The Best Questions to Ask College Interviewers
/What questions should you ask at a college interview?
Introduction
One of the scariest parts of applying to college, for many young people, isn’t writing the Personal Statement or even taking admissions tests. It’s the moment when an email lands in their inbox inviting them to interview.
The rest of the college process is private, and almost anonymous. Your child can study for tests or outline their essays in a quiet room, with no outsider looking in. But a college interview is one of the first times any high schooler will be asked to sit across from an adult and account for themselves and their future. What does the interviewer want to see? Should your child bring along transcripts or resumés? How will your child be evaluated? Where should they meet? How does your child know when time is up? And, perhaps most dramatically, they might be wondering: what questions should I ask in a college interview?
(Suggested reading: 7 Tips for Acing the College Admission Interview)
As a reminder, there are usually two ways to do a college interview:
1. They might receive an invitation to interview with an alumnus of the college in a nearby coffee shop or over Skype (if your family does not live near available alumni).
2. They might have the option to sign up for an interview on campus, with an admissions officer, current student, or other representative from the university.
Of course, in either case, the interviewer will do much of the question-asking. Your child should arrive prepared to answer questions about their schoolwork, extracurricular activities, specific interest in the institution, and hopes for what college will be like. She might also be asked more casual questions: what books and movies does she like? What else would she be doing if she weren’t here, doing this interview, on a Saturday morning?
Then, near the end of the interview, interviewers will leave time for the student to ask them questions. This is an opportunity for your student to shine and to leave a lasting impression. However, many teenagers find themselves unprepared for or intimidated by this segment of the interview, and don’t take advantage of it. How do they know what questions to ask in a college interview?
Let’s take a step back to remember why this is a standard part of a college interview. Universities know that your child might have limited chances to engage with them. You can visit campus or interact with an admissions officer at a college fair, sure, but this interview is a special opportunity for your child to get exposure to what it’s actually like to attend a given school.
So, we’ve come up with some guidelines for the kinds of questions your student might ask during that less-structured, sometimes-undervalued portion of the interview.
Guideline #1: Always ask questions
When the interviewer asks your child if they have any questions, the answer should always be yes. Asking questions demonstrates a few important qualities.
First, it shows that your child is curious and engaged, and that she’s genuinely approaching the interview as a learning opportunity. Questions show that she’s viewing the time not only as a way to boost her application, but also as a resource for learning more about a particular school.
Second, asking questions can give the interviewer a further sense of your child’s personality and interests. If they ask a lot of specific questions about arts opportunities, or about the college’s microbiology major, the interviewer can see concrete proof that your child’s interest is real and not rehearsed.
Third, asking specific questions can be a way to direct the conversation towards information your child hasn’t yet shared in the conversation, and show she’s done her research about the school.
Fourth, and probably most importantly: the interview is the most one-on-one, human way for your child to gather information about her potential future academic and social home. She should try to learn as much from the alumnus and/or admissions officer as she can.
Guideline #2: Ask well-informed questions that showcase your passion for the college
Your child should not ask for information that is readily available on the college’s website or informational brochures. Instead, she should demonstrate that she’s thoroughly perused the website and is looking for a more personalized, in-depth explanation than what was available to her online. In short, she should avoid “low hanging fruit” questions and reach for questions that showcase her unique story and her interest in the prospective college.
Here’s an example. If your child is interested in Yale, she’s probably done some research about the residential college system of campus living, which is one of the school’s big selling points. It’s not impressive if she asks a “low hanging fruit” question like “what is the residential college system?” or “what are the benefits of the residential college system over regular dorms?” These questions are easily answered by a quick Google search.
Instead, she should tailor her questions in a way that 1) shows she’s already done the Google search and 2) reminds the interviewer of her academic and extracurricular strengths. A good question to ask might be the following:
· “I’ve taken all the pottery classes my school offers and hope to pursue ceramic arts in college. In addition to supporting student life, do residential colleges support student interests like the arts? How is the support for the arts in residential colleges different from arts support in the university at large?”
This question 1) demonstrates a student’s specific interest, 2) demonstrates the research she’s already done about Yale, and 3) demonstrates her initiative to find out more about the college beyond the website. The interviewer might then have a chance to talk about the art studios in the basements of some residential colleges, or the opportunity your child might have to invite an artist she respects to a tea (a favorite part of residential college life—an intimate talk in the Head of College’s residence).
Here’s another example. Say your student wants to attend Dartmouth College but he’s not exactly sure what he wants to major in yet. He might want to be pre-med, but he’s also interested in programming and the tech world. He shouldn’t ask a “low hanging fruit” question like “does pre-med at Dartmouth have a lot of requirements?” or “Does Dartmouth have opportunities for students interested in the tech industry?” These questions are acceptable, but a question like the following is much stronger:
· “I’m interested in being pre-med, but I’ve also read about the exciting work of the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network. As a student, how might I manage entrepreneurial involvement with the demands of pre-med? Are there pre-med students who also meaningfully explore a second interest extracurricularly?”
The interviewer might then have a chance to talk about Dartmouth’s unique D-Plan, which allows students to take time during their sophomore year to pursue internships and unconventional extracurricular activities. The alumnus might discuss one of their pre-med classmates’ D-Plan quarters, during which they pursued an internship, adding texture to their college experience.
Again, this phrasing highlights simultaneously the student’s interests and their commitment to learning about Dartmouth. It also showcases that he’s already thinking ahead about time management and the potential difficulties of over-scheduling.
Guideline #3: Ask relevant questions about the interviewer’s personal experience with the college
Many college interviews are conducted by local alumni who interview students on a volunteer basis. They’re interviewing to give back to their alma mater, and odds are they enjoy talking about their college years.
If you’re interviewing with an admissions officer, odds are they’re either an alumnus or have spent a great deal of time on or around campus.
So don’t be shy to ask them about their own experience with the institution—though it’s best not to get too personal. Though interviewers are sometimes new graduates themselves, it’s best for your child to relate to them as if they were a teacher, family friend, or parent, rather than a peer.
The student who’s interested in the arts, for example, might ask an interviewer:
Did you ever attend particularly memorable performances or visual arts exhibits as an undergraduate? What were they like?
I’ve read there’s a great on-campus art gallery. Did you visit when you were a student? What was it like to be there in person?
Do you have any advice for how to take best advantage of the arts opportunities on campus?
The student who’s interested in pre-med and entrepreneurship might ask:
What did you major in? Did you do any extracurricular activities? How did you balance your academic and extracurricular lives?
How did you decide what to major in? Did your college offer guidance or advising during that decision? Did they offer career guidance when you were a senior?
If the interviewer isn’t in medicine and/or business: Did you have friends who were either pre-med or interested in business? Do you know what some of the more memorable parts of their college experience were?
This can also be an opportunity to get an on-the-ground perspective about campus culture, even if it might be a little outdated. Some example questions in this vein:
Is football a big part of campus culture? Did you go to games when you were a student? What were they like?
What was your favorite part of your college experience? What was your least favorite part? Do you think campus culture has changed since you attended?
How did you decide where to go to college? How did you know this was the right college for you?
Do you have any general advice about how to make the most of my four years in college? Anything you are really glad you did, or wish you had done or known?
Guideline #4: The questions to avoid
As noted above, you should avoid questions that can be easily answered by the Internet. Though it’s good to prepare questions beforehand, try not to ask questions that sound overly scripted.
Most importantly, avoid asking questions about your admissions odds. Questions like “do you think I have a good chance of getting in?” or “what would help me get admitted” are not helpful to your application. The interview is an opportunity for a college to get a sense of what your personality is like—you don’t want to leave the impression that you’re over-concerned with admission, or that you’re pushy. Plus, most interviewers genuinely have no information on this question. In all likelihood, their interview report will be a single page in your child’s larger admissions file—just one part of how they’re evaluated.
Similarly, try not to compare the school you’re interviewing for to other schools, or ask questions that ask the interviewer to compare schools. An example of a question like this might be “does Dartmouth have a better pre-med program than Williams?” This is irrelevant, and you’re likely to not gain any information this way.
Other no-nos:
What was your SAT/ACT score/AP scores/GPA, etc?
How much financial aid did you get?
Can you connect me to [your roommate/friend/another alumnus/a professor/someone with power at the university]?
Where else did you get in?
How did I do?
Guideline #5: Don’t worry too much, stay engaged, and practice if you’re nervous
A great way to prepare for the question-and-answer section of the interview is to practice with a teacher or friend. Interviews should feel as conversational and unrehearsed as possible—rather than memorizing questions, it’s good to just put yourself in a comparable situation so that in the real interview you can remind yourself you’ve been in a similar situation before.
Final thoughts
In the end, it’s best not to stress too much about the interview. As colleges remind applicants, an interview can’t hurt your child’s application—it can only help. The people who interview for college admissions are pre-disposed to like applicants and want to help them. If your child is anxious about interviewing, it’s best to remind her to be herself, and that the interview is more like a conversation than any sort of test. More than anything, it’s a great opportunity to interact with a human during a largely faceless process.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. Over the past 15 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
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