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There are thousands of candidates each year waiting for an opportunity to obtain higher education, so it is logical that universities have well-defined selection methods that they consider useful for their decision-making. Over the years universities have developed methods based largely on an interview. Each institution adapts these to what they usually expect from their potential students. And it is that the interview is one of the last frontiers that the university needs to explore to find out if the institution will be able to adequately train the candidate in question.
But do not worry too much, it is not that difficult to convince the institution of your preference if you are the ideal candidate, or at least very suitable, for their campus.
And it is that, in the interviews, there are questions that are very common for admission, and are repeated in different universities around the world. What happens is that, depending on where the university is, the requirements change. It is important to know the tradition of each university to know how to answer each type of question, because tradition always ends up prevailing.
Before starting to consider these tips, you have to remember how important it is to be relaxed at the time of the interview, as well as to act naturally. Thinking too much about what is going to be said during the interview can have the opposite effect than expected and produce a bad impression. The attitude is one of the most important aspects, and being relaxed will help to show the virtues more easily, since it is something impossible to demonstrate on paper.
Consider each of the following questions as a possible category, that is, do not take them at face value but as an indication. If you internalize this guide, you will be better prepared to make a good impression in the interview.
Why do you want to study at this university?
When answering this question, it is convenient to point out the educational and cultural opportunities that the university offers, especially in comparison with other nearby or academically equivalent ones. This will show that you have done your research on the subject and are genuinely interested. Mention the career possibilities that you want to develop and that can be more easily achieved with the education you receive at that university.
Who are the people who have influenced your life the most?
- This can have certain variants: What are your idols? With which characters in the story do you feel identified?
Sometimes these types of questions can catch us off guard. There are many people who, for various reasons, have not considered this. One of them is that there are individuals who, out of respect or modesty, do not name those they admire. However, there are always people who do things that inspire us and we must be prepared for this reflection. Ask it before the interview.
What is it for you to be successful?
These types of questions seek to explore the world view that the interviewee has. Try to include in your answer the notions of success that include the contribution to the improvement of humanity within your possibilities, your relationship with other people or with the improvement of some current social condition.
What are your plans after college?
Interviewers may be measuring the confidence of your academic decisions. A student who has no idea what she will do when she graduates may be more likely to drop out. If he is not entirely sure, he can and should express it, but always revealing some more or less concrete possibility of how he will apply the knowledge acquired once he finishes his studies.
What do you imagine being doing in a few years?
This question has several variants. They may ask you about your personal vision five, ten, or even more than fifteen years from now. The truth is that it is a question to know if you have already wondered about the future. Avoid answering tersely or very vaguely. Enthusiasm is important in these types of questions, but try to be specific, and answer something consistent with the interests you have shown up to that moment.
Who do you admire the most?
By expressing admiration for someone we are also making known the traits and values that we consider important. Then remember to include in your description the most humane and valuable characteristics of those people you admire. It does not have to be a famous or recognized person if the explanation is well founded.
What is your biggest weakness?
It is one of the most common questions (it can be said that it is always asked, in one way or another: “What would you change about yourself if you could?” is another way of putting the question). But, at the same time, one of the most difficult to answer. It could be counterproductive to be too honest with some unmanageable weakness, and it is usually quite easy for an interviewer with experience and practice in psychology to spot when the interviewee is lying. Pick a weakness that you can or want to improve in the short term and add how you could achieve it. On the other hand, remember the famous film phrase, which although pronounced in a clearly humorous key, is still a universal truth: “No one is perfect.” Neither did the interviewers.
What is your greatest strength?
Without going around too much, it is a matter of specifying to the interviewer where your best talents reside. This question may make him think that he should only talk about things related to what he wants to study. If this is the case, don’t worry. Any explainable and demonstrable ability can speak favorably of you. It is much better if by mentioning it you can highlight classically well-regarded values, such as leadership skills and competitiveness.
An anecdote where you triumphed over adversity
Basically it is about saying, how did you face the obstacles that were presented to you? It is an essential question and cannot be missing in a university admission. This is because, basically, a university course is a host of obstacles and overcoming for each student. That is why this question is so important, and it is even used in many companies to find out everything the applicant can say about her ability to solve problems.
tell us about yourself
These types of statements are nothing more than a small space for you to talk about yourself. Take advantage of the opportunity to indirectly frame yourself as an ideal candidate for the institution, although try not to do it in a way that is too obvious. You can focus on your strengths, and mention them to the interviewer based on their relevance to the university or the student community.
Tell us something about your family history
This can be the opening comment of the interview. Try to create an entertaining narrative filled with quirky, valuable, or funny details about your family. Maintain a positive approach that allows you to see yourself as generous and optimistic.
What makes you unique or special?
Getting good grades or playing a sport are important qualities, but they do not define someone as “unique.” Try to inquire about those positive personal aspects that belong only to you and that can differentiate you from the rest of the applicants to enter the university.
Give me three adjectives that describe you
To answer this question, it is best to ask friends and family beforehand to describe us using just a few adjectives. We might also be surprised by the results. It is not convenient to stay in the common places: intelligent, creative, studious, etc.
What activities do you do just for fun?
Again, avoid responding with platitudes or overly general phrases. The interviewer needs to know how you spend your free time, and you need an answer that gets the interviewer’s attention. It may help to talk about healthy or even productivity-related activities, but don’t overdo it. Remember that it is not credible that a person also studies in his spare time. After all, a student is not only made of hard work, much less those who are just training for the first time at this level.
What extracurricular activities interest you?
A student’s contribution to campus is always important. Thoroughly research the extracurricular opportunities at the college you want to apply to so that you can answer a question like this correctly.
What do you think about today’s news headlines?
This question seeks to know if the student is informed about important events in the world. The question could also be about a specific event, so it will be good to spend a few minutes a day at least reading the headlines and doing some research on it.
Who is your hero?
It is a variation of the question “Who do you admire the most?”. It can be included as a response to a relative, sports star or more or less famous character. Always highlighting the virtues that lead you to consider that person a hero.
What high school/childhood experience was important to you?
There are several aspects that can be evaluated in this type of response. One of the things to evaluate is the capacity for reflection that we can obtain from past events and, if they were conflicting, how we arrived at an answer. It is advisable to get away from unresolved problematic situations or that only represent us as problematic individuals.
What would you change about your past?
This question is not designed to make you reflect on your mistakes. Avoid a regretful tone and keep a positive focus on your past. The interviewer needs to know about you, so use this question to explore things you would have liked to do if you had made different decisions than you did. Take the opportunity to alternately explore your interests and show other facets of yourself that are not recorded on paper.
Tell me about your community service
Performing community service is often a common part of high school studies in some countries, and therefore could be a college entrance question. Behind this question, we seek to know the student’s social interests, and how he handled himself in service situations before.
If you had a thousand dollars to give away, what would you do with it?
This is an indirect and somewhat fun way to explore the student’s interests and passions. Answers may include contributions to charities, long-term investments with community or family benefit, gifts to family members who require special help, or some fun gifts that leave a fond memory with interviewers.
What did you do last summer?
This question can be used to break the ice at the beginning of the interview. Remember not to just talk about the unproductive moments of your summer, as this could make the interviewer think that you are wasting their time. Focus on talking about activities that you find valuable for your current goals. You can talk, albeit briefly, about your interests, as there will be quite a few questions about that later.
Could you recommend a book?
This is a question intended to explore the candidate’s literary interests outside of academic texts. It’s basically a question about how he uses his brain while he’s not reading the required course texts. It is important for the interviewer to know in what other fields of knowledge he invests his energy and free time and what knowledge seems valuable to him to invest time in it.
Final Thoughts on College Interviews
In some institutions it is optional to appear for the interview. If so, going to the interview can show a high interest in admission, and could increase the chances of admission.
Do not forget to dress appropriately for the day of the interview, whether in person or virtual. It is important to look good. If the interview is virtual, find a quiet place and a neutral background that does not distract the interviewers.
Have on hand your high school education information and other data that may be of importance. The interviewers may want to verify some information with you.
Always keep a positive attitude, act relaxed and try to make the interview a time of personal growth, regardless of the results.
References
Cortes, F. (2019). Prepare for your college entrance interview. Available at: https://www.areandina.edu.co/es/blog/el-blog-de-areandina/preparate-para-tu-entrevista-de-ingreso-la-universidad
Isus, S. (1995). University orientation: from secondary education to university. Available at: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=o5QPCwAAQBAJ&dq
