Interview for university admission

How to prepare for college admission interview:

• Analyze your situation: Assess your interviewer’s perspective. Will he think that you’re a strong candidate for this school? And know your purpose. Are you really interested in this school or just interviewing to polish your communication skills

• Anticipate interviewer’s questions and your answers: Once you’ve thought about your interviewer’s perspective toward you and your purpose, you’ll want to identify the questions your interviewer is most likely to ask. To do so, ask yourself, “If I were the interviewer and was reading this [my] resume and admissions essay, what would I want to know?” And don’t forget to consider the questions your interviewer may ask during “small talk,” such as, “Are you enjoying your visit to the U.S.?”After you’ve identified the questions your interviewer will probably ask, determine how you’d respond to these queries.

• Speak clearly and concisely: It’s extremely important to speak clearly and concisely during an in-person interview. You’ll see your interviewer’s reaction. If he seems confused, wants you to clarify your comments, or wants to ask a follow-up question, allow him to interrupt you and speak. DON’T make your conversation a power struggle.

How to handle university admission questions:

• Answer questions fully yet concisely

• Example: Let’s say that your interviewer asks, “You’ve taken so many advanced placement courses in the sciences. Did you have any time for non-technical studies or interests?” You might reply, “Actually, I’ve tried to balance my technical curriculum with my personal interests. So, I took courses in English and French literature.”

How to handle interviewer’s objections during college admission interview:

• Preparation is key to handling interviewer’s objections

• Example: Let’s say that your interviewer asks, “You grew up in Beijing, a very large city in China. Most likely, you’re a big city person. Would you really be comfortable attending a college that’s in a small American town?” You might reply, “While it’s true that I grew up in a large city, I want to attend Middlebury College so that I can take advantage of the nurturing atmosphere that only a college in a small American town can provide.”

• Acknowledge then explain: As you can see from the preceding example, an excellent approach to handling objections is FIRST acknowledging the interviewer’s perspective, which you can do by starting your response with “while” or “although.” THEN you explain why the interviewer’s assumption doesn’t apply to you or why his objection isn’t valid. Through this approach, you reverse a negative perception without causing any ill-will.

How to end your interview:

• What to say to end your interview: Even though you won’t learn whether or not you’ve been admitted to a university until a particular date, you can say, “I look forward to hearing from you concerning my application. I am very interested in attending Middlebury College.”

• What to do to end your interview: At the end of your interview, you should also stand and shake hands with your interviewer. When you do so, you also thank her for her time.

• Send professional post-interview email immediately: As soon as your interview ends, send your interviewer a brief post-interview email. Some candidates don’t do so or don’t send professionally-written notes. Remember your post-interview email is yet another way to distinguish you from all the other candidates.