To Interview Or Not To Interview? That Is The Question. – Tails Of College & Career Planning
Simple answer: if you get the opportunity to interviewdo it!
Interviews can take place on the
college campus or in a local setting (your high school, an office, a
restaurant, etc. ) Interviews can be evaluative (play a role in your admissions)
or informative (an easy, less stressful way for you to get to know the college
and for an agent of the college to get to know you).
Interviews can be conducted by an
admissions officer, a current student, or an alum.
Pointersround 1:
Bone up on the collegeyou
should know the basics.
Dont let your
parent schedule the interviewits your job. Even if your
parents know the interviewer, they shouldnt go to the interview.
Know why this
particular school appeals to you. Be able to talk about what you will bring to
the college environment. It can be a real surprise for students to realize that
the admissions process is not just about what an individual will get from his
or her experience on campus, but its also about what the individual will bring
to a campus milieu.
NOTE: Be prepared for the question:
«Where else are you applying? «
(Technically, that question is a
no-no, but it pops up all the time. Have an answer ready. Talk with your
counselor ahead of the interview about some ways for you to respond to that
question. One thing for sure, dont rattle off 18 other schools that are on
your targeted list. )
BTWthere shouldnt be 18 schools
on your targeted list. Selecting your chosen schools isnt a dart game. If
youve conducted a thorough and personal college search, you should have a
manageable list.
Pointersround 2:
ArrivalBe early,
a few minutes not a few hours! If
you are late or too early, youre not only an inconvenience, youre a nuisance.
What to wear? How
do I put this delicately? Hmmmmmm. Over-the-top trendy probably isnt your best
bet. Neither is wearing college-related clothes from a school other than the
one with which you have the scheduled interview (FAUX PAW, big time. ) Better to leave the Goth look at home too,
after all, you arent auditioning for a bit part in the next vampire movie. Ask
your counselor for suggestions on what to wear.
Practice with a
parent, a friend, or a teacher. (Remember that college career centers
frequently do this before students have real job interviews, so why not use the
same technique now to bone up for the college interview? )
Make no bones about
it (Ibones! ) . . .
Knowing yourself and Knowing why youre interested in a particular school can
pay off in the interview.
Recently, Carol Morris, the regional
recruiter for Southern Methodist University, interviewed students at my school.
Look for interview suggestions from her in a future blog.
Woof,
Clyde
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