to ask much of the same thing -- "tell me about yourself", "what do you consider your strengths", "tell me about a problem you had with a friend and how you solved it", etc. These are all pretty standard; just substitute "enroll here" for "work here" and the work-specific ones translate too. Practice first in front of a mirror, then have a parent or friend play the role of interviewer.

One of the most important times, BTW, is when they turn to you and ask if you have any questions. I guarantee you'll be asked this, and its not just to fill time. Its your turn to show you've done your homework and can ask cogent questions that show you know about the particulars of the school and have read the material available in the viewbook, on the web, etc. and have considered yourself as a student there and what questions would arise.

Interviews on campus are very important, those with alums much less so (although you'll read various opinions here about this latter claim). On-campus you have a trained interviewer who talks with hundreds of kids every year; they can place you pretty closely after talking with you. In the community you have people who are quite proud of their college but less thoroughly trained and who may only see a dozen or so kids each year (if even that). Their recs are not as important UNLESS you raise a red flag of some sort -- eg. admit you're applying just to see if you get in, or because your parents made you, or make a very negative impression.

Keep in mind, too, that of the 2,500+ 4-year colleges in the country only about 100 or so are the super-selective ones everyone worries about (and strives for!). The rest admit the majority of their applicants, and even if you're not aware of this the colleges are quite aware of it. So many "interviews" are more akin to sales meetings where they try to sell you on their school, get some kind of verbal committment if they can, etc.

10-07-2006, 03:02 PM	#11
mikemac Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Threads: 28 Posts: 2,853	here's my standard advice: if you can do it, pick some colleges near you that you aren't strongly interested in and have interviews "just for fun", in other words schedule interviews and see how it goes. You don't want your first time to be for keeps if you can avoid it. As for being nervous, its just a matter of getting used to it; the first day of HS you were probably nervous walking around campus, today I bet you don't give it a second thought. Interviewing is no different. Rehearsal is a good technique. Get a book on job interviewing and practice answering those questions. Colleges are going to ask much of the same thing -- "tell me about yourself", "what do you consider your strengths", "tell me about a problem you had with a friend and how you solved it", etc. These are all pretty standard; just substitute "enroll here" for "work here" and the work-specific ones translate too. Practice first in front of a mirror, then have a parent or friend play the role of interviewer. One of the most important times, BTW, is when they turn to you and ask if you have any questions. I guarantee you'll be asked this, and its not just to fill time. Its your turn to show you've done your homework and can ask cogent questions that show you know about the particulars of the school and have read the material available in the viewbook, on the web, etc. and have considered yourself as a student there and what questions would arise. Interviews on campus are very important, those with alums much less so (although you'll read various opinions here about this latter claim). On-campus you have a trained interviewer who talks with hundreds of kids every year; they can place you pretty closely after talking with you. In the community you have people who are quite proud of their college but less thoroughly trained and who may only see a dozen or so kids each year (if even that). Their recs are not as important UNLESS you raise a red flag of some sort -- eg. admit you're applying just to see if you get in, or because your parents made you, or make a very negative impression. Keep in mind, too, that of the 2,500+ 4-year colleges in the country only about 100 or so are the super-selective ones everyone worries about (and strives for!). The rest admit the majority of their applicants, and even if you're not aware of this the colleges are quite aware of it. So many "interviews" are more akin to sales meetings where they try to sell you on their school, get some kind of verbal committment if they can, etc.