A GUIDE TO A COLLEGE INTERVIEW

Don't:

-Be late
-Memorize speeches (Do 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 only come back to haunt you
-Respond with one word (yes/no) answers
-Tell the school it's your safety
-Be rude to the receptionist or any other staff you meet
-Bring a parent into the interview
-Refuse an interview if offered

The most important question to be able to answer is:
WHY DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND THIS SCHOOL?

Possible Interview Questions:

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND AND SCHOOL
-Tell me something about your courses
-What courses have you enjoyed the most?
-What courses have been most difficult for you?
-What satisfaction have you had from your studies?
-Has school been challenging? What course has been most challenging?
-How would you describe your school?
-What is the range of students at your school? Where do you fit in?
-Do you like your teachers? What is your favorite teacher like?
-What do you do in your spare time?
-How did you spend last summer?
-What do you do with any money you have earned?
-If you could change one thing about your high school, what would it be?

YOUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
-What extracurricular activity has been most satisfying to you?
-What is the most significant contribution you have made to your school?
-How would others describe your role in the school community?
-What activities do you enjoy most outside the daily routine of school?
-Do you have any hobbies or special interests?
-Have you been a volunteer?
-Would you make different choices of activities if you were to do it all over again?
-What do you most enjoy doing for fun? For relaxation? For intellectual stimulation?
-How do you spend a typical day after school?

YOUR COMMUNITY
-How would you describe your hometown?
-What has been a controversial issue in your community? What is your position on it?
-How has living in your community affected your outlook?

QUESTIONS ABOUT COLLEGE
-Have you worked up to your potential?
-Is your record an accurate gauge of your abilities and potential?
-Is there any outside circumstance that interfered with your academic performance? Tell me about it.
-What is of the most interest to you about our school?
-What other colleges are you considering?
-What do you expect to be doing five years from now? Ten years?
-Have you ever thought of not going to college? What would you do?

YOU AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU
*This category of questions requires some soul-searching and often includes questions about books you have read, a variation on the hero theme, more probing personal queries, and current events topics. The more selective the college, the more searching these questions tend to be. Be sure you respond with your own ideas and enthusiasms--don't quote passages from Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan if you are not prepared to discuss your own views on the philosophical nature of government. In short, don't paint yourself into the proverbial corner by talking about a topic you are not informed about.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS?
*Usually toward the end of the interview (or sometimes at the beginning) the interviewer will ask if you have any questions. Be prepared with a list of questions that are specific to each school and try not to ask questions whose answers you could have read in the catalogs or brochures, or on the school's website. Some questions that might prompt engaging conversation:
-How does the school treat AP scores? Is there a limit on the number of AP credits the school grants?
-What is the system for matching roommates?
-How does advisement work? What is the college's system for course selection?
-Ask about your major. What new offerings are being considered?
-Are any new buildings planned? How will that impact the present look of the campus?
-If the interviewer is an alumnus, ask him why he (or she) chose his (or her) alma mater over other schools