College Interviews

OVERVIEW

To begin, usually most schools will send out an email telling you that you've been given an opportunity to have an interview to better showcase yourself! The interview is meant to be a more casual conversation, not an essay so take deep breaths and relax...

I heavily recommend you not reject the interview. It is essential to your application and it's been heard that turning it down without a valid reason can show disinterest in the school.

Key Information:

• Interviewer's Name and some background information (not always)

• Interview Date

• Research

• Tools

• Tips

With this information, we can start preparing for the interview!

Here, I will structure what the interview process will look like:

First, you will receive an email telling you that you've been given an interview opportunity. Usually, you will also receive information about your interviewer and a date.

Actual Interview:

1. The interviewer will usually start by introducing themself. This includes where they are from, what they've done at the college, and possibly a fun fact about themself. 

NOTE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION DOWN: You can later on ask about what they did specifically, or something they do that you're interested in.

2. Next, you will introduce yourself. Try to follow a similar format to the one your interviewer used with you. This is where you can start framing what you want to address in your interview. Remember, your interviewer knows nothing about you!! This is why the resume is important.

3. Questions!! The interviewer will begin to dive deeper into your "whys." Example: Why are you involved with this? What motivated you to do what you do? More example questions will be put in the Research section. 

A helpful strategy is signposting.

Start by talking about what you are going to address and then move into the story. This helps you establish what you will talk about and avoid veering off course. Additionally, it helps the interviewer follow you when you are speaking. This simple strategy may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked.

Use the game plan strategies mentioned in the Research section.

4. Your turn to ask questions! Ask some questions about the school or even about them. The interviewer does not expect you to know everything about the school, so show your curiosity. It is also okay for your questions to be here and there in the interview. It doesn't just have to be at this moment.

5. Goodbye! Don't be the one to end the interview. A good method I used was to ask, "Do you have any more questions about me?"

I don't recommend asking questions like "What applicant are you looking for?" It can come off as desperate, or it will affect how you wish to go through the interview to better match this "standard".

Resume

A resume is a very helpful tool to provide some information about yourself before the interview. It helps minimize the time needed to describe what extracurricular activities you did. Instead, you can spend more time answering questions about why you did these activities and what impact you have made.

For more information regarding how to make one and more information on how it can be helpful, consult the Resume 101 section.

For your email to the interviewer:

Hello [Interviewer's Name]

My name is [Your Name] and I am excited for this opportunity to speak with you. Before our meeting, here is my resume for you to understand more about me. 

[Insert Resume]

Thanks,

[Your Name]

Keep it brief and simple. :)

Knowing your Interviewer:

It is natural to start trying by looking up their name or LinkedIn and then bringing it up in the interview. However, this can come off as "creepy" or "uncomfortable."

Rather, your goal is to create a comfortable setting to create an easygoing conversation. Continue to do your LinkedIn research and note what clubs or activities they do that align with you. Next, you'll want to hint towards these activities in your interview.

For example:

(The LinkedIn portfolio says Interviewer A is a president to a specific Dance Club B.)

You: While I was doing research at [blank] school, I was very interested in Dance Club B. I did lots of dance in high school, and this seems like an excellent opportunity for me to take my hobbies to the next level!

Interviewer A: What a coincidence! I am a current member of that club and I can answer any questions you have regarding Dance Club B!!

This is much more naturalistic than approaching the conversation and saying, "I know you're the president of this club and I've seen how long you've done it for. What are your thoughts?"

Relax and try to resonate with your interviewer as a person to person. Keep basic formalities but don't go overboard!

Game Plan

This is the strategy or the plan you're going to have when you enter the interview. In my experience, I actually didn't start using this until my third interview, so make sure to practice it. 

I recommend using the past, present, and future approach. (I think Elise Pham has made a video on this!)

Whatever you think is the greatest goal in your application (wanting to make a difference in medicine, wanting to meet new people, wanting to gain new opportunities, etc.), develop it with this strategy.

Past:

Start with what in the past, either an issue or an experience, that made you want to address this goal. Be brief and talk about the start to this motivation and the plans you started making.

Present:

Here you will talk about what you've done. What extracurriculars have you done? What have you founded? What have you achieved? Don't be afraid to brag a little; just don't be arrogant.

Future:

What do you plan to do with this experience? What do you plan to do at college? How do you plan to make this difference? Don't be overly vague or cringe. You can mention here how the college your planning to apply to is going to help you with this.

Using this plan provides you a strong way to showcase your motivations, contributions, and plans.

Sheet Method

I used this method (I don't know the name because it's something I made for myself) for my first few interviews. Eventually, I combined this with the past, present, and future method. 

1. Write down your interviewer's name and known information at the top of your paper.

2. Next, move down and write (almost like a path) the topics you wish to cover. These shouldn't be full sentences, just bullet points to frame out your ideas. This could also include the past, present, and future method. Usually, I'd write about certain clubs, how long I've done them for, known contributions, and why. How does this relate to my other activities? What is interesting about me that would entice my interviewer?

3. Near the bottom I'd write some specific questions I want to ask. I'd also write what I'm interested in at the school. 

4. On a separate page, I'd leave empty for notes and new questions during the interview

This sheet helps you just organize your thoughts before the interview. It's easy to get lost in the conversation, but you can reorient yourself by taking a quick glance at the paper. Don't write out a script or read word for word. 

School Research

Here is where you're going to develop your "Why?" for this school. I'd recommend researching certain clubs, activities, and programs you're interested in. These are academic questions you can make when asking the interviewer. However, it's important to know your interviewer. If they are a current student, they will probably know more about these current clubs, activities, and programs. If they are an alumnus, then maybe they'll know some of this information. If they are way older, then it's best if you ask about majors and school culture. 

Know when to adjust your questions according to the interviewer. There's no point asking a question you know you can't answer. You can be broad with your questions too. You aren't expected to know everything about the club.

Make sure to ask questions! Not only at the end, but also when the interviewer is talking about their experience. Be engaged!

Interviewer Questions:

Some typical questions you will get are:

Why are you interested in this school?

Why are you interested in this major?

What do you wish to discover here?

Think about some of these when you research. The answers shouldn't be something you memorize by heart, but rather something you begin to answer as you talk about your story.

Speaking

• Take deep breaths!! It's easy to get flustered and constantly say "umm." A trick for me was to slow down my speech when I felt this way. This helps you spend more time thinking about what you should say next and avoid repetition. Additionally, when you are stressed, it is common to slur words, so this is also an opportunity to enunciate properly.

Movement

• Move your hands when you talk! Don't overly sway them, but this helps you destress. It's okay to be nervous, but being stiff is not going to help you enter into a conversation. It also adds a personality factor by allowing you to be expressionistic!

Dress 

• Most interviews are casual, so you won't need anything business professional. Usually, a nice shirt will do. A button-up shirt can work well, too; just avoid wearing anything vulgar.

Personality

• I know it is very common for you to hear this, but BE YOURSELF!! Don't try to make yourself quirkier, but rather talk about your passions outside of school. During my interviews, I would purposely include all my art posters in the background. This allowed me to talk about my passion for art and for my interviewer to ask me questions about my hobbies too.

Addressing Your Interviewer

• I found this very difficult due to my traditional Asian background, but it is perfectly fine (even preferred) if you address your interviewer by their first name. You are becoming an adult, so you have to address the interviewer and introduce yourself on equivalent terms.

It is YOUR Story!

• We are often inspired by our parents or their experiences. This leads us to start certain clubs or better understand our culture. These are great points to include when we talk about our extracurriculars; however, remember that it is your story! Don't spend too much time talking about what your parents went through or their contributions. Make sure that the majority of your time is to talk about you!!

For any further questions, reach out to minnow@teo-program.com!!