Ace Your College Interview: Common Questions, Smart Answers, and Insider Tips

The college interview, often viewed as a daunting hurdle, can be demystified with the right preparation. Many students find themselves overwhelmed by questions swirling in their minds: What will they ask? How should I respond? How do I even begin to prepare? While it's true that a disastrous interview can hurt your chances, remember that the interview's impact is often less significant than you might think. A stellar interview isn't a golden ticket, but a thoughtful approach can certainly enhance your application.

Understanding the College Interview

An interview offers a unique opportunity to connect with a college representative, express your genuine interest, and showcase aspects of yourself that transcripts and test scores can't capture. It's a chance to build a relationship and gather valuable insights about the school.

Not all colleges require or offer interviews, particularly for general admission. However, selective institutions often use them to gain a more holistic understanding of applicants. If an interview is offered, it's generally wise to accept, as it demonstrates your initiative and allows you to stand out.

Common College Interview Questions and How to Tackle Them

While each interview is unique, some questions are frequently asked. Preparing thoughtful responses to these common inquiries can significantly boost your confidence.

1. "Tell Me About Yourself"

This is often the opening question, designed to get a sense of who you are beyond your application. The key is to connect your response to your candidacy at that specific college. Avoid rambling or sharing information that doesn't highlight what you'd bring to the school's community.

Example Response: "I’ve always loved the ocean, spending weekends on the water with my family fishing and crabbing. It's not just the scenery, but the connection between my personal life and the ocean that drives me."

2. "Why Do You Want to Attend This College?"

This question assesses your genuine interest in the institution. If you've written a supplemental essay on this topic, you've already started preparing. Highlight specific features of the school that resonate with you and demonstrate why you'd be a good fit.

Example Response: "I’ve always been interested in languages, as both of my parents come from multilingual families. Although I only speak English, one of my college goals is to learn at least two new languages, and I know your program is exceptional."

3. "What Academic Subjects Are You Interested In?"

This question helps the interviewer understand your academic passions and how they align with the college's offerings.

Example Response: "Currently, I’m planning on either double majoring, or doing a major and a minor, in history and Spanish. I’ve always liked figuring out how threads from the past connect to things happening today."

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4. "Tell Me About a Project or Assignment You're Proud Of"

This question evaluates your academic achievements in a more targeted way. Focus on why you enjoyed the project and the big-picture lessons you learned, rather than getting bogged down in the details.

Example Response: "This past fall, I took an English elective on modernist literature, and the final paper I wrote for that class is probably the paper I’ve been proudest of. As I started going back over my notes, I realized that I could now see how certain things in the literature we had read exemplified those abstract themes."

5. "What Activities Do You Enjoy?"

This question overlaps with the common supplemental essay prompt about your extracurriculars and interests. Don't just list activities; share what you're passionate about. It's okay to mention casual hobbies that may not be on your activities list.

Example Response: "I’m really involved with my school’s sports teams as a volleyball player and as a manager for the football team. As manager, I take stats during games and help the coaches break down film during the week. A lot of people are surprised that, as a girl, I’d want to spend so much time around a men’s team, but everyone has always been really welcoming to me."

6. "Tell Me About a Challenge You've Overcome"

Colleges understand that everyone faces challenges. This question reveals how you respond to adversity. Share a genuine low point, but avoid overly dramatic stories. Focus on what you learned and how you grew.

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Example Response: "When I was a sophomore, I decided to take honors physics, even though science has never been a strength of mine. At the start of that year, my family got some unexpected bad news about my mom’s health. I was having a hard time concentrating, and my first test score was way below the class average. I was seriously thinking about switching down a level, but I met with my teacher a few times to hear her thoughts and she was super supportive. I decided to stick with it, and signed up for peer tutoring."

7. "What Makes You Unique?"

This question is your chance to highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. Think about your values, experiences, and perspectives.

Example Response: "I consider myself to be a very empathetic person, which shapes how I approach so much of my life. At school, I try to bring in cookies on days where we have big tests or projects due-sometimes I don’t have time, but I always try!"

8. "What Are Your Weaknesses?"

If asked about your strengths, you'll likely be asked about your weaknesses too. Share a genuine weakness, but avoid clichés or self-deprecating statements that could damage your candidacy.

Example Response: "I often have a hard time asking for help, as my instinct when I hit a wall is to try to climb over it myself. That’s not a bad first response, but sometimes I get stubborn and keep trying on my own even once it’s clear that I’m not getting anywhere. That just isn’t a good use of my time."

9. "What's Your Favorite Book or Movie?"

Be honest and choose something you genuinely enjoy. Describe why you liked it and what it meant to you.

Example Response: "I recently read The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens for the first time, and my favorite thing about it was how deeply it made me think about character construction. Dickens actually died halfway through writing the book, and left no notes saying how the mystery is solved, which I didn’t know before starting the book."

10. "Who Is Your Role Model?"

This question reveals your values and aspirations. Focus on how this person has helped you grow, not just on their accomplishments.

Example Response: "My role model is a girl named Sarah. We were on the same soccer team when she was a senior and I was a freshman. She won basically every award for best player in the state that year, but the main reason I admire her is how she carried herself while having all that success."

11. "If You Could Have Dinner with Anyone, Living or Dead, Who Would It Be?"

This is a "curveball question" designed to see how you think on your feet. Don't get too caught up in the question itself; use it as an opportunity to share something about yourself. Avoid potentially controversial figures.

Example Response: "I’d love to talk to Taylor Swift about songwriting, because I love to write, but music has always been totally beyond me, so I want to know how she combines the two things. I’d also like to have dinner with the Latin poet Ovid, as I’ve studied Latin for all of high school, and the way he takes advantage of Latin not having a fixed word order is something that’s always fascinated me."

12. "What Song Best Describes Your Life Right Now?"

Another example of a curveball question.

Example Response: “Material Girl” by Madonna, because so many people I’m close to have moved recently. My brother left for college, my neighbors retired and moved to a smaller house, and my cousin just graduated from college and moved near us."

13. "What Three Adjectives Best Describe You?"

Choose adjectives that are both distinct and specific. Avoid generic terms like "smart" or "funny."

Example Response: "Patient, dedicated, cheesy. I wouldn’t have survived growing up in my family without being patient. I’m the oldest of seven, and as much as I love my siblings, sometimes I felt more like a third parent growing up, which wasn’t always easy. I’m dedicated because when I find a new passion, it usually becomes the most important thing in my life, at least at first. During quarantine, for example, I was definitely on the bread-making wave, and I made so many loaves we had to start asking our neighbors if they felt comfortable taking one, as we couldn’t finish them all. And finally, I’d say I’m a little bit cheesy because I’m a sucker for romcoms, Disney movies, all that kind of stuff."

14. “How Would Your Friends Describe You?”

This question, like the role model question, is about talking about other people in order to share something about yourself.

Example Response: "I think my friends would describe me as a very generous person. If someone ever needs a cat or dog sitter, I’m always the first one to reply in the group chat."

15. “Tell Me About a Time When You Were Spontaneous”

Example Response: "I get nervous about trying new things, so I like having adventurous friends to give me the push I need. Once, I went to a restaurant with a girl who was a pretty new friend at the time, and honestly I was pretty repulsed when she ordered oysters. Her response was to pester me the entire meal to try one, so I finally did, mostly to get her to leave me alone."

16. "What Are Your Goals for the Future?"

It's okay if you don't have a specific career in mind. Focus on your passions and interests and how you hope to combine them.

Example Response: "I’d like to be doing something that lets me combine my love for animals with my love of travel. Both of my parents are vets, and my dad specializes in large animals, so even though I don’t think I could deal with the sad side of being a vet, it’s always been impossible for me to think of having a job that doesn’t involve animals."

17. "Where Do You See Yourself in Ten Years?"

This is essentially a more focused version of the “ten years” question above, and a more general version of the “Why do you want to attend this college?” question from earlier in the post.

Example Response: "I’ve always known that I want to work in medicine, but I’m not sure if being a doctor would be right for me or if maybe doing research or working on new technologies would be a better fit. During college, I’d like to figure out which career I’m best suited for, and I think the University of Washington would be a great place to do that."

18. "What's Something That Most People Don't Know About You?"

This is another question along the lines of “Tell me about yourself.”

Example Response: "I can’t ride a bike, but I can ride a unicycle. When my parents took me to get my first bike, I just wouldn’t let go of the unicycle, and had no interest in the bikes. Everyone always tells me that I’d be able to learn super easily, since I have good balance, but I’ve never seen the point."

19. "Tell Me About a Time You Acted as a Leader"

Even if you feel like you did everything perfectly, remember that colleges want to see that you’re self-aware enough to recognize your own areas for growth.

Example Response: "Once, I was on a hiking trip with some friends when it started pouring rain, and nobody had a jacket besides me. We hid under the trees for a bit, but it wasn’t getting better. So, we had to turn back, but nobody was that thrilled about getting wet. I think joking around helped everyone make the most of an unfortunate situation, although I have to say the whole thing was sort of my fault to begin with."

20. "In Group Settings, What Role Do You Play?"

Admissions officers know that there’s more than one way to make a difference in the world, and besides, you never want to be dishonest in your interview.

Example Response: "My approach to group settings has definitely been shaped by the main groups I’ve been a part of. One of these groups is my dance team. Since I knew other girls had been a part of the team for longer and were more used to that pressure, I didn’t try to give big hype speeches or anything. But I did have experience with some styles of dance that the other girls didn’t, so when I had tips or suggestions, I always made sure to go out of my way to share them."

21. "Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert?"

Like with the previous question, whether you say you’re an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between doesn’t really matter.

Example Response: "I’ve always been more of an introvert and, maybe counterintuitively, I think that’s because I grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of kids around my age. I love those people like family, and some of my best memories are of water fights or playing kickball in the park. But pretty early on I definitely realized that I needed time to myself too."

22. "What Are You Most Proud Of?"

Whatever you choose to talk about, make sure you don’t come across as boastful.

Example Response: "I’m proud of the relationship I’ve built with my family’s two macaws. I was only seven when we got them, so they were almost as big as I was, and I knew how hard they could bite from watching them rip apart their wooden perches. I did get bitten more than a few times, and sometimes I had to listen to them scream for hours for no apparent reason, but now they trust me more than anyone else in the family."

Preparing Questions to Ask the Interviewer

The interview isn't just about answering questions; it's also an opportunity to ask them. Preparing thoughtful questions demonstrates your interest and allows you to gather valuable information.

Here are some examples:

"Can you tell me more about the strengths of the academic programs related to my major?"
"How does the college support undergraduate research opportunities?"
"What is the campus culture like?"
"What internship(s) does my major offer at the university?"
"What scholarship options are available?"
"How does the university help students secure employment?"
"What sets this college apart from the other colleges?"
"How accessible are professors outside of the classroom?"

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