College interviews aren’t part of the process at many colleges in the US. But interviews are an opportunity for candidates to add a more personal component to their applications at those institutions that offer them. Find out what types of interviews are available, which students should plan to take part, what to expect, and how to prepare. We’re also answering your college admissions and finance questions in our regular Listener Q&A series.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

Congratulations! You have been invited to interview at a medical school. Making it to this point is a big deal. No applicant is admitted to medical school without an interview and most applicants do not receive an invitation to interview.

Part of our job here at Bright Horizons College Coach is to keep an eye on all the news in college admissions and college finance so you don’t have to. We recently came across a terrific piece by our good friends over at Fortuna Admissions centered on the growing concern about the coronavirus and the opportunity to connect with business schools through remote interviews:

So you’ve booked that college interview. You feel prepared. You’re able to speak to your interests, you can articulate why you hope to attend this particular college, and you’re armed with some good questions to ask your interviewer about the school. What’s stressing you out though? The eternal question: what to wear??? Have no fear. Enter former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, Sai Somboon, to answer the question, “How should I dress for a college interview?”

Many colleges and universities recommend that applicants have a college interview; several even require an interview as part of the admission process. As an international student applying to schools in the US from abroad you might be thinking, “Can I interview?” The simple answer is yes. However, let’s get a better understanding of the process and determine if having a college interview is right for you.

In 2019’s first episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher and his guests get into the New Year’s spirit by suggesting some resolutions for high school students and their families, and then tackles how seniors can successfully navigate panel interviews during college scholarship events this winter and spring. Finally, Ian’s finance guest offers some insights about the advantages and disadvantages of using a Roth IRA to pay for college.

The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, hosted by Sally Ganga, is chock full of useful information!

Jeanne Mahan, College Finance Consultant, joined Sally in the first segment to discuss a very timely topic—comparing financial awards across colleges. Because colleges’ financial aid offers aren’t apple-to-apples comparisons, they can be very confusing to read and evaluate; but as your financial aid packages begin to trickle in, it’s important to pay close attention to key pieces of information.

Is An Alumni Interview Required?

I’m the father of a Chicago senior who was contacted by an alum to interview for Columbia. My daughter tends to become quiet in unfamiliar situations and won’t interview well. Is there any way she can politely decline without going into all the details?  She’s already written about her shyness in her college essay.

—Can She Get Out of This?

Our latest episode of Getting in: A College Coach Conversation was hosted by Ian Fisher and covered issues of student retention, paying for college for multiple children, and a continuation of our School’s Out! Application Workshop series.

How to Ace Tough College Interview Questions

In my time spent as a senior admissions officer at Reed College, I must have interviewed hundreds of students. And I asked weird questions, too. What would be your useless superpower? Is math discovered or invented? If you had one question for God, what would it be? Sub-question: Would you rather he give you the answer to your question or tell you the question you should have asked? My goal was to keep students on their toes, then to catch them off guard, and then, when their expectations had been flipped upside-down, I would find out who they really were.

Most interviewers won’t ask questions quite as odd as the ones I used to ask, but their objective is largely the same: get a sense of the student’s personality and style of engagement.