35 Most Common College Interview Questions And Answers For Freshers
35 Most Common College Interview Questions And Answers For Freshers. The college interview gives potential students a chance to make a good first impression with an admissions counselor and can be an important part of the admissions process. If you’ve got a university admission interview coming up, you’re probably wondering how you can prepare, and what questions you’re likely to face.
In this article, you will get details on how to answer common admission interview questions. You will furthermore get advice on how to prepare for your interviews so that when the time comes, you’ll be ready to ace them. A college interview provides a college with an opportunity to give you more information about the school and answer any questions.
The interview gives the college a chance to learn more about you, your interests, and how you’ll be able to contribute to the school. It is important to take advantage of an opportunity for interview because it shows the school that you’re genuinely interested in attending. And demonstrating interest can greatly help your chances of admission.
What kind of questions are asked in a college interview?
Some of the questions to expect at an interview are:
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?
- Do you have any questions for me?
- Why have you decided to apply to us?
- What are you hoping to gain from the course?
Tips to help you plan for your interview
- Bring a copy of your application and some notes – no-one expects you to remember everything. Bringing your application allows you to go over it before the interview, and having notes shows you’ve done your research. A list of questions about the course and school/college will remind you what you wanted to ask and shows you’ve done some preparation.
- Don’t lie or get caught up in a half-truth because you want to impress – if you’re not really into sports, don’t pretend to be. The same applies to other things too, like exam results or special achievements.
- Arrive early – plan your journey and aim to get there 30 minutes before your interview time. This will give you time to re-read your application, notes, and questions you’ve prepared.
- Be yourself – Tell them what you’re good at, what you like, what your plans are, and ask your questions. It’s just as important you interview them to make sure it’s the right next step for you.
- Don’t let shyness or nerves get in the way – easy to say and harder to do, but try to focus on helping the interviewer see you love the subject(s) or think this really is the course, programme, or place for you.
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College Interview Questions And Answers For Students
1. What are you reading at the moment?
Especially likely when you’ve applied for a subject which involves a lot of reading (such as English literature), this question will hopefully spark a discussion between you and the interviewers. Here it will help if you’ve chosen some reading material which is in some way relevant to the course you’re applying for – so plan this in advance! You may also be asked about a book you’ve enjoyed recently or one that has a special meaning for you.
2. Tell me about yourself college interview sample answers
This isn’t even actually a question, but it’s something you might be asked to do in an interview. Because it’s so general, you might have trouble figuring out where to begin. Colleges are asking you to do this because they really do want to know more about you. That’s one of the primary purposes of the interview, after all. Rehearse answering this question. Try talking about your passions, hobbies, and interests. You can discuss what inspires you or what your friends like about you. Be specific. Again, you want to make yourself memorable.
To answer, provide an informal introduction. Talk about family and upbringing. Mention your general activities. Talk about quantifiable achievements. Give some unique personal information. Explain why this opportunity is important for you.
3. What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
The most important thing to remember for this question is DON’T JUST LIST! Mention what you do, but then narrow it down. Use most of your time to talk about a specific memory, what that activity has meant to you or what you’ve learned from participating in that sport/club.
4. What can you bring to the university?
This admission interview question invites you to sell yourself, and it can be tempting to exaggerate – but try not to go over the top! Back up what you say with examples; you could mention activities you’ve been involved in at high school that show your contribution to the school’s community, such as a debating society or helping to organize an event.
5. What do you think about [recent current event]?
This question can quickly get touchy. Many students will use this as an opportunity to defend their political leaning, but what the university really wants to know is if you are informed and can think critically about the world around you. Feel free to express your opinions, but try not to get accusatory. Instead, connect the event to your identity and experiences or talk about an organization that you believe is doing great work to fix or address the problem.
6. What achievement are you most proud of?
Unless the interviewers specify that they want you to talk about an academic achievement, this question can be about anything that you are personally proud of. Try and mention an achievement which is quite recent and talk about how it positively affected you. You could talk about a prize you won during your studies, a test you did particularly well in, or a coursework project you were especially proud of.
7. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
With this question, it’s probably best not to go to either extreme: spending it all or giving it all away. They’re cliché and will sound insincere. Personalize it to your talents and interests. Are you passionate about social justice? Find a few nonprofits that you would donate some of the money to. Does your school lack a resource (computers, programs)? Use the money to fund a club you’d be interested in.
8. What Are Your Academic Strengths college interview sample answers
In an effort to get to know you as a student, colleges are interested in getting your perspective on where you excel academically. Don’t make this answer too short. Don’t just say, “I’m good at science.” When discussing your academic strengths, explain how you’ve capitalized on your strengths. If you’re an excellent writer, for example, how have you used your writing skills to excel in school? How do you plan on continuing to use your strengths? Make sure you know your academic strengths. You should be able to explain how you recognized your strengths, how you’re currently using them, and how you plan to use them in the future.
9. Tell me about a time when you had to work as part of a team.
Try to think of something outside a basic school group project. Explain how you used your skills in a sports team, club, part-time job or your family to solve a problem or address an issue. Make sure to include what you learned from the process.
10. What Do You Plan to Contribute to This School?
Colleges want to admit students who will make positive contributions to campus and academic life. Essentially, they’re looking for students who will make the school better. Don’t limit your answer to vague positive traits. Don’t just say you’ll contribute a good work ethic and a regard for others. Is there specific research you wish to pursue? Do you want to have a leadership position in an extracurricular activity? Are there specific community service projects you want to do? How will your presence on campus and in the classroom make a difference?
11. Why do you want to major in [insert major]?
If you have an anecdote about why you want to specialize in a particular area of study, this is a great time to talk about it. If you know what career you want to go into, talk about that for a bit and why you think you are suited to the field. Above all else, don’t say you decided because someone else told you to (i.e., your parents), because you just had to pick one or because it will make you money.
12. Why do you want to attend this university?
As a Common College Interview Questions, this question is practically guaranteed to come up during your admission interview, but might be phrased slightly differently, such as, “What made you choose this university?” This question tests your knowledge of the university and allows the interviewers to find out what motivates you. You should think about what makes you and the university perfect for each other – like a higher education love match.
13. If you could describe your role within your family/friend group, how would you describe it?
If you get this question, think about the good qualities you bring to these groups. Stay away from words with multiple connotations. If you’re the “crazy” one in your family, wording it like “I bring spontaneity to my family” can sound more positive and give your interviewer a better impression.
14. What Would You Change About Your High School?
With this question, colleges are looking for your ability to identify problems and get a better understanding of what you’re looking for in a school. By learning what you’d change, they get a chance to learn more about what matters to you. Colleges want a thoughtful response. Be specific and respectful. Don’t say, “I’d get better teachers.” Say that you’d allocate more resources to the music department so that more students can have the opportunity to learn how to play new instruments. Discuss how learning an instrument helped you, and describe the current state of the music department. Try to make it clear that you want to improve your school to benefit the personal and academic growth of all of its students.
15. Talk about a time where you had to be a leader college interview sample answers.
This is another Common College Interview Questions. For this story, the subtler, the better. You can talk about a time that you led your family or recognized a need in your student organization and offered to fix it. Leadership qualities are often found in small acts of service rather than large public speeches or a fancy event that you pulled off. Instead, talk about how you stepped up in a specific difficult situation.
16. Why Do You Want to Go to College?
For this question, schools are trying to understand why you’re motivated to pursue higher education. Colleges want to see you have clear goals you’re trying to accomplish by attending college. Obviously, they don’t want to hear that you want to go to college because your parents are making you or so you can attend wild parties. In your answer, emphasize how college will allow you to pursue your passions, aid in your personal development, and enable you to fulfill your future goals. Be specific. What are your passions and goals? How will college give you an opportunity to pursue these passions? What college activities will increase your awareness and facilitate your intellectual and emotional growth?
17. What subject was the hardest for you in high school?
Don’t pick a subject and complain about how the teacher was bad or the class was boring. Instead, talk more conceptually, and make sure to explain how, even though the class was hard for you, you learned specific new skills from taking it.
18. What Makes You Unique?
This question is essentially what all the other questions above are meant to determine. It’s another general question that’s often difficult to answer. We are all unique, but it can be hard to put into words exactly what separates you from other people. We recommend doing some serious brainstorming to address this question. Write out specific attributes and anecdotes you can share that demonstrate your uniqueness. When do you feel most comfortable? What makes you the proudest?
19. Give me a quick description of yourself, as if I knew nothing about you.
This is another Common College Interview Questions. With this question, your interviewer doesn’t need to know your test scores, GPA or list of extracurricular activities. They want to know the things that you like to do when you aren’t doing all of that, what your family is like, what music you like. Be quick and specific.
20. What Is an Obstacle You’ve Faced and How Did You Get Through It?
Colleges want to know if you’ve faced (and overcome) any significant challenges in your life. They also want to see that you’re persistent and willing to work hard in order to overcome these obstacles. Think of a significant challenge you’ve had in your life and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from the problem? How did you solve it? Did it change or influence the way you address similar problems?
21. Where do you feel at home?
Again, this answer can be whatever you want it to be. Try to stay away from your actual home, unless it’s specific (e.g., I love my living room at Christmastime), and think about a place that you feel most like yourself. Describe who you are in that space and why it makes you feel so safe.
22. What Do You Expect to Be Doing 10 Years From Now?
Just to set the record straight, you don’t need to have your entire future figured out. Colleges understand that you probably won’t have everything decided and your plans are likely to change. What they do want is students with direction. You can write down some detailed notes answering this question. Paint a picture of the life you want to have in 10 years. That picture should reveal your uniqueness.
23. Tell me three things that aren’t on your college application.
Get creative with this question! Talk about what you love, what you’re passionate about or even a funny family anecdote. Just be yourself — your interviewer wants you to be more than just another application and is giving you a chance to stand out.
24. What Are Your Academic Weaknesses? How Have You Addressed Them?
As a Common College Interview Questions, Colleges want to admit good students, but they’re aware everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Colleges want to see that you have the persistence and work ethic to succeed despite your challenges. Be aware of your academic weaknesses and how you’ve addressed them. It’s not good to say that you don’t have any weaknesses. That’s not very believable, and you’ll come off as arrogant.
25. Would you like to ask me any questions?
Be sure to research the school in advance and prepare questions for your interviewer. If you can, research them on a platform like LinkedIn. However, the best questions you can ask are about the school: its climate, what their experience was like, what they would recommend new students know, etc.
26. What makes you different from other students?
Spend some time before the interview thinking about your unique perspective. What makes your family different from other families? What would catch other people off guard if they knew? Take this opportunity to talk about the diversity you could bring to the university, what interests you and what things you want to do with your life. Just be genuine!
27. Are you looking at other schools as well? Which ones?
This can be an uncomfortable question, and you can really only answer it one way: honestly. However, if you are applying to a rival, be sure to mention it — it’s actually better and could make the school more interested in you.
28. Who do you consider a role model in your personal life?
When answering this question, it is far better if you can think of an example of someone close to you, like a parent, rather than a vague historical figure or celebrity. With personal figures, it will be easier to pull from specific examples detailing something they’ve taught you.
29. What does being successful look like to you?
This might be obvious, but “making a lot of money” is probably not the best answer. Talk about the person you’d like to become and the things you’d like to accomplish, but try to stay away from cliché or vague answers.
30. How have you bounced back from an academic mistake?
The people who thrive in college are those who can learn from their mistakes to do better the next time. Specify a mistake you made, and then explain how you implemented a strategy so it wouldn’t happen again.
31. Do you keep a journal? If not, how do you tend to process large events?
How you process can say a lot about the way your brain works. Whether you talk about internally or externally processing through an activity, detail how you make decisions and know that the interviewer isn’t looking for one right or wrong answer.
32. If you were the Dean of [college/university] what would you change?
Another question where you need to have done your research! Just like what you’d change about your high school, make sure you don’t spend too much time complaining about the problem, and focus more on solving the issue.
33. In the classroom, what type of student are you?
Don’t be ashamed to own up, even if you’re the constant note scribbler or question asker. Being honest will help the interviewer know more about your personality and learning style.
34. Why should we admit you to [college/university]?
This question can feel uncomfortable and narcissistic, but don’t be afraid! Highlight three areas: your grades, your extracurricular activities and who you are as a person that reflects the values of the university at large.
35. What was a favorite high school experience of yours?
From prom to a school musical, any significant moment will work for this — just make sure to connect it to an aspect of your personal growth or explain why it was so significant to you.
