College Interview Tips: What to Know & How to Prepare

College interviews aren’t designed to trick you - they’re simply conversations that help schools understand who you are beyond your application. And while an interview rarely makes or breaks an admission decision, a strong one can make your file more compelling, especially if you’re in the “middle” of the applicant pool.

Here’s a simplified guide to help you prepare with confidence.

Why Colleges Offer Interviews

1. Demonstrated interest.
Some schools track how engaged you seem: visiting campus, opening emails, and even choosing to interview. Even doing the interview can work in your favor.

2. Sharing more about yourself.
Interviews are a chance to highlight achievements, updates, personality, or context that didn’t fully fit in your application. If you shine more in conversation, this is the moment to show it.

What Interviewers Are Looking For

Across colleges, interviewers generally look for:

• Curiosity
• Articulation
• Authenticity
• Enthusiasm
• Integrity
• The ability to reflect on your experiences

They’re not looking for perfect answers. They’re looking for a real person.

How to Prepare (Without Overpreparing)

1. Know the college you will be interviewing with.

You should be able to speak intelligently about:

• Your intended major
• Freshman curriculum
• Traditions, programs, or opportunities at the school that genuinely interest you

When asked “Why our school?” have 2–3 specific reasons that show you’ve done your homework.

2. Know your story.

Remember that personal brand you worked on in your Personal Brand Workbook in your Application Preparation folder? Now is the time to pull it back out and use it! Look at Step 6 and identify the most important elements you want to share. 

This includes your quick “Tell me about yourself” introduction: a 20–30 second snapshot that reflects your personality, passions, quirks, or experiences. Keep it natural and true to you.  You should practice this! Until it is second nature to you!

Identify 3–4 key elements of your brand, along with stories you want the interviewer to remember. Think about your experiences that best represent these and prepare to talk about them. You might include what motivates you, your favorite and least favorite classes, strengths and weaknesses, family influences, extracurriculars (and why you do them), challenges, proud moments, and personal interests. But everything should tie back to your personal brand!

Tip: If you are doing a virtual interview, you can have a high level page of notes.  You wouldn’t want to read from it at all, but you could certainly refer to it to make sure you’ve covered everything important to you!

3. Use the “Q = A + 1” formula.

Strengthen any answer by adding one piece of evidence: a story, example, or anecdote that shows why something matters to you.

Example:
Basic: “My favorite class is physics.”
Better: “My favorite class is physics because I love studying motion.”
Best: Add a quick example that makes it memorable.

Evidence = impact.

4. Ask thoughtful questions.

When they ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” the answer is always yes. Ask about:

• Your major or academic interests
• Freshman experience
• Campus culture
• Opportunities that matter to you

If your interviewer is an alumni (they attended that college), ask about their favorite parts of their college experience.

Tip: It is perfectly acceptable, whether doing a virtual or in-person interview to have a list of questions and refer to them. And even take notes!

5. Be open, warm, and yourself.

You don’t need to be bubbly if that’s not your personality, but you should:

• Make eye contact
• Speak with clarity
• Share short stories
• Smile
• Show genuine interest

Interviewers are trained to “honor the introverts.” Authenticity matters more than volume.

6. If you’re stuck, pause.

It’s completely okay to say:
“That’s a great question. Let me think for a moment.”
Or even,
“I’m not sure, but here’s how I would approach something like that…”

Never fake an answer!

Tip: I recommend that you have a glass of water with you. If you need to take a moment to think through an answer, get a sip of water.  It gives you time to think and you won’t feel like there is an awkward pause.

7. Bring a résumé (just in case).

You worked hard to create it, it shows all you’ve accomplished, and it is a great way for the interviewer to ask questions, as well as for you to refer to it to remind you of things you might want to talk about.  Just remember that they are NEVER looking for you to simply read the resume to them. They want to understand the WHY behind your resume - what motivated you to do the things you did, what did you learn from them, how did you grow. 

8. Follow up with a thank-you.

Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours. It shows maturity and helps your interviewer remember you positively when writing their report. And include your resume (again)! That way they have a soft copy of it to put with your file.

Questions You Should Be Ready For

• Why this school?
• Why your major?
• What do you do outside of school? And more importantly - why and what have you learned?
• What’s something not in your application? This might be something as simple as Sunday dinner with your grandparents or the summer vacation you always take. But be prepared to talk about something personal that is meaningful to you.
• A challenge, meaningful experience, or proud moment
• “What have you done, read, or seen recently?”

If asked, “Where else are you applying?” you can redirect by focusing on what you’re looking for in a college rather than listing schools. Try saying “I’m looking at colleges that have a strong XXX program, will allow me to gain experience in XXX, and have a XXX atmosphere.  That’s why your college is so appealing to me.”

The Bottom Line

A college interview is simply a conversation and a chance to share who you are, what matters to you, and why the school might be a great match. It won’t make or break your application, but a thoughtful, prepared interview can make your file stronger and more memorable.