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College Interview...HELP!!!

ghall

ghall

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 27, 2006
3,771
1
Rhode Island
I have a college interview later today with Brown University. I'm pretty nervous, I went over the basics of interviews, and went over the common questions and what I should wear, but I'm still really nervous and I tend to stammer a lot when I'm nervous. Any tips on how to feel comfortable? Brown is my top choice so I want to make a very good impression.
 
Brian: Ahhh, the ol' alma mater. I tell ya, there's something magical about Brown.
Chris: Brown is the color of poo! Haaahahahahahaha!
Brian: Yes. Yes it is.

Seriously though, I've got nothing. Didn't have to do a college interview myself. I'd suggest just trying to put the "OMG THIS IS MY TOP SCHOOL" thought as much on the back burner as possible, and just concentrate on the questions and answering them, one at a time. The best way to avoid nervousness is to try to minimize the "big picture thinking."
 
Yeah, I just went through this with SNHU (which I was accepted to!). Anyways dress casually don't go for the whole suit and tie deal but don't dress like a homeless person either.

When they call you in go for the handshake!

When they ask you questions don't use "like" a billion times. Answer only what they ask!

And most important of all BE YOU.
 
Also remember that while the Uni is interviewing you, you should interview them. I know that initially that may sound crazy, but the people you are talking to may be people that you will be in constant contact/working with if you are accepted. Depending on who/how the interview is done this may not always be possible, but I would have a "list" of questions you want to ask the interviewer. It shows that you are interested in the school, that you are actively thinking about the school, etc. while letting you learn some things that are important to you.

As to proper dress, I say a suit/tie is always acceptable, with a nice shirt/tie combo as the least I would consider.
 
I would have a notecard with questions you have about the school and things that you want to say about yourself. When I am nervous I always forget things that I want to say.

I think the best thing you can do is make them not ask questions about you. You should be able to express everything about yourself- what you have to offer, what you have done, clubs, what your goals are, etc. Not only are you telling the person about yourself but you are showing you are assertive, intelligent, and you can communicate well.

Even if you don't have real questions, I would ask some just to show that you are interested and to me it seems like you are "smart" I guess.
 
here is an extremely simple and effective interview technique to calm you down and make you think about what you say:

bring a bottle of water with a cap on it to the interview. anytime you need a moment to formulate an answer, pause, pick up the bottle, unscrew the cap, take a sip or two, re-screw the cap, put the bottle down, then answer.

this forces you to not blab out the very first thing that pops into your head without thinking and making sure its what you want to say.
 
Are you going to an on-campus interview? Or are you interviewing with an alumnus in your city? If it's on-campus, they may pay a *small* amount of attention to the interview. The alumni interviews are basically for your information -- the university will get a report from them but unless they say you're a total psycho or something they're not going to put much into the interview. Your recommendations, grades, application essay, test scores, and so on are *much* more important.
 
wordmunger said:
Are you going to an on-campus interview? Or are you interviewing with an alumnus in your city? If it's on-campus, they may pay a *small* amount of attention to the interview. The alumni interviews are basically for your information -- the university will get a report from them but unless they say you're a total psycho or something they're not going to put much into the interview. Your recommendations, grades, application essay, test scores, and so on are *much* more important.
Click to expand...

I was just going to say this. Interviews rarely have an impact unless they went incredibly well or incredibly poorly. By incredibly well, I mean that the interviewer ends up being a distant relative, thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, and gave a million dollars to the university in the past year. And by incredibly poorly, I mean that you're a psychopath.
 
Hello.there said:
Just imagine your interviewer(s) on the toilet doing a poo. It always worked for me. :)
Click to expand...

Eeew. :p

Anyway I'm done with the interview and it went alright. I'm just relieved it's over but I tried my best to be awesome (it's really not that hard, I'm just naturally awesome).
 
shecky said:
here is an extremely simple and effective interview technique to calm you down and make you think about what you say:

bring a bottle of water with a cap on it to the interview. anytime you need a moment to formulate an answer, pause, pick up the bottle, unscrew the cap, take a sip or two, re-screw the cap, put the bottle down, then answer.

this forces you to not blab out the very first thing that pops into your head without thinking and making sure its what you want to say.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea. To anyone doing an interview, you should remember that the interviewer does expect you to pause and think about your answer so you shouldn't feel awkward if it takes you a little time.

ghall said:
Eeew. :p

Anyway I'm done with the interview and it went alright. I'm just relieved it's over but I tried my best to be awesome (it's really not that hard, I'm just naturally awesome).
Click to expand...

I hope it went well. My fingers are crossed for you.
 
1. Engage brain before starting tongue. Read this sentence agai

2. Do NOT, under any circumstances, indicate the school is your top choice. it sounds and looks tacky.

3. Ask LOTS of questions. Ask "tell me more about..." or "I'd like to hear more about..." after the person answers. This makes you sound interested and makes it seem like you're paying attention.

4. Read every single thing you can about the school from reputable sources. Internet, Princeton Review, etc. Work these things into your questions. "I read in ________ that Brown..."

Best of luck! You'll do fine.
 
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