As more colleges use in-person interviews with students to determine interest, they can better gage whether the interviewee would be a good fit for their community. Knowing which colleges offer interviews, when to schedule them, and how to prepare can lead to favorable outcomes.
Here are my top 3 tips for college interviews.
1. If the college offers interviews, schedule one.
The college interview offers insight into an applicant’s personality, profile, strengths and weaknesses. Colleges want to get to know the whole student, not just their GPA and test scores. The interview is a great opportunity for you to share about your background, leadership positions and achievements, as well anything that may have been challenging in high school. Do interviewers expect students to be polished professionals? No. But a little bit of prep can make all the difference.
An interview is part of the college’s “holistic” review – Interviewers are real people interested in learning about you and what makes you special. So sign up for interviews!
2. How to present your best self at the college interview
My best advice for presenting your strengths to colleges at the interview is to relax and trust that you are enough. What you’ve experienced and achieved, what you’ve struggled with and conquered, is already enough. Present your best self by allowing yourself to be genuine and open in the moment.
When we work with students on interview prep, we help them gather key talking points, given their strengths, skills and experiences. Having us mock interview your child or actually walk-through with a dress rehearsal gets your child ready for the moment ahead of time. Our students feel confident walking into the interview and know what they want to say. We review their resumes as well, and advise them on what to include in this document.
3. Bring a resume
A high school resume does not need to include numerous awards and achievements in order to stand out. In fact, having a few jobs or hobbies on your high school resume is just right. Babysitting, mowing lawns or taking care of younger siblings would be great to include on a resume.
We help our students craft resumes that are organized and clean, and that highlight their best qualities. We like to have our students include these headers on the college resume, but they can add others as well.
- Education
- Work Experience
- Extracurricular Activities
- Volunteer Work and Community Service
- Awards
- Special Skills or Talents
Our students can continue to build on this document throughout college and beyond!
To learn more about our approach coaching students on interview prep and resume development, schedule a free phone consultation by clicking HERE.
