What to Wear to a College Interview: The Ultimate Guide
/Should your child wear jeans to a college interview? Learn what’s appropriate and what’s not
What should your child wear to a college interview?
Introduction
Your child has made it through the bulk of the college process. They’ve handled the coursework, taken standardized tests, and even submitted their Common App and secondary essays. It’s the home stretch! But now, they get an email inviting them for a college admissions interview.
This kind of email can strike fear in the hearts of even the most high-achieving students. Much of applying to college, from tests to essays, can be done in the privacy of one’s own home or the school library. But the interview is the first moment when your child is asked to step into a more public role, and to account for themselves as an adult. They’ll be asked friendly but serious questions about their interests and ambitions.
They might be wondering: what should I wear to a college interview?
First, let’s take a step back to review some basics about the college interview.
Some universities require interviews, while others make them optional. Some don’t have any at all. Most do not require interviews but encourage students to take the opportunity to interview with a local alumnus in their area. Yale lets students interview on campus with current students who are employed by the admissions office. Still other universities will set your child up to Skype with an alumnus if there’s no one living locally, in their area. Larger schools like the Universities of Michigan and Notre Dame do not offer interviews at all due to their size.
Most college interviews take place off-campus, i.e., in your local city. The exact locale will vary based on the university and specific alumnus volunteering for the interview. They might ask your child to meet at a coffee shop, their workplace, or a public space like a local library. Very few colleges offer on-campus interviews, and, if they do, there are likely very few available slots.
No matter the school or location, however, one thing remains near-consistent across the board: the dress code. Here’s everything you need to know about what to wear to a college interview.
Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees.
Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays.
How to dress for a college interview
In the world of college interviews, business casual is the law of the land. As an adult in the professional world, you probably have a sense of what this means. But let’s review, because every year, style and fashion change subtly—and business casual for accountants isn’t quite the same thing as business casual for ambitious teenagers.
The business part of business casual means conservative necklines and structured attire. Clothing should be fitted properly—neither extremely baggy nor skin-tight. Footwear: think flat shoes or shoes with a slight heel or wedge. No flip flops or open-toed shoes, no spiky stiletto heels, no sneakers, and no white athletic socks with dark dress shoes.
The casual part of business casual means your child should be comfortable in their clothing. There’s no need for a tie or three-piece suit. But your child should probably still choose clothes that are more formal than their everyday attire. Universities know your child won’t be wearing these clothes on Football Saturdays or even to office hours with professors.
That said, your child shouldn’t feel the need to hide their authentic self or attempt to appear older than their age. If they’d never wear pearls in real life, don’t force your grandmother’s country club attire on them.
Let’s review some absolute no-nos:
This isn’t the time to wear your college pride; donning a Stanford cardigan to your interview will likely come off as over-eager
Skimpy or revealing clothing: deep necklines, tight shirts, etc.
Shorts
Skirts more than a few inches above the knee
Tennis shoes or other athletic shoes
Flip flops
Briefcases, folios, or other accessories that make your child look like they don’t belong to their own generation
Sample Outfits for a College Interview
The three examples of attire below are all excellent choices for a personal interview with a university alum held at a coffee shop or the alumnus’s office:
Blazer & Slacks: For the Child who Lives on the Basketball Court
Monday through Friday, Joon-Young wears a hoodie and basketball shorts (track pants in the winter). Joon-Young’s dad realizes that a blazer with a button-up shirt and comfortable loafers would be far more appropriate. Joon-Young agreed that his slacks were almost as comfortable as his track pants..
Crewneck Sweater & Slacks: For the Nonbinary Teen
Jay shops in both the girls’ and boys’ departments and doesn’t like to wear fitted clothing. They knew that a button down loosely tucked into straight jeans wouldn’t be formal enough, so they opted for a crewneck sweater and slacks.
Should my child wear jeans to their college interviews?
While some jeans may be subtle enough to be considered appropriate, we recommend playing it safe and opting for slacks.
Structured Dress: For the Fashionable High-Achiever
Nafisa wears dresses to school, voice lessons in the afternoons, and weekend volunteer work. She was excited to dress up for the interview but had to learn the difference between dressing up for a school dance and a professional endeavor. For her interview, she hit the mark with a neutral-colored dress paired with pink jewelry. Because the dress was sleeveless, she chose to don a sweater.
Dress cuts like sheath, faux-wrap, and A-line are often good choices. Just be sure the dress reaches or covers the knees.
Where to Buy
To be clear, you should not feel the need to buy new clothes for the interview. In fact, it is ideal to pick something out from your child’s closet, as they will already be comfortable.
That said, if your child does not have anything appropriate, then you may need to buy a new piece or the entire outfit. If you find yourself in that position, most big department stores have great, affordable options for students.
Other College Interview Tips
Besides the physical items of clothing, there are a few other guidelines your child can follow to ensure they walk into the interview as prepared as possible.
Comfort is key. If your child feels uncomfortable in their clothes, the interviewer will notice that. It’s much better they wear something that provides comfort and confidence.
Head to Toe. To exude professionalism, make sure you pay attention to all aspects of your appearance. Before the interview, remember the smaller things: remove chipped nail polish and tidy facial hair.
Video calls are business casual, too. Some schools offer interviews over video conferencing. This does not make the interview any less formal, so your child should wear the same outfit they would to an in-person interview. And make sure they don’t only dress well in their top half! If they suddenly have to stand up in the middle of the interview and reveal that below their collared shirt, they’re sporting basketball shorts, they’ll be embarrassed.
Take note of where the interview will be held, and with whom. If a 60-something alumnus invites your child to their glassy 30-story downtown office at a bank, you might encourage them to go a little dressier than if a 20-something alumnus asks your child to meet them at a hip coffee shop with exposed brick walls in a younger neighborhood. In the former case, you can encourage your child toward blazers, collared shirts, slacks, and dress shoes. In the latter case, dark pants are fine, and a nice sweater rather than a button down would be acceptable. If these extra variables become confusing, don’t sweat it, and just aim for the above dressy casual.
Don’t worry if your child isn’t precisely matching their interviewer’s outfit. A college interview is a very important day for your child, but it’s just another day in their interviewer’s life. Their interviewer may be a harried professional rushing to squeeze your son into an hourlong coffee break in the afternoon, between meetings, which means they might turn up in a designer bespoke suit. Or they might be a young artist, graduate student, or freelancer casually meeting with your daughter after rolling out of bed at 11 a.m., which means they might be in a shaggy sweater, frayed jeans, and combat boots. Your child should still feel good about dressing in that sweet spot of business casual comfort.
A word of warning: store labels are not necessarily your friend. Some items categorized as “office wear” or “wear to work” by their respective brands would not be appropriate for your child to wear to an interview.
Final thoughts
Alumni sign up to do these interviews because they’re passionate about their university, and want to meet young people who could be the future of their alma mater. Remember that the interviewer is interested in your child as a whole, not whether they have the most acute sense of personal style or an enormous budget to fund the latest clothing. The true key is confidence. If your child is confident and comfortable in what they are wearing, the interviewer will receive that energy and reflect it back.
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.
Looking for college interview coaching?
| 1 round |
|---|
| 2 rounds |
| 3 rounds |
| Plans | Video coaching session length | Customized to each school | Full-length mock interview | Question-by-question feedback | Post session notes | Plan Investment |
| 1 round | 90 minutes |
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 rounds | 90 minutes |
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE |
||||
| 3 rounds | 90 minutes |
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE |
+ How are the 90-minute interview coaching sessions organized?
Your child's 90-minute interview coaching session(s) will be roughly organized as follows:
- 30- to 40-minute mock interview
- 50 to 60 minutes of question-by-question feedback, including opportunities to practice modified responses
+ How many rounds of interview coaching do you recommend?
Students vary with respect to the number of interview coaching sessions they seek. Some students sign up for just one session (e.g., for their dream school), but most students sign up for multiple sessions because they either don't feel very confident in their interview skills and don't want to leave anything to chance.
While the number of interview coaching sessions you sign up for is up to you, we recommend signing up for two or more sessions to maximize your child's odds of admission.
+ My interview is scheduled for [Date]. Will you have availability before then?
It will be no problem to schedule your child's interview session. In 100% of cases during our 15+ years of supporting thousands of students, we have been able to schedule coaching sessions in time for upcoming interviews. Therefore, we invite you to sign up with confidence.
+ Do you schedule interview coaching on weekends?
Yes, we do!
+ Do you have experience coaching interviews at [School/Program]?
With 15+ years of experience, we've helped students successfully interview at every highly selective program.
+ If I sign up for one session to start and add more sessions later, would I simply invest the difference?
Unfortunately not. The only way to receive reduced investments for your child's second or third round of interview coaching is by signing up for multiple sessions up front.
+ What happens after I sign up?
After you sign up, simply email the following information to contact@shemmassianconsulting.com using "Interview coaching purchase" in the subject line:
- Your child's full name
- Your child's phone number and email address
- Your child's Common App PDF
- Your child's interview date
- All of your child's specific availability (including time zone) for a 90-minute interview coaching session over a consecutive three- to five-day period
- Any details you'd like us to know about your child or their upcoming interview
Shortly after, we will schedule your child's interview coaching session during one of your listed times.