Tips for College Admissions Interviews and Videos
Some colleges offer interviews with alumni or admissions staff. Students should check the interview policy for every college on their list. Some schools allow students to interview before submitting an application, while others only offer interview opportunities after the student applies.
Here are tips for a successful college admissions interview.
Dress appropriately. Nothing fancy but clean and without rips.
Be on time whether it is virtual or in person.
For virtual interviews, make sure your background is clean and that there is sufficient lighting for the interviewer to see you. Also check that your audio is working before the interview starts.
Review application answers before the interview. Know details about your selected major and be ready to name at least one course.
Be prepared to give a 1-2 minute summary answering the question “tell me about yourself.”
Have a few specific reasons why this college is a good fit for you.
Be able to name some student organizations on campus that you would be interested in joining.
Prepare at least 3 questions to ask the interviewer.
Email to thank the interviewer within 24 hours.
Some advice about optional videos. More colleges are offering applicants the opportunity to submit a short video. Duke and Brown are two of the colleges that have video options. Students should take advantage of the opportunity to submit this video.
Follow the college’s directions on how to create and submit the video (including the length and whether they ask you to say your name as part of the video).
Spend some time thinking about an aspect of yourself that you want to highlight in the video.
Be creative about where you film the video. Do you have a favorite place in your town or is there a room at school or home?
Don’t feel the need to have a perfectly edited video. Colleges just want to get to know a little more about you and don’t expect a professionally produced video. Make sure that you can be clearly seen and heard.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about college admissions, please visit Excelsioradmissions.com or click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation to learn how I can help with your college admissions process.
