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Campus Visits & Interviews

INTERVIEWS Campus Visits & Interviews Overview Planning your interviews Preparing for your interviews Interview manners and etiquette Interview Do's Interview Don'ts The most common interview mistakes Strategy for admissions interviews Opening questions - Admission interviews Opening-ended questions - Admissions interviews Final questions and impressions - Admissions interviews Additional possible questions - Admissions interviews Strategy and questions for Professor interviews Final impressions - Professor interviews

The Most Common Interview Mistakes

The most common mistakes make by students during admission interviews are:

Not being prepared.  There’s no excuse for not being ready to answer basic questions you know will be asked, such as, “Why do you want to come to this college?” and “Tell me about yourself.”

Not having school-specific questions or interests.  You need to show real demonstrated interest in each school you interview with.  College admission officers are placing more and more importance on the interest students demonstrate in interviews and on their applications.  Do research (campus-interviews-b) before you interview to be able to express your school-specific knowledge and interest to admission officers and professors.  During interviews, show you are trying to envision yourself as a full-time student at that college or university.  

Being overconfident.  It’s good to be confident and well-spoken, but overconfidence conveys the message that you’re “too good” for a certain college or university and that you don’t have to work hard to be accepted.

Appearing disinterested or bored.  Again, college admission officers want to see demonstrated interest and enthusiasm from students.  If you look bored and ready to leave the interview, the admission officer will think you’re not interested in attending that school.

Showing a sloppy, neglected appearance.  Take the time to look neat and well-groomed.  Plan ahead and choose the clothes you will wear; even if you wear casual clothes, there’s no excuse for looking sloppy.