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The college interview is intended to be an exploratory conversation between the student and a member of the Admissions team to add more context to the applicant and their "story."  Commonly, college interviews take place with a representative from the Admissions Office, a current student or an active alum. Depending on the college's approach to application review, the interview conversation might be purely a friendly, informational exchange. In contrast, an evaluative meeting aims to help the interviewer develop feedback to add to the applicant's file.

With over twenty years' experience as a Cornell University volunteer interviewer, for me meeting with prospective students has been all about interesting conversations. Learning about applicants' interest in attending my alma mater -- while sharing their plans and passions -- made for an engaging step in the college application process.

Showing up to an interview appropriately prepared not only supports an applicant in sharing their individual interests and experiences, but doing so also smooths the way to a more fluid exchange. Some solid self-reflection before sitting for the one-to-one conversation helps to build confidence in conveying a student's most significant qualities and experiences.  And building interviewing skills is not limited to the college process. Job searches -- internships -- scholarship competitions also rest on great interview conversations!

Some Great College Interview Questions

Personal

Tell me about yourself/So…who are you?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

What about you is unique?

Tell me about a leadership position you've held in high school.

Tell me about an ethical dilemma you faced and how you handled it.

Tell me about a personal challenge you had to overcome.

Have you ever lived away from home for any length of time?

Have you ever traveled/lived outside of the United States? When? 

What do you do for fun?

Have any of your family members attended our college?

How would you describe yourself to someone who did not know you?

What has been your proudest achievement so far?

What three words would your teachers say about you?  How about parents?  Friends?

College fit

Why are you interested in our college?

Which of our college’s student groups/special programs interest you?

How have you learned about our programs?

What are your academic interests?

Tell me about how you've explored this interest in high school?

 What other colleges/universities have you applied to or are you interested in?  ( be wary of this one!)

What would you like your educational experience to be about?

What is the applicant bringing?

What has been your favorite extracurricular activity in high school?

What could you teach/add to other students’ experiences at our college?

What events have been crucial in your life?

What mark do you feel you've left on your school?

What do you want to get out of your college experience?

What else could you see yourself contributing to our college community?

College readiness

Tell me about a current event that you have been following. 

What is the most important thing you've learned during high school?

How do you define success?

What have you liked or disliked about your school? What would you change?

What is your high school like and how has it prepared you for college?

If you were to postpone college next year, what would you do instead?

Quirky

Tell us something about you that is not evident from your application.

What books have you read recently? What would you recommend to me?

Tell me about a book that you think everyone should read. 

What’s the best class you’ve ever taken? 

How do you hope your college years will be different from your high school years? 

If you had a “do over” button, when would you have used it?

If you had a day all to yourself, how would you spend it? 

Where do you get your news, and what news has been most concerning to you of late?

If you could talk with any one person (living or deceased), who would it be and why?

Is there something you hoped I would ask you that I have not?

 What questions do you have for me?  (one of the most important interview topics to prepare for!)

Students who want to gain confidence and ease by preparing ahead for college interviews, connect with AchieveCoach College Consulting to set up a personalized mock interview preparation.