thank you so much! that’s very kind.

before i start, i want to say that i feel i’m basically living proof that the interview has very little weight in the admissions process. two interviews that i 100% unmistakably messed up ended in acceptances, while several interviews that went beautifully ended in waitlists / rejections. 

for context: i interviewed for nine schools total (stanford, u of rochester, brown, harvard, princeton, wesleyan, yale, uchicago, and upenn). and i’m actually super glad you asked about harvard and princeton specifically, because i think those two represented the two opposite ends of the “interview experience spectrum” for me, if you will.

also want to point out that schools’ interview procedures probably vary based on location and individual interviewer more than school. so my experience is just one small slice of the story!

more under the cut:

Hello all! 

Over the course of the last school year, I participated in around 13 college admissions interviews. I’m not an expert, but I’d like to think I did okay in all of them-- and so for those of you will be doing your own admissions interviews soon, here are 15 of my tips to help you nail your interviews! 

Dress the part! You don’t need to break out a suit but look put together and professional. Multiple times I went into interviews in sandals and sundresses, dress in a way that expresses you as a person, while also showing off that you are a fairly put together individual. 

Speak with Confidence! This one is so, so, so, much harder to do. I thank my competitive debate training every day for giving me the ability to be a confident speaker, but for those of you who don’t have practice, here’s what I would advise:

focus on the words that you’re using, try to use as few “likes” and “ums” as you possibly can, it will make you sound so much better (with very little effort)!

It is better to have silence than it is for you to awkwardly stumble your way through an answer. If you need to take 30 seconds to gather your thoughts and collect yourself, that is much preferable to going “uhh..... and I uh.....” for that 30 seconds.

If you’re stuck, go ahead and do a simple PCEA as your speaking (point, context, evidence, analysis) ex: “what made you want to attend this university?” “Point: I want to attend this university for lots of reasons, context: however, I’m mainly interested in this major and the internship opportunities available. Evidence: When I read about your institution in the Princeton review, I found these things very interesting. Analysis: I believe those things would be incredibly beneficial for my future, and I would love to partake in them here. 

Mind your first impression! First impressions are incredibly important, and this stays true for admissions interviews as well. Watch your posture, and make sure that you start any introduction with a handshake and a “hello, it’s nice to meet you, I’m ____” You can also go above and beyond with this if you’d like, When I did my interviews, I wouldn’t even be on my phone before the interview, instead I would look at school materials or I’d look around the admissions office (I don’t think it really matter, though). 

At least look at news headlines! Some of my interviews were strictly about me and my interest in the institution. However, some interviews are less about you, and more about the way you think. Because of this, I was often asked about my opinions on current events (immigration, the midterms, North Korea, and reproductive rights were the ones I got asked about the most). Because of this, if you don’t follow the news already, try and look up a couple of stories and form opinions on them, just in case. 

Practice! Interviews are scary, and it’s important to try and do your best. I would practice questions all of the time in the mirror. I would ask myself questions about my extracurricular(s), current events, and my academic life. Practicing allows you to really think your answers through, while also getting experience with the types of questions you might be asked. (I recorded myself as well, and would recommend that if it’s something you’re comfortable with, as then you can also listen back to your answers to better judge tone and wording). The college board has some practice questions here. 

Categorize some of your favorite accomplishments! For me, admissions interviews were always stuck with a certain time frame, and while I feel as though I had lots of achievements that were notable, I tried to narrow it down to three main ones. I picked these three to talk about because I felt as though they were unique, and represented me best as a person. 

 I ended up talking about: my debate career, my passion/activism for the LGBTQ community, and my love for English classes. 

While there’s no perfect way to define yourself, I chose to go with one extracurricular, one academic interest, and then one thing that took place independently of school. I think doing this helps my admissions counselors get a better grip of who I was as a person, and made the practicing process much easier for me.  

Read and learn about the college before you go! This might seem to be obvious, but you would be amazed the number of people who go to interviews and know nothing about that college. I would definitely look at the Princeton Review, and see if there’s anything you like. Look to their course catalog, learn about the school. If you can have a dialogue during the interview that shows you took the time to look deeper into the school than the average student, that is something that will not be forgotten. 

Be prepared to ask questions! With all the research you just did, coming up with questions shouldn’t be too difficult. Asking questions about classes, extracurricular(s), and student life help set you apart from other students because it showcases your drive and passion. Most interviews will also have a slot in the interview dedicated to your questions, and it’s best to be prepared. 

Try to eat/drink before you go! This is super basic, but always make sure that you’re taking care of yourself, also, you’ll be so much more focused if you’re able to focus on the interview and not how hungry you are. 

Pick a time that’s best for you! Timing is important, but when it comes to campus interviews, there’s one big thing to keep in mind: do it before your campus tour. Seriously, I had to do a couple of interviews after the tour and I was always felt so gross and sweaty and tired, so if you can get it done first, that’s best. 

Remember that this is literally just a person! Often times, people get stressed out because they think they’re being interviewed by some scary person, and you’re not-- chances are, your admissions counselor is only a few years out of college, and is just trying to help you pick the best college for you, I recommend thinking about you interview like you’re getting coffee with a friend, keep it laid back. 

Before you go, email your admissions person. This tip sort of goes hand in hand with the one above, it’s so much easier to avoid stressing when you know about the person conducting your interview. Before each of my college tours, I would email my counselor and introduce myself, explain that I was a perspective student and that I would visiting the campus. Then I would ask if my counselor had any other recommendations about what I could do while I was there. Doing this started a dialogue, and made meeting them in person less stressful. 

Take notes, and don’t bring your phone in. I’m a note-taking type of person, and so, when I would ask questions during my interviews, I would write down the answers that I was given; and I found that it made me look professional and invested in the conversation we were having. Not having my phone in the room with me (I left it with my parents) also took away any temptation to glance at the clock, and thus all my focus was on the interview. 

Have fun! This is super obvious, I think, but seriously-- enjoy yourself! College interviews are a great time to reflect on all the amazing things you’ve done, and all the amazing things you’re still going to do, so take some time to be proud of yourself and focus on the person you’re becoming! 

Breathe, this process can be stressful, and there’s a lot of different components to this process, but if you can keep calm believe in yourself, everything is going to be okay.