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So,
what do you say when you have to explain why
you should be admitted to a school?
Plan
for Interview Day!
By
Feona Sharhran Huff
Additional Reporting by Paul D. Rosevear
February/March 2003
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- You have
a hard enough time convincing your parents to
let you take the car for the night, or getting
your friends to watch Happy Gilmore with
you for the 15th time -- how are you supposed
to persuade a total stranger that you deserve
to be a student at their university? Unless you're
skilled in mental telepathy, you're going to have
to resort to some strategic tactics to set yourself
apart.
Don't
worry, though -- Richard Montauk and Krista Klein,
authors of How To Get Into The Top Colleges
(Prentice Hall Press, 2000) have a few suggestions
for you:
Know the College
Showing the admissions officer that you are familiar
with the school will be an indicator to him or
her of how strongly you are interested in attending.
"If you tell the interviewer you plan to
major in business, but the school offers no undergraduate
business major, you will look foolish (not to
mention look like a bad fit for the college),"
warn Montauk and Klein. Make sure you do your
homework by visiting the school's Web site, brushing
up on stats' and facts, and perhaps squeezing
in a campus visit before the actual interview
day.
Anticipate
Interview Questions
This is just a matter of common sense. You know
you will be asked certain obvious questions like,
"Why is our school a good fit for you?",
"What do you have to offer us?",
or "What do you plan to accomplish in
college" so have some answers prepared.
Also, be ready to speak on topics that you mention
in your application or essay. "If you've
claimed in your written application to have founded
a new successful literary journal at your high
school, for example, your interviewer might ask
you about this endeavor," say the authors.
Describe Key Events
Heading into the interview, be sure you have taken
the time to think through a few defining moments
in your life. "Be ready to discuss milestones
in your academic, personal, and extra curricular
life," add Montauk and Klein. If you can
kick into auto-pilot and just let the stories
tell themselves, you will appear a much more confident,
articulate candidate. Which is directly related
to the next suggestion...
Practice! Practice! Practice!
A great actor can get into character and deliver
his or her lines perfectly at any given moment,
because he or she is prepared and ready to execute
at all times. That's not to say you should misrepresent
yourself. But you would be wise to rehearse a
mock interview with your family and friends --
your nerves will thank you on the day of the interview.
Dress to Impress
"Appearing respectful of the admission staff
and showing that you take the college admissions
process seriously involves appearing neat and
clean and not wearing anything that would be considered
inappropriate," say the authors. Tight, revealing,
ripped, dirty, wrinkled, casual, and denim clothing
are all things you want to avoid when choosing
your wardrobe! Think professional, and you'll
be all set.
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