You answered the essay questions, filled out the application and jumped over other hurdles on the path to college acceptance. Now, you’ve made it to the interview stage. Congratulations! The next step is to prepare for the questions ahead.
In light of stiff competition, every element of the admissions process counts. Whether your interview will be in-person or conducted in a virtual format, you only have one chance to make a positive first impression.
Below, learn about 10 common college interview questions and what the interviewer is trying to determine by asking them. Plus, we walk you through how to respond so that you can answer with confidence.
Top 10 Common College Interview Questions to Expect
1. Tell me about yourself.
This is an open-ended question, but the reply should be focused and unique. View this question as an opportunity to connect your background, upbringing, experiences and other details to the university. Remember, this does not have to be a complete picture of you from start to finish. Instead, it’s a specific look at an angle of you the admissions officer has not yet seen.
How to respond: Rather than rambling on about your life story, stick to specific attributes that highlight your value as a student and productive member of the community.
For instance, you can talk about how an aspect of your upbringing shaped you into the individual you are today (an individual aligned with the university). You can share a challenge that has impacted you and how working through it has prepared you to excel.
Include the university in some part of the response. One way you can do this is by connecting yourself and your attributes to the attributes of the university that appeal to you.
2. Why do you want to attend [insert university]?
Also among common college interview questions is this straightforward inquiry. This question aims to find out how serious you are about the university. It reveals whether you have researched the school and cared enough to learn about it.
How to respond: Think about a few reasons why you really want to attend the university. Proactively brainstorm and select answers that don’t apply to every other school. Avoid talking about the prestige or exclusivity of the university, as it can come across as superficial. Instead, discuss a core value or unique aspect of the university that speaks to you.
If you visited the campus and had a positive experience that made you decide to apply, you can speak about the experience. If you are attracted to a certain program or university offering, center your response around the program. Give an authentic answer as to why you are applying.
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
These may be posed separately or as one question, but you’ll likely be asked about your noteworthy attributes and areas that need improvement. The interviewer wants to know what makes you a quality candidate and what differentiates you from others; asking about strengths is one way to accomplish this. At the same time, no one is perfect. A student who can self-evaluate and be honest about weaknesses is more believable and likable than one who cannot.
How to respond: When it comes to sharing your strengths, don’t feel the need to be overly modest. Showcase a specific attribute that you possess and that the university would admire in a student. If the situation allows, use a personal anecdote to communicate the strength you are sharing. Saying “I am resilient” is not as powerful as telling a story that puts your resiliency on full display.
When it’s time to discuss a weakness, choose one that is honest yet not damaging to your chances of admissions. For example, the tendency to spread yourself too thin is a better weakness to share than a tendency to shirk responsibilities. Once you select a weakness, frame it as something you are working towards improving.
4. What hobbies or activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
The interviewer has a lot of information about your academic performance and your extracurricular activities. However, they may not have information outside your academic career. To get a complete picture of you, the interviewer may ask about your free time. This helps to determine what type of person you might be outside of the classroom.
How to respond: Think about what you gravitate toward on your days off. What adds meaning to your life outside of school and community service commitments? You can discuss a skill that you are cultivating or a passion that you have. Whether it’s fishing at the lake with your family, learning a new language, painting, attending plays at your local theatre or another activity that conveys an interest that you have. Ideally, your passion should come across as you answer this question.
5. Tell me about a time when you overcame a difficult challenge in your life.
Interviewers understand that the way a person deals with obstacles says a lot about them. Since college will also pose challenges, interviewers are looking for students who can overcome and persevere. This question helps them to discover what you do in the face of adversity.
How to respond: The key here is to emphasize how you met this challenge rather than the details of the challenge itself. Spend the first part of your answer giving a brief description of the challenge such as when it occurred and its impact on you in one or more areas of your life (emotionally, academically, socially, etc.). Avoid going overly detailed by sticking to relevant information in this part.
For the majority of the answer, discuss how you approached the challenge and moved past it. Highlight specific qualities in yourself that this struggle helped you develop. You can also discuss an individual that helped you through it. Overall, share a focused message about what you learned from the challenge and how you carry that lesson moving forward.
6. What book has had an impact on your life?
Colleges are looking for the best and the brightest students to make up the next class. This question allows the interviewer to find out if reading is part of your life. It also allows the interviewer to understand how you analyze literature and think critically about its implications.
How to respond: Be honest and authentic—don’t ad-lib a book that you think makes you look good. Honesty is important because you will have to discuss the book, its implication and impact at length. If you mention a book you haven’t read or don’t remember well, you may come across as insincere.
Originality is important because having an answer that stands out makes you memorable. If you list a book that you think the interviewer wants to hear instead of the one you enjoy, your answer will fade into a sea of similar responses. If you choose a common work, make sure that you explain its impact on you from an interesting angle.
7. What is one accomplishment that you are proud of?
Some common college interview questions give you a chance to brag about yourself. That is the case with this question. Here, the interviewer wants to know what you’ve achieved and how you did it.
How to respond: If you have a specific achievement but are worried about not having enough to say about it, frame the accomplishment using the STAR method.
STAR stands for situation, task, action and result. You begin by giving context to the situation you were in. Then, discuss what your role was. Next, talk about how you achieved the goal. Lastly, share the positive results.
8. Who is someone that you greatly admire and look up to?
Asking about a role model helps the interviewer uncover what attributes you value in others and gives a glimpse into the type of person you would like to be. The interviewer is looking for a genuine response, including details about why this person is someone you look up to.
How to respond: Details. Details. Details. Don’t just state who the person is and their relationship to you. In your answer, illustrate how this person has been a role model in your life and what characteristics you hope to emulate. If you have a mentor or a counselor that has played a large role in your development, talk about specific situations they’ve helped with. Additionally, share a trait that is evident and why it is admirable to you.
You can also discuss someone that you don’t personally know but have read about. Share exactly what it is about this person that inspires you and how learning about them changed your mindset, goals, perspective, or other areas of your life.
9. What can you bring to [insert university]?
This question gets to the heart of the interview—what makes you worthy of a spot in the incoming class? Many common college interview questions hint at this, but this question lays it on the table. The interviewer wants to know what makes you special.
How to respond: Take a breath and gather your thoughts before answering this question. If you have prepared well ahead of time, your nerves won’t get the best of you. Now, share a combination of attributes that make you unique. Rather than speaking about one strength or talent, combine them to create a picture of a well-rounded student that adds value to the student body. Are you:
- A first-generation college student?
- A musician?
- Someone who speaks multiple languages?
- A child of a military family?
- A dedicated community servant?
- Someone who has lived in multiple countries?
- An athlete?
Brainstorm a list of traits that describe you. Then, select a few traits and discuss how each one gives you a unique perspective and aligns with the university.
10. Do you have any questions for me?
The interviewer asks this question to allow you to learn more information about the school. It also helps them determine how serious you are about getting in. If you come prepared with questions, it sends a signal to the interviewer that you have a genuine interest in attending.
How to respond: Browse our list of memorable questions to ask a college interviewer to learn what to ask and what questions to avoid. In short, you should ask questions that convey your desire to be an involved member of the student body and bring up topics that you are genuinely interested in. Avoid questions that are easy to answer with a quick online search since this can make you look like you have not researched the university.
Other Common College Interview Questions
The questions above are just a sample of common college interview questions you could be asked. Browse through the questions below for more ideas on what may be included in your interview.
- What will you add to the student body at this university?
- What words would your friends use to describe you?
- Describe what you would like to gain from your time as an undergraduate?
- What are you passionate about?
- Why should we admit you over other students?
- Name a time when you had a heavy workload. How did you manage it?
- Discuss a time when you used your leadership/ communication skills to solve a problem.
- What other schools are you applying to?
- Why did you participate in [extracurricular/community service] in high school?
- What does success mean to you?
- If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would it be?
- Why did you choose your specific major?
- Share some of the goals you have outside of the classroom.
- If you won x amount of money, what would you do with it?
- What makes you unique?
- Tell me something about you that is not on your application.
- If you could change one thing about your high school, what would it be?
- Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?
- Who is the most influential person in your life?
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do?
- How did you spend your summer?
Be Ready For Whatever Question Comes Your Way
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You can’t anticipate every question a college interviewer will ask you. But you can prepare so that you are poised and well-practiced when the time comes.
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Improve your skills and approach the interview process with grace and confidence. Try InterviewFocus today!
