Your admissions interview is a prime opportunity to increase your chances of acceptance into any school, it could be a video interview or a submission of a short video answering questions already asked. Many schools invite you to interview with an admissions representative or alumnus as part of the application process. Admissions officers will consider the interview when evaluating your application (although they'll be much more interested in your grades, test scores, and college essays).
In most cases, the interview will not make or break you, but if you are invited for an interview, take it seriously. It’s a chance to show off the unique personality traits you can bring to campus, and build a personal relationship with the admissions gatekeepers.
The 2 Types of Interviews
Once you know whether your school offers an admission interview, you need to determine which type of interview it conducts: evaluative or informational.
Evaluative Interview
Evaluative interviews are a bit more formal. In these, admissions officers assess your fit through things like your character, interests, and communication skills. Few schools require this type of interview, but the ones that offer it usually strongly recommend it, meaning it's in your best interest to schedule one. It's difficult to say exactly how much an evaluative interview impacts an admission decision, but a strong interview can certainly give you an edge over other applicants.
Informational Interview
Informational interviews are much less formal and mainly serve as a way for you to learn more about the college or a specific program it offers. As such, interviewers typically don't issue a report to the college's admissions board, meaning your interview shouldn't negatively impact or count toward a decision. Even so, it's best to treat the interview as evaluative since you want to make a good impression.
Some common interview questions to expect
Although you’ll find that every interview will be unique, you can expect to hear certain questions at each one. Here are some of the most common:
Why do you want to attend our college?
What 3 adjectives best describe you?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What do you want to do after graduating from college?
What motivates you to pursue a graduate business degree?
What aspects of your current job do you enjoy?
How would an MBA help you advance in your career?
What would your co-workers, supervisor, or friends say about you?
Have you applied to any other schools?
Do you have any concerns or inquiries about the school or program?
You'll also have to think about the types of questions that relate to your specific subject and have acquired some background knowledge of what the field involves.
For example, a biochemistry student might need to work through a problem relating to the differences between various recognisable compounds.
For courses in English literature, the interviewer may ask you to tell them about a piece of literary work mentioned in your personal statement or expect you to discuss what you're reading at the moment.
If you find that you don't understand the question, it's fine to ask them to repeat or rephrase it than try to guess what was being asked.
Ahead of your interview, it's important to prepare properly. You can do this by:
Ensuring your laptop and webcam are all set up and working correctly - if your interview is being held online
Being on time
Having a reliable pen and notepad with you
Thinking carefully about why you've chosen this course, making notes from your application and reading through your personal statement
Planning questions to ask the university interviewer
Thoroughly researching the course and university
Ensuring you're up to date with current affairs relating to your subject
Carrying out a mock interview with a careers adviser or teacher to see how well you perform under pressure and to ensure you're adopting the right body language.
Sending a Thank you/Follow up email
Having a conversation. Don’t appear as if you’ve rehearsed excessively. Don’t try to memorize a script.
Most times the interview is the final step of your admission process and the most crucial one. It is the leg where college admission experts would sit with you to understand your skills and capabilities to understand whether you are the right fit for their university or not. At TitanRConsulting, we offer Interview prep services. Reach out to us if you are preparing for your Interview.
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