Campus
Visits & Interviews
Interviews - Overview
Be sure to schedule interviews with the colleges and
universities you are going to apply to – it shows your genuine
interest in that college (a bonus factor for you) and will allow you
to get answers to questions you may have. It is an opportunity
to boost your chance of admission by talking positively about your interests,
showing a great personality, and expressing enthusiasm about college
and the possibility of attending the school you’re interviewing
with.
College interviews are more like casual, one-on-one conversations than
hardcore interrogations. They won’t make or break admission
officer’s decision to admit you, but interviews do allow colleges
to look at some of your qualities that don’t come through on paper. Interviews
are intended to find out WHO you are - WHAT you’ve done will come
across in your application. Admission officers want to see if you
and the college are a good fit, both academically and personally. Interviews
are a way for you to impress admission officers as well as for the college
admission officers to sell the college to you (think of it as a marketing
tool that works both ways – for both you and the college).
A formal on-campus interview with an admissions officer
or other college representative will typically occur in the admissions
office. The main purpose of a formal interview is for the interviewer
to form an impression of you and to take notes for the admissions committee. An
informal on-campus informational interview is intended to add a personal
touch and to answer some of your questions. However, beware that
the interviewer in an informal interview likely will evaluate you and
take notes even though you were told the meeting is only an informational,
non-evaluative interview.
It’s better to interview with admission representatives on-campus
than with local representatives, such as college alumni in home town. It
shows your interest in the college by making the effort to visit the
school and take the additional time to interview while you’re there. Lots
of colleges will have students conduct interviews at the homes of local
alumni. However, you’re better off making a great impression with
the admission officer because the admission officer will be the one making
the decision on whether to admit you, not the alumni. However,
no matter who you interview with (admission officers, alumni, or senior-year
college student), be sure to make the best possible impression.
It is recommended to interview with professors who teach
in the department offering your major. You will be able to learn
details about the department and, more importantly, create an advocate
for you when you apply for admission.
Interviews last anywhere from 30-to-60 minutes. You should schedule
interviews with your favorite colleges and universities last. This
way, by the time you interview at your favorite college you will have
experienced interviewing several times and hopefully will have all the
mistakes out of the way. You will feel more confident and should
conduct a more impressive interview. |
