America's Best Colleges for B Students. Tamra B. Orr

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СКАЧАТЬ to potential students. Interviewers are usually the kind of people who love to give advice to young prospects. Think of this as a time not only for your interviewers to learn about you but also for you to find out as much as you can about them and their experiences.

       Reprinted with permission from Get into Any College by Gen and Kelly Tanabe

      Who will ask you these questions? It depends on the college. It may be an admissions officer, another student, faculty member, alumnus or panel of interviewers.

      Keep in mind that a college interview is usually more like a casual chat over coffee, not a white-light-in-your-face interrogation. If you have a good sense of humor, the interview is the time to show it. If you have a talent, skill or ability that just did not fit on the application form or in your essay, speak now or forever hold your peace. If you can, find out if the interview is considered to be informational (just getting some facts about you and a time for questions and answers) or evaluative (part of the admissions criteria).

      Feeling nervous as you go into the interview is understandable. In a way, it is a good thing because it will give you that extra boost of adrenaline you need to keep on your toes and pay attention. A person who isn't at least a little bit nervous may not do as well as one who is!

      To make this less of a stressful event, practice what you are going to say ahead of time. Entertain your friends and family with it. Speak in front of the mirror or to an understanding guidance counselor. Prepare an answer for all the possible questions so you are ready, no matter which one the officer may ask.

      The bottom line of the interview is simple—it is not the end all, be all of the admissions process. It will not usually make or break your acceptance. The person talking to you is a human being and may well have gone through the exact same thing you are going through right now. This means you will glimpse some compassion, empathy and even a smile during the interview. Relax, take a few deep breaths and let the special person that you are shine out!

      According to the people at www.collegeboard.com, there are 13 things to avoid in a college interview. Are you paying attention? Here they are!

       HOW DO I RESPOND TO QUESTIONS LIKE “TELL ME ABOUT YOUR GREATEST FAILURE” OR “WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?”

      Contrary to what it may seem, these are not trick questions. They ask you to examine yourself closely and to be honest. Admissions officers often ask questions like these to draw out meaningful experiences in your life that show you have coped with a variety of challenges. To prepare for a question like this, just think a moment about what kind of difficult moments you have had to deal with in your life. Did your parents get divorced? Did you lose a friend? Think about what you have had to struggle with. Did you have trouble with a certain subject? How did you overcome your difficulty? What personality trait gives you the most trouble? What do you do about it? When you answer a question like this, you may just find out some amazing things about yourself that you had not realized yet!

       Don't:

       Be late

       Memorize speeches—instead sound natural and conversational

       Ask questions covered by the college catalog

       Chew gum

       Wear lots of cologne or perfume

       Swear or use too much slang

       Be arrogant—there's a fine line between being confident and boasting

       Lie—it will come back to haunt you

       Respond with only “yes” or “no” answers

       Tell the school it's your safety or last choice

       Be rude to the receptionist or any other staff you meet

       Bring a parent into the interview

       Refuse an interview

      During the interview, more than your words count. While you don't have to come to the interview in a suit and tie or wear a dress, you shouldn't show up in shorts and tank top either. Be professional in your appearance. As you talk to the interviewer, sit up straight and don't fidget. Be sure to make eye contact. Never interrupt, and shake hands at the beginning and the end.

      Your college interview is also a chance for you to ask questions. By doing so, you often show initiative and curiosity—two traits most colleges are looking for in their students. Ask if the officer has any advice for you, ask a question about your potential major or ask about dorm activities and college lifestyle. Find out if there will be a new student orientation program, what activities are available for freshmen, what part-time job opportunities there are in the area or end with a zinger like, “Is there anything you would like to know about me in order to help you make a fair and final decision about my application?”

      The interview is a unique opportunity to establish rapport with a person who previously only knew you as numbers and words on paper. Use it wisely and show the interviewer(s) what a fantastic person you really are!

YOUR INTERVIEW HOMEWORK

      Remember those college brochures filled with pictures, statistics and text cultivating dust balls under your bed? Dig them out before your interview and do something really radical—read them! It is not necessary to read them cover to cover, but knowing such basic facts as where the school is located, what kind of environment it has, some of the courses it offers and some of the activities you may choose to participate in is a good idea. It does not impress interviewers to discover that students who are applying to their beloved alma mater do not even know what state it is located in or that the college is single sex. (There was an applicant who actually made it to the interview before he learned that the college he was applying to was an all-women school!)

      Try to talk to relatives or friends who attend or have attended the college. They can give you insights into the college that are not found in the glossy brochures. The more you know the better.

      Doing your homework will allow you to be able to ask intelligent questions. You are making the most important decision of your life so far. It makes sense that you would have a question or two about it. Having prepared questions not only helps create the two-way conversation dynamic, but it also demonstrates that you are serious about attending the college.

      Not all questions are good questions, and in particular, avoid asking those obvious ones where the answers are on the first page of the college's brochure. Instead, the best questions to ask your interviewers are those that make them reflect on their own experiences, require them to do a little thinking and elicit an opinion. Making your interviewers think or express their opinions makes the interviews more interesting for them and makes your question seem insightful and probing. Some examples:

       What do you think about the X department?

       How did the small/large class size affect your education?

       How did X college prepare you for your career?

       What was the best opportunity you felt X university provided you?

       What is the best/worst aspect of X university or X city?

       If you had to do it again, what would you do differently?

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