College Interview Prep: Common Questions and How to Answer Them
High school can be a time of tough decisions. If you decide that college is right for you, then you will be confronted with some questions that might be harder to answer than you originally expected. These questions can range from your background to your goals for the future. Each question is intended to give you the room to be yourself, but also to sell yourself.
Colleges are not just out to receive tuition money; they can get that from all sorts of students across the globe. What they want from you, specifically, is a student to invest in. The admissions departments will be looking at who you are and what you can bring to the table. But what are those questions, and how do you even begin to answer them? Today, that is what we at NSHSS are going to help identify. Below is a list of five of the most common application questions, along with a few tips on the best ways to approach an answer.
1.Tell me about your high school. What do you like about your experience there? What would you change?
This is a very helpful question because it can get you talking, but it doesn’t focus entirely on you. You can remain slightly objective and still use your personal lens to explain the good and the bad about where you came from. Just remember not to use this as an excuse to bash your old school or to go on and on about how much you loved your school. Just try to keep it simple, but deliberate.
The key to this question is the second half. They want to know how you yourself would change it. This can provide insight into how you view change in institutions, allowing them to see what you might bring to the overall structure of their university.
2. What is something that you are really passionate about?
This question is open season for you to really let your light shine. Nothing is more fun than getting a chance to open up about your passions. Yet some of us might be too shy to truly open up as others. That’s okay. You don’t have to be the most entertaining and outgoing spokesperson for your area of interest. What’s more important is to be articulate and thoughtful when speaking about these things.
And your passion can be anything, but it might be good to keep it slightly related to your intended major. So if you’re interested in marine biology, you can talk about your love of going out to sea in a boat or snorkeling. If it’s musical theatre, you can talk about your obsession with Broadway and the actors you most admire. As long as you convey both enthusiasm and critical analysis of your passion, your answer is sure to win them over.
3. Tell me about someone who has made an impression on your life. Who is it? Why is that person important to you?
This is a pretty common question, and it does not need to be very difficult. The key, however, is not to lie. Don’t try to come up with a high-minded answer that makes you sound very important. If the person that inspires you is your mailman, then tell them that. If it’s your mom, your dad, or your aunt, then say so.
They don’t know these people you’re talking about; they just want to see you talking about them. They want to see how you represent the people in your life, and the way your life before this moment has been shaped, and by whom. So pick the person that comes to mind first. Don’t overthink it. Again, as long as you articulate yourself, then they will see you are being genuine and taking them seriously.
4. What is the greatest problem facing your generation?
For some, this can be where the interview gets tricky. Of course, most of you are not intending on acting like CNN news anchors. But don’t worry, the interviewer is not expecting you to be one. You don’t even need to be the most up-to-date on current events. It will work better if you simply are honest about what troubles you personally the most about the world and your generation.
This can be world hunger, the water crisis, war, or the AI boom. As long as you can speak thoroughly, honestly, and analytically about the problem that most concerns you, they will see that you are being thoughtful.
5. What was the most useful criticism you ever received? Who was it from? Did it change you? How/why?
And finally, this question does tend to come up now and again. While it might appear to be intimidating, don’t let it overwhelm you. The whole point is to see how objective you can be. They want you to simply take a step back and look at yourself objectively.
They aren’t trying to make you talk about something that upsets you or makes you feel intentionally inferior; they simply want to know ways in which you can improve in your life. And, trust me, we all have areas to improve on in our lives.
So be honest, but don’t be crass. Be revealing, but don’t overshare. They don’t need to know every little scruple of your life, so it’s best to err on the side of challenges in school or friendships.
At the end of the day, it’s important to keep in mind that while these questions, and others, might seem intimidating, they don’t have to be. If you are feeling overwhelmed by this portion of the application process, try and remember that these schools want you, and now all you have to do is show them why they’d be honored to have you!