{"id":49822,"date":"2020-09-11T09:53:33","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T16:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/20-common-college-interview-questions-to-get-ready-for\/"},"modified":"2020-09-11T09:53:33","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T16:53:33","slug":"20-common-college-interview-questions-to-get-ready-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/20-common-college-interview-questions-to-get-ready-for\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Common College Interview Questions to Get Ready For"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"20<\/figure>\n

That\u2019s the good news. The slightly less good news is that interviews can also be nerve wracking and answering interview questions on the fly can be tough. After all, you only get one opportunity to make a first impression, so you\u2019ll want to get it right. <\/p>\n

Thankfully, we\u2019re here to help. Here are 20 common college interview questions to get ready for, so you can walk in (or log on) confident, and ready to answer any and all curveballs that come your way.<\/p>\n

1. Why us?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We 100% guarantee that whatever the school you interview with, they will ask why you want to attend their institution. They might not say it so directly, but there will be a question of this type. It\u2019s simple: schools want students with the right \u201cfit\u201d and the best way to determine that is to simply ask their reasons for applying. <\/p>\n

The right answer will depend on your school and program of choice, as well as your own personality and talents. Does the school have an outstanding reputation in the field of your choice? Are you interested in any particular professors? What about extracurricular activities? Does the school\u2019s reputation match your interests? Non-academic factors like location count for something too, just make sure you don\u2019t entirely ignore your academic interests. And whatever you do, don\u2019t say \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d or \u201cbecause I can afford it\u201d or the dreaded \u201cbecause my first choice didn\u2019t accept me.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Why do you want to major in X?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is another slam dunk question that every single school will ask in some form, so make sure you have a good answer ready. If you\u2019re applying fresh out of high school, no one\u2019s expecting a long drawn out story about how you were passionate about microbiology since the age of three, but it helps to have an anecdote and a good personal reason for applying to your program of choice. Maybe your dad works in finance and that got you interested in the field. Or maybe you just loved high school physics and that developed your passion for the field. As for wrong answers, \u201cbecause I want to make money\u201d and \u201cbecause my parents are forcing me\u201d are at the top of the list, so avoid those. <\/p>\n

3. How will you contribute to our university?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a college interview question where a bit of preparation and personalization goes a long way. Be honest and draw on a real quality of yours that stands out<\/a> from the applicant pool, and then back it up with a short story or anecdote. Maybe you\u2019re a great listener and would love to help your peers as part of a campus group dedicated to mental health. Maybe you\u2019re a dynamic organizer and want to launch an event or help organize an already established one \u2013 this is a great place to show you\u2019ve researched the school and know what\u2019s going on there. The trick here is to connect something cool you\u2019ve done in the recent past to something you hope to do at your new school.<\/p>\n

4. What do you think about [insert news story here]?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a trick question \u2013 the school doesn\u2019t necessarily want you to double down on your views and get political, they want to see if you\u2019re a well-informed citizen of the world and if you can use your critical thinking skills to understand what\u2019s taking place in the world today. So don\u2019t get all riled up: connect the current event to who you are and what you think, and bring up some (non-controversial) ways you would contribute to fixing the problem. Oh, and for 2020-2021, this question will almost DEFINITELY be about COVID-19. If it doesn\u2019t come up in a specific question, it\u2019ll come up naturally in the conversation, so make sure you have something intelligent to say.<\/p>\n

5. What extracurricular activities do you pursue?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While we\u2019re certain you have TONS AND TONS of interests and activities, this is not the place to list every single thing you\u2019ve pursued in your life. Just because you went bowling once, doesn\u2019t mean you have \u201ca passion for bowling.\u201d Speak about a couple of interests and then use them to tell 1-2 stories about a specific pursuit that means something to you, whether that\u2019s a particular sport or a school club, or even a creative hobby like painting or making music. Make sure you end by highlighting what you\u2019ve learned from this activity, and if possible, how you plan to use it to contribute to the school.<\/p>\n

6. What makes you unique?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a tough one, because with over 7 billion people on the planet and several thousands applying to each school, chances are you\u2019ll have overlaps with a lot of people.  If you\u2019ve got a unique family background<\/a> or history, this is a great place to mention it \u2013 schools love diversity, so lean into it. If not, zero in on a unique interest, point of view, quality or other singular element that makes you who you are. The key is to be genuine, and since it\u2019s a bit of an off-putting question, preparing an answer in advance here will help.<\/p>\n

7. What questions do you have for us?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finally! An opportunity to flip the script and ask the college interview questions of your own! Except the questions you ask here are just as much of a test as the answers you give to theirs. Be sure to research each school online and prepare unique alternative questions for each interview. Hopefully, if you know something about the school, you\u2019ll have genuine questions about campus life, classes, clubs and more. If your interviewer is an alumni, you might ask questions about things that they did on campus that seem relevant to your interests as well.<\/p>\n

8. Tell us about a failure you\u2019ve overcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is another one where preparation is key. The trick here is to give an honest story about a time you messed up, but more specifically, a time you messed up and LEARNED from it. Your story should either include how you fixed your mistake or how you avoided a similar mistake in the future. Make sure the adcom understands the delta between you when you made the mistake, and you now, after learning from it. <\/p>\n

9. Who do you consider a role model?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are two paths here. You could go with a close relative or personal mentor here, which may make it easier to come up with a story regarding how they influenced your outlook on life. Alternately, if you choose a celebrity or historical figure. If you go with someone famous, you REALLY need to sell your interviewer on how they made you the person who you are today. Whatever you do, don\u2019t choose a random historical figure because they\u2019re \u201cimportant.\u201d It has to be someone important TO YOU.<\/p>\n

10. What do you hope to be doing in 5\/10\/20 years?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"most<\/figure>\n

This one really depends on you. If you\u2019re applying to a program meant to funnel you into a specific career, you should emphasize that: no one goes into pre-med hoping to be a lawyer. On the other hand, if you\u2019re not certain, focus on what you hope to gain from your college experience<\/a> \u2013 this is one question where the interviewer will understand that you\u2019re fresh out of high school, so if you have a couple of different ideas floating around in your head, that\u2019s totally fine.<\/p>\n

11. Tell us about a tough decision you\u2019ve had to make?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Have an example ready for this one beforehand. The key here is to show your thought process, why the decision was difficult, and the factors that ultimately led you to make your choice. Also, be certain that you made the \u201cmorally correct\u201d choice or at least have a strong moral justification for the choice you ultimately made.<\/p>\n

12. What makes a great leader?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whereas a question about a role model could push you to name a family member or close friend, this question calls out for examples from a favourite historical figure or current political\/business leader. We suggest using historical figures as your reference points, since their reputations are already established. From there, name a few qualities and tie them back to actions that leader has taken.<\/p>\n

13. What type of student are you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Be honest here (and throughout your college interview). Maybe you\u2019re constantly taking notes, perhaps you ask a lot of questions. Perhaps you learn best by listening and reflecting. This question can teach the school a lot about you, so you\u2019ll want to share examples of how you\u2019ve contributed to classes in your prior academic life.<\/p>\n

14. Why You?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This question is the flip side of \u201cWhy Us?\u201d \u2013 where the school asks you to give reasons why they should admit you. This one should be a slam dunk. You\u2019ll want to give a confident answer without seeming too arrogant, focusing on your prior academic success, track record of extracurricular activities<\/a> and your personal values. If possible, connect those three areas to how you\u2019ll do in college. For example, how you were a member of the swim team and hope to continue to participate in this activity as part of your college\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

15. What school activity have you been most proud of?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This one should provide a lot of options. Focus on an event or project where you took a leadership role, or a personal achievement that stands out from the rest, be it athletic or academic.<\/p>\n

16. What does success mean to you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This can be a bit of a trick question. Don\u2019t say something like \u201cmake lots of money\u201d. Instead, focus on the JOURNEY, what role would you like to pursue and what would you contribute to society. You\u2019ll want to include specific examples, for instance: \u201cTo me, success would mean achieving X in the field of medicine, making the world a better place by ridding it of ABC disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

17. What are you good at?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"college<\/figure>\n

Go wild. This is one of the easier college interview questions you might be asked, since you probably gave this a lot of thought earlier in the application process \u2013 speak about it and let your passion shine through. The important thing here is to be enthusiastic and genuine, rather than delivering a rehearsed speech about something you don\u2019t care about because you think THE SCHOOL wants to hear you say it.<\/p>\n

18. How did you spend last summer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

They probably won\u2019t ask about THIS summer, given the Covid-19 situation, but they might go back a little further. This is an opportunity to speak about something cool you did that you didn\u2019t have room or time to include on your college application. Whether it\u2019s a part time job, a vacation or any other activity you took, this is the place to mention it to show off your personality.<\/p>\n

19. How would you spend free day without work or school?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Make sure you get specific if this question comes up, and do NOT say you\u2019d get some extra sleep and watch TV or play video games, no matter how true that would be. Highlight some of your daily interests here, whether cooking or art or sports.<\/p>\n

20. What convinced you to apply to our school?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Talk about something that impressed you in your interactions with the school, whether conversations with alumni and current students, a campus tour, or the school\u2019s activities in your field of choice. Don\u2019t say \u201cthis college interview\u201d\u2014that\u2019s overused.<\/p>\n

And there we go\u2014our college interview tips, and the questions to expect in a college interview. If you think you might need more help, take a look at our admissions consulting services<\/a>. Our crack team of college admissions consultants<\/a> is always happy to help!<\/p>\n

The post 20 Common College Interview Questions to Get Ready For<\/a> appeared first on Admissionado<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That\u2019s the good news. The slightly less good news is that interviews can also be nerve wracking and answering interview questions on the fly can be tough. After all, you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,817,775],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-admissionado","category-admission-consultants","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49822\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}