Ways to impress college interviewers: Getting accepted into your dream college can feel like an immense challenge. College admissions have become increasingly competitive in recent years, with many top schools accepting only single-digit percentages of applicants.
While your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities make up the bulk of your application, standing out in a college interview can be the difference between an acceptance or rejection letter.
College interviews provide a unique opportunity for admissions officers to get to know you as an individual beyond just numbers on a transcript or resume. Interviewers want to see your passion, personality, and fit for their school. In this post, we’ll explore 17 impactful ways to impress college interviewers and significantly boost your chances of getting accepted.
But before diving into specific interview strategies, it’s important to understand the overall purpose and format of most college interviews.
Understanding College Interviews
- Purpose of the interview: College interviews are meant to give admissions officers insights into who you are as a person that can’t be gleaned from paper applications alone. They want to assess your communication skills, curiosity, values, and potential contributions to their campus community.
- Who conducts interviews: At large state schools and public universities, interviews may be conducted by alumni volunteers or current students. At elite private universities, interviews are typically conducted by admissions officers, deans, professors, or alumni.
- Format: Most college interviews last 30-60 minutes. They involve a back-and-forth conversation rather than one-way questions. Common formats include individual in-person meetings, virtual interviews over video chat, or phone interviews.
- Content: Interviews cover a wide range of topics from your interests and activities to your goals and values. Common questions relate to why you’re interested in the school, courses you want to take, extracurriculars, challenges you’ve overcome, and what makes you unique.
With this context in mind, let’s explore specific strategies for wowing college interviewers:
17 Effective Ways to Impress College Interviewers
1. Research Thoroughly
One of the best things you can do is intensive research on the college you’re interviewing for. Interviewers want to see that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in their school, not just using it as a safety. Come prepared to discuss specifics like academic programs, research opportunities, campus culture, mascot, notable alumni, etc. Thorough research shows initiative that will impress any interviewer.
2. Ask Questions
Don’t just answer questions – ask them too! Have 2-3 insightful, customized questions prepared that demonstrate your interest and engagement. Good questions show that you’re thinking critically about how the school might help you achieve your goals. Interviewers love applicants who come across as actively participating in the conversation.
3. Relax and Be Yourself
As nervous as you may feel, try to relax and speak naturally. Forced formality or reciting rehearsed answers will come across awkwardly. Interviewers want to see your authentic self. Share stories from your life with humor and honesty. Bringing a little personality makes you memorable in a good way. De-stress by practicing responses with a friend or family member beforehand.
4. Make Eye Contact
Strong eye contact builds trust and rapport. Make an effort to maintain eye contact with the interviewer as much as possible when talking. Don’t stare them down, but hold their gaze to demonstrate confidence, focus, and attention to what they’re saying. Intermittent eye contact combined with smiles and posture conveys openness and engagement.
5. Ask for a Business Card
Toward the end of the interview, ask the interviewer for their business card. Say something like “I really enjoyed learning more about ABC University today. May I have your business card so I can follow up with any other questions?” Getting contact info allows you to send a personalized thank-you email within 24 hours, strengthening your positive impression.
6. Smile and Have Positive Body Language
First impressions are hugely important and impactful. Smile warmly when introduced, maintain friendly eye contact, lean slightly forward, and avoid closed arms or legs. By appearing open, approachable and engaged through your body language and facial expressions, you’ll instinctively make the interviewer feel at ease and prefer you as a candidate.
7. Express Genuine Enthusiasm
Your level of passion and interest will be palpable to the interviewer. Beyond reciting facts, show your enthusiasm by connecting deeply why you want to attend and what specifically excites you about opportunities on campus or future career plans related to majors of interest. Enthusiasm is contagious and indicates strong desire to succeed at their institution.
8. Discuss Values and Fit
In addition to academics and extracurricular fit, discuss how the school’s values and campus culture align with your personal priorities, goals and beliefs. For example, discuss the importance of research opportunities if aiming for medical school, or community service focus if passionate about social justice. Showing awareness of fit beyond curriculum strengthens your case for admission.
9. Share Relevant Accomplishments
Interviewers want to get a sense of your strengths and potential to succeed. Drawing from your resume, discuss meaningful accomplishments that demonstrate skills, leadership or initiative important for college such as teamwork, problem-solving, time management or communication abilities. What you share and how you share it should help paint yourself as an engaged, talented candidate.
10. Highlight Challenges Overcome
Adversity builds character. Where appropriate, discuss challenges you’ve faced in your life or schooling, and how you overcame them. What you learned from setbacks is just as valuable as victories to an interviewer assessing your strength of will and ability to adapt. Just be sure any challenges discussed are ultimately positive learning experiences that don’t define you as a candidate.
11. Express Thankfulness and Gratitude
Being appreciative makes a good impression. Express gratitude for the interviewer’s time and consideration, as well as for any financial aid packages or scholarship opportunities already received from the school. Interviews often determine whether your enthusiasm and appreciation extends beyond just getting into the college. Gratitude helps seal the deal.
12. Ask Meaningful Questions
Don’t just accept answers – thoughtfully engage by asking follow up questions. This could mean asking for examples, clarification or elaboration of points the interviewer made earlier. Well-timed, open-ended questions keep the conversation lively and demonstrate your interest, curiosity and potential as a student on campus.
13. Present Confidently
Poor posture and fillers like “ums” and “uhs” undermine competence. Sit or stand up straight, make eye contact, speak clearly at a steady pace without distracting tics. Being a confident communicator who holds their own in conversation will leave interviewers believing you have personal qualities for success in college coursework and future careers.
13. Share Relevant Personality Traits
Beyond skills and academics, highlight personal qualities that fit the campus culture and contribute value to the community, such as being caring, hard-working, creative or someone who leads with integrity and diversity of thought. What makes you stand out in a likable, appealing way to make a difference on campus? Share selectively and humbly, never arrogantly.
14. Discuss Passions and Interests
Show interviewers how you spend free time in passionate, meaningful ways beyond just resume items. What really moves you – hobbies, communities, global issues or spheres of knowledge? Passions ignite potential and make you interesting as a whole person beyond test scores or classes completed. Share how campus resources further fulfill your interests.
15. Express Clear Post-Graduation Goals
Having direction inspires confidence. Concisely outline short and long-term goals such as internships, research, graduate programs or career aspirations that the college can help advance. How will the education translate to making a positive difference after leaving campus? Strong goals set you apart as someone invested in success and give interviewers reason to support your admission.
16. Send a Thank You Email
Within 24 hours, email the interviewer a personalized, professionally written thank you note reaffirming your enthusiasm and interest. Reference pieces of your discussion that stood out and reiterate why you believe you’re a strong fit. End by thanking them again for their time and consideration. This simple act of gratitude can tip the scales when applications are closely reviewed.
Conclusion on the Best Ways to Impress College Interviewers
The keys to impressing college interviewers are thorough preparation based on your genuine qualities, treating the interaction as a thought-provoking discussion, and letting your likable personality shine through.
With practice and by following strategies like these, you’ll deliver a stellar interview performance that leaves admissions officers enthusiastic about welcoming you to their campus community. Seizing the opportunity to stand out through interviews can make a profound difference in your admissions outcome. Best of luck!
Let me know if any part of the post requires clarification or expansion. My aim was to provide comprehensive, actionable advice on ways to impress college interviewers in a style accessible to general audiences, including middle school students.
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