interview college essay guy

124: College Interview Tips and Strategies

28 dec 2017 · the college essay guy podcast: a practical guide to college admissions.

This episode is an interview… on interviews! Monica James--whom you may’ve heard previously on the podcast in the episode on Demonstrated Interest--absolutely crushes it in this interview, offering more practical advice than you’ll find in most weekend workshops on this topic. And it’s no wonder: for years she’s been teaching people (and in particular high school students) how to give great interviews. We cover, among other things:

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506: What Colleges Want (Part 6): Demonstrated Interest: What Is it, Why Is it Important, and How Do You Show it? with Dean of Enrollment Christine Bowman

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On today’s episode, Ethan is joined by Christine Bowman, Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern University. In part 6 in our series on What Colleges Want, Ethan and Christine get into:

Christine Bowman is the Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern, where she oversees the admission department to set enrollment and retention philosophies. She has a Masters in Higher Ed Administration from UT-Austin, was the Co-Chair for the 2007 NACAC National Conference in and has served two terms as the Chair of the Colleges that Change Lives Board of Directors (see last season’s episode with Ann Marano for more on CTCL’s work). She currently serves on the advisory board of ROCA-NM (Rural Opportunities for College Access) and, with almost 30 years of experience in the admission profession, Christine believes in guiding students to find the right college fit and regularly gives presentations encouraging a stress-free college search process.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

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505: What Colleges Want (Part 5): A Crash Course in the Supplemental Essays + Application with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 5 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about some of the other written parts of the application—the activities list, additional information section, and supplemental essays. Tom and Ethan get into:

Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.

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504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report – after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into:

503: What Colleges Want (Part 3): "Positive Character Attributes": What Are They, and How Do You Show Them in Your College Application?

In today’s two-part episode, we’re delving into one of the potentially more confusing aspects of what colleges want — “positive character attributes” — which 65.8% of colleges give considerable or moderate importance.

In part 1, I’m joined by Tom Bear (VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Bob Massa (former chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University) to discuss:

Part 2 is with Trisha Ross Anderson, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project, and we get into:

Tom Bear has been working in college enrollment since 1987 at a variety of institutions, including as VP for Enrollment at University of Evansville, Senior Director of Enrollment at Notre Dame and now as the VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He joined the Character Collaborative in 2017, served as Board Chair and will chair NACAC’s Character Focus Initiative.

Bob Massa got his Doctorate in Higher Education from Columbia, served as the chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University and Co- founded the Character Collaborative in 2016. Although he has retired from full-time work after 45 years of campus-based work, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s online masters program in enrollment management.

Trisha Ross Anderson has served on research teams at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the past 13 years. She’s worked with the Making Caring Common (MCC) Project to help write reports including one called Turning the Tide that focuses on reform of the college admission process. She leads MCC’s college admissions initiatives with Richard Weissbourd and currently serves on NACAC’s Character Focus Initiative Advisory Council.

Ideas from Ethan for finding what you care about + finding content for your application:

502: What Colleges Want (Part 2): A Deep Dive into GPA, Course Selection, and Making the Most of the Academic Opportunities Available to You

On today’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) and Nitzya Cuevas-Macias (Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep) cover:

Nitzya Cuevas-Macias was a first-gen college student at UC Berkeley where she studied History and Legal Studies, and earned her Master’s in Mexican American Studies from San José State. She’s been working in education for 16 years where the majority of her time has been in college access and success, in the CBO, non-profit world, k-12 public and charter, and community college. Currently, she is the Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep, a free public charter in San José, CA and serves as a board member of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-Play:

501: What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report

On today's episode, Ethan sits down with David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer at National Association of College Admission Counselors (aka NACAC), and they get discuss, among other things:

For over 20 years, David Hawkins has worked in enrollment management and admissions to alleviate systemic barriers to accessing higher education. Hawkins has played a key role in setting NACAC's strategic direction, which involved hearing and representing the collective voice of NACAC’s more than 25,000 high school counselors and college admission officers. His priorities include making NACAC a more effective learning organization, with an emphasis on ethics and redefining advocacy.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

414: A Crash Course in Paying for College & Common Affordability Myths

On today’s episode, Ethan is joined by Amanda Miller, who got her start in financial aid through the College Advising Corps at Davidson College in 2014. A few thousand students, several resources, and dozens of financial aid presentations later, Amanda’s an independent financial aid specialist and college adviser who also serves as the financial aid go-to lady for the Matchlighters program and someone we consider to be a part of the extended College Essay Guy family.

Ethan and Amanda discuss:

413: Intellectual Curiosity + College Admissions: What It Is, Why It Matters to Colleges, and How to Show It

In today’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) and Susan Tree (a college counseling and admissions legend with 40+ years of experience) chat about “intellectual curiosity”: a quality that many colleges actively look for in students, yet is a little more ambiguous and nuanced compared to mapping out a high school course plan.

This is part 2 of a series about students’ academic background and interests and how they factor into the admissions process. Part 1 is about all things related to the academic part of a student’s college application— which, at many selective colleges, is seen as the “foot in the door” of their selection process.

On the episode you’ll hear Susan and Tom discuss:

Hope you enjoy.

412: Applying to College as a First-Generation or Low-Income Student: The Matchlighters Scholars Program Experience

Hey all, today’s episode is a special one. We had one of our rockstar essay coaches, Shira Harris, sit down with two of her former Matchlighter students, Milena Veliz and Sayem Kamal, to discuss their experiences navigating the college application process as First Generation Low Income Students. At the time of the recording, Milena was an incoming sophomore at Macaulay Honors College at John Jay and Sayem was an incoming freshman at Columbia University. They both received full scholarships at their respective schools.

In the episode, we’ll listen to Shira, Milena, and Sayem discuss (among other things):

If you’ve never heard of Matchlighters, it’s our 1-on-1 coaching support program where we pair students from low-income households with volunteer counselors. We’re in our 8th year of the program with over 2,000+ Scholars supported from 45 states and 5 continents — with our scholars attending more than 150 colleges and universities.

Shira Harris, whom you’ll meet in a moment, is an alternative educator, mediator, former civil rights attorney and queer activist who received a BA from UC Berkeley, law degree from New York University, and an international masters on migration and mediation in the Mediterranean region.

411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want

On Season 1 of the podcast, Ethan had a great conversation with Maria Furtado, then Executive Director of the Colleges That Change Lives organization (also known as “CTCL”). It’s a lovely chat and to date one of our most downloaded episodes.

On today’s episode Ethan had the pleasure of sitting down with her successor, Ann Marano, and they get into:

If you’ve never met Ann, you should know that she is a proud first-generation college graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University (CA) who earned her M.A. in Education-Psychology from Pepperdine. She’s served on several counselor advisory boards, including the Common Application Board of Directors and the Johns Hopkins University Access Advisory Board. After 20 years in college admissions counseling at several different universities and high schools and 12 years as the college bound advisor at the first all girls’ public school in the state of Texas, Ann Marano moved into the role of Executive Director for the Colleges That Change Lives.

410: Regional Spotlights: Attending College in The South w/ Renee Ferrerio

On today’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) hosts the first installment of a new series called Regional Spotlights, which will bring on college counseling experts who have deep history or knowledge of the exciting college options from (and cultural nuances of) a particular geographic region.

We’re kicking off this series with Colleges in The South. Our Southern specialist and special guest today is CEG’s very own Renee Ferrerio.

Renee began her career more than 30 years ago, first as a public-school counselor and more recently as the Director of College Counseling at The O’Neal School. She is Co-Chair for North Carolina’s State and Area Initiatives Committee and might be considered by some as a counselor-fly in connoisseur, having participated in dozens of visit programs at various colleges and universities across the country.

On the episode you’ll hear Tom and Renee discuss:

Our hope is that, for students and families, spotlighting some of these “little things” about studying in the South will help you see that there may even be bigger things in store for you there than you originally anticipated… beyond BBQ.

Scholarships in the South:

409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting w/ Katie Andersen

My guest is Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 Women’s Soccer player at Duke University, who now advises student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She’s also the co-founder of The Student-Athlete Advisors, which focuses on educating and mentoring educational consultants who advise college-bound student-athletes.

Our conversation turned into a veritable crash course in college athletic recruiting. We get into, among other things:

Play-by-play

408: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College w/ Shannon and Sam Bergeron

On this episode I had the honor of sitting down with Sam and Shannon Bergeron. Sam is a transgender man who transitioned in high school (in Texas) and who now works in college admissions at his alma mater, Hampshire College. Shannon is Founder of Core College Consulting, where she specializes in using a whole child college counseling™ approach. She’s been a school counselor for more than 20 years, a volunteer with Matchlighters Scholars program, and she’s also Sam’s mom, an ally, and an advocate for trans students.

We discuss a number of critical things trans youth, their counselors and caregivers should know as they navigate the college admission process, including:

Grounding techniques resources:

407: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office + Supplemental Essay Deep Dive w/ Rick Diaz

On today’s episode I got to sit down with Rick Diaz, the Regional Director of Admission for Southern Methodist University (SMU) and someone I’ve known for more than 15 years. We have a pretty wide ranging discussion that covers:

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

The “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise (Template) This practical, comprehensive exercise helps students generate a list of identities, skills, qualities, and skills they can share with colleges. It’s one of our favorites here at CEG—if you use it, just give us a shout-out. :)

The Social Identities Exercise (Template) This exercise is another favorite and is useful for helping students think about diversity and identity in both broader and more nuanced ways. Includes a guide for counselors, facilitators, and parents.

How to Answer the “Diversity” (and Other Related) Supplemental Essay Prompts (Blog Article)

Colleges and Universities that Changed Their Supplemental Essay Prompts After the SCOTUS Decision Was Released (Blog Article)

Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead (Blog Article)

406: Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead w/ Tina Yong

In this episode I sat down with TED speaker Tina Yong to talk about why students don’t have to write about trauma in a college essay to stand out—and what they can do instead.

We discussed, among other things:

405: 7 Cosas Que Las Familias Latinas Deben Saber Sobre Cómo Prepararse Para la Universidad / 7 Things Latinx Families Need to Know About Preparing for College w/ Lorenzo Gamboa

Today is a special episode in that it’s bilingual—the first part is in Spanish, the second part in English. My guest is Lorenzo Gamboa (Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach at Santa Clara University) and we’re discussing some of the things he believes Latinx families should know as they prepare for college. Hoy es un episodio especial porque es bilingüe: la primera parte es en español, la segunda parte en inglés.

Dejame terminar la introduccion en ingles y ya regreso en espanol.

On this episode, we discuss a variety of misconceptions that families sometimes have, including:

The notion that students have to major in a high-paying profession/career

The myth that undocumented students can’t go to college

And we discuss whether or not students should discuss race or cultural influence in their application — post the SCOTUS decision to ban affirmative action

If you’d like to listen to the English part, just fast forward to basically halfway through this episode when you hear me speaking English.

I hope you enjoy.

Play-by-play:

[0:00] Introducción / Introduction

Spanish Part

English Part

ImmigrantsRising.org

ScholarshipsAZ.org

CEG Podcast: Life As an Undocumented Student at Harvard

Should I Come Out As Undocumented in My Personal Statement? (Part 1 of 2)

How to Come Out As Undocumented in Your Personal Statement (Part 2 of 2)

CEG Podcast: How to Advocate for Undocumented Students - Dr. Aliza Gilbert, Counselors that Change Lives recipient

15 Ways to Advocate for Undocumented Youth

404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner

In this episode we’re talking about the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down race-conscious admission and what the implications might be for colleges, students applying to those colleges, and the counselors who advise them. And what better person to talk about it with than Jay Rosner, whose entire career has been devoted to the intersection of law and college admissions. This is the first in a series where we’ll be exploring the impacts of the SCOTUS decision from a variety of perspectives.

Jay Rosner and I get into:

What the affirmative action ruling practically means

How it might impact college admissions, including for underrepresented students

We address some students’ fears about whether or not they should mention their race, or share experiences directly related to their race or culture in their college applications

I ask Jay: “Who is the burden on here—students or the colleges themselves?”

We also talked about how counselors should advise students

For those of you who have never met Jay:

As the Executive Director of The Princeton Review Foundation, he has developed programs jointly with such organizations as the NAACP, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, College and Graduate Horizons (serving Native American students) and the Asian Pacific Fund.

Jay's career has combined education and law, with an emphasis on student advocacy. He has testified before state legislative committees in California, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey, and as an expert witness in cases involving testing.

Before attending law school, Jay was a public high school math teacher. Jay holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Widener University, and is the proud father of two grown daughters.

[0:53] Intro

[1:30] Who is Jay Rosner?

[2:25] A brief history of race-conscious admission

[4:52] Why is the Supreme Court decision such a big deal?

[6:22] What does the ruling actually mean?

[7:31] What colleges can and can’t consider after the ruling related to race

[9:49] How might diversity and inclusivity be affected on college campuses?

[13:00] Should students even mention race at all in their applications?

[15:39] Is the burden really on the students or on the colleges?

[17:20] How can students speak to the ways race has impacted their lives?

[18:50] Advice to counselors on guiding students on their college applications

[21:38] Do colleges still want to enroll a diverse population of students?

[23:36] What might colleges learn from the University of California, where race-conscious admission was banned in 1996?

[26:45] Jay’s thoughts about and hopes for the future

[28:28] What are folks not talking about?

[31:03] Final takeaways for students and counselors

Example of How to Explain (Briefly) Context on Your Testing in the Additional Info Section of Your Common App

AP Physics I

I was the first student at my school to ever pass the AP Physics I exam.

There were two issues during the test: 1) the test began late because the previous test (AP Spanish) ran long and 2) during the AP Physics I exam, the fire alarms went off and continued for about an hour (the second half of the test). Unfortunately, this was the only time the test was offered and I was nonetheless proud of my score.

Highest SAT Score in My Class

Scored a 1910 on old SAT (570 CR, 730 Math, 610 WR), which was the highest overall test score in my grade.

403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My! How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context w/Susan Tree

In today’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) and Susan Tree (a college counseling and admissions legend with 40+ years of experience) chat about all things related to the academic part of a student’s college application— which, at many selective colleges, is seen as the “foot in the door” of their selection process.

This is part 1 of a series we’ll be doing around students’ academic background and interests and how they factor into the admissions process. Part 2 is all about “intellectual curiosity”: a quality that many colleges actively look for in students, yet is a little more ambiguous and nuanced compared to mapping out a high school course plan.

Why these episodes?

402: How to Create a (Sustainable, Nourishing, Energizing, Intentional) Morning Ritual with Sage Simpson

If you’re ever wondering, how did Ethan land on those words, “ease, purpose, and joy,” well to be honest — it came from a brainstorming conversation with today's podcast guest, Sage Howard. Sage is a meditation & yoga teacher and wellness coach whom I have known for more than 15 years, and who fully embodies ease, purpose, and joy.

On this episode we talk about, among other things:

401: NACAC CEO Angel Pérez—Self-care for counselors, leaders, and professionals in helping roles

On this episode I chat with Angel Perez to discuss his personal journey with burnout, self-care, and therapy, and I even share some of my own personal journey — and we connect on what it might mean to find more ease, purpose, and joy in our own lives.

This is part 1 of a series I’ll be doing on self-care this year. You’ll notice Angel mentions a morning routine — in part 2 you’ll meet wellness coach Sage Simpson, who will get into the practical specifics of how to create a morning routine for yourself.

On the episode you’ll hear Angel and I discuss:

62 episodes

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions Ethan Sawyer

• 26 MAR 2024

What Colleges Want (Part 6): Demonstrated Interest: What Is it, Why Is it Important, and How Do You Show it? with Dean of Enrollment Christine Bowman

On today’s episode, Ethan is joined by Christine Bowman, Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern University. In part 6 in our series on What Colleges Want, Ethan and Christine get into: What is demonstrated interest and how do colleges track it?  How important is demonstrated interest to a student’s chance of getting in? How might students find out if a particular school considers demonstrated interest in their admission review? What are some practical ways you can demonstrate your interest to colleges? Christine Bowman is the Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern, where she oversees the admission department to set enrollment and retention philosophies. She has a Masters in Higher Ed Administration from UT-Austin, was the Co-Chair for the 2007 NACAC National Conference in and has served two terms as the Chair of the Colleges that Change Lives Board of Directors (see last season’s episode with Ann Marano for more on CTCL’s work). She currently serves on the advisory board of ROCA-NM (Rural Opportunities for College Access) and, with almost 30 years of experience in the admission profession, Christine believes in guiding students to find the right college fit and regularly gives presentations encouraging a stress-free college search process. We hope you enjoy the conversation!    Play-by-Play 2:15 - What is demonstrated interest? 5:00 - Why might demonstrated interest be important to colleges? 8:22 - What is yield? 11:24 - How can students demonstrate interest for a particular school?  15:17 - What can colleges track? 18:52 - For whom does demonstrated interest matter most?  23:47 - How to “break up” with a college 27:05 - What are some practical tips for students as they reach out to a college? 30:10 - How might an admissions officer use demonstrated interest? 32:58 - What ways can students demonstrate interest without visiting campus? 37:24 - What is the difference between early action, early decision, and regular decision? 40:25 - How important is the college interview? 48:10 - What can parents do to support their students during this process? 53:02 - Closing advice for parents, students, and counselors    Resources A Behind the Scenes Look at Demonstrated Interest w/Christine Bowman (Southwestern University) What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide Factors in the Admission Decision (NACAC Report) How to Decide Whether to Apply Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) College Interview Tips and Strategies - The Ultimate Guide CEG Podcast Episode 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want w/ Ann Marano (CTCL)  

• 12 MAR 2024

What Colleges Want (Part 5): A Crash Course in the Supplemental Essays + Application with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 5 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about some of the other written parts of the application—the activities list, additional information section, and supplemental essays. Tom and Ethan get into: How can students write a great Activities List?  How can you find out what colleges are looking for in the supplemental essays? And what even is the additional information section? What is a ‘Super Essay’ and how might it be useful? How does a student know when their application is complete? Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.   Play-by-Play 1:09 - What are the other writing components of a college application? 5:26 - How can students write a great Activities List?  9:33 - Does the order of the activities matter? 11:41 - Are activities from 9th and 10th grade worth putting in the Activities List? 13:37 - When should students elaborate on Activities in their Additional Info section? 17:05 - What else can go into the Additional Info section?  23:14 - What are some things to avoid putting in the Additional Info section? 24:41 - How should students format the Additional Info section? 26:19 - Why do some colleges have supplemental essays? 27:31 - What are some of the most common supplemental essays prompts? 34:11 - How might institutional priorities impact an individual applicant?  44:14 - What is a ‘Super Essay’ and how is it used? 49:12 - How does a student know when their application is complete?   Resources How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples My College List (Research + Essay Topic Tracker) School-Specific Supplemental Essays Why This College Essay Guide + Examples How to Combine Your College Essay Prompts (To Save 20+ Writing Hours) What the Heck are "Hooks" and "Institutional Priorities"? The Values Exercise CEG Podcast Episode 101: Life As an Undocumented Student at Harvard CEG Podcast Episode 504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report – after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into:  What is the purpose of the personal statement?  How do you find a topic, especially if you’re not writing about challenges?   Why do I recommend students NOT choose a common extracurricular activity as their main college essay topic?  How do you stand out?  And how do you know when you’re done? Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.   Play-by-Play 1:38 - What is the purpose of the personal statement in the college admission process? 2:53 - How might students use this statement for multiple schools?  3:48 - Should students talk about challenges they’ve faced in a personal statement?  6:47 - Should students talk about their major or career goals? 8:33 - Where is the best place to discuss extracurricular activities?  10:20 - Should students explain red flags in their personal statement? 11:26 - How can students brainstorm potential topics for their personal statement? 17:56 - What is the structure of a personal statement? 21:11 - How can students stand out? 28:57 - Case Study: What does the process look like from brainstorming to final draft? 35:39 - How does a student know when their essay is done? 38:27 - Is there a place for artificial intelligence in the college essay? 41:47 - have personal statements shifted since the Supreme Court ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions? 44:04 - Why does the personal statement process matter? 49:14 - Closing thoughts   Resources YouTube Video version of this episode (504) Sample personal statements 7 Brainstorming Exercises (YouTube video) The “Food” essay (YouTube video analysis) The Great College Essay Test Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead Matchlighters Informaiton CEG Podcast Episode 404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner Is It “Okay” to Talk About Race in Your College Application and Essays—And If So, How Should You Do It?  

• 13 FEB 2024

What Colleges Want (Part 3): "Positive Character Attributes": What Are They, and How Do You Show Them in Your College Application?

In today’s two-part episode, we’re delving into one of the potentially more confusing aspects of what colleges want — “positive character attributes” — which 65.8% of colleges give considerable or moderate importance.  In part 1, I’m joined by Tom Bear (VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Bob Massa (former chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University) to discuss: What are these positive character attributes? Why are they important to colleges? How do colleges decide which qualities to seek and how to evaluate for them? How do students show these qualities in their application?  Part 2 is with Trisha Ross Anderson, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project, and we get into: How Making Caring Common helps colleges figure out what they are looking for How some colleges are working to increase access and equity in admissions Advice to parents as they navigate this process with their students Tom Bear has been working in college enrollment since 1987 at a variety of institutions, including as VP for Enrollment at University of Evansville, Senior Director of Enrollment at Notre Dame and now as the VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He joined the Character Collaborative in 2017, served as Board Chair and will chair NACAC’s Character Focus Initiative. Bob Massa got his Doctorate in Higher Education from Columbia, served as the chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University and Co- founded the Character Collaborative in 2016. Although he has retired from full-time work after 45 years of campus-based work, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s online masters program in enrollment management. Trisha Ross Anderson has served on research teams at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the past 13 years. She’s worked with the Making Caring Common (MCC) Project to help write reports including one called Turning the Tide that focuses on reform of the college admission process. She leads MCC’s college admissions initiatives with Richard Weissbourd and currently serves on NACAC’s Character Focus Initiative Advisory Council.    Play-by-Play 0:00 - Meet Tom Bear and Bob Massa (Part 1) 2:12 - What do colleges mean by “positive character attributes”?  3:55 - What are some examples of these “positive character attributes”?   4:58 - Why is it important for students, parents, and counselors to think about these qualities? 7:16 - How do colleges decide what qualities they’re looking for? 12:04 - How do colleges evaluate students for these qualities? 13:09 - Example of a rubric on extraordinary commitment to others 19:10 - Why don’t colleges share their rubrics for what they’re looking for? 21:18 - What can students do to better understand what a particular school is looking for? 24:08 - How do colleges evaluate “character” in an applicant?  29:58 - What is the high school profile and how is it used in a student’s evaluation? 31:20 - Why is it important to think about positive character attributes now? 35:56 - How can students demonstrate these qualities in their college applications?  40:00 - What can parents do to help their students in this process?  42:01 - Meet Trisha Ross Anderson (Part 2) 43:09 - What is the Making Caring Common (MCC) project? 44:37 - How is MCC working with colleges?  46:17 - Why is it difficult to create a rubric for these qualities? 48:16 - How is MCC helping colleges decide on what they are looking for?  52:45 - How is MCC helping colleges to increase equity and access in the college admissions process? 57:33 - Advice for parents on navigating this process with their students 1:01:31 - Closing thoughts    Resources Making Caring Common Character Assessment in College Admission Guide Turning the Tide (2016): Insp

• 24 JAN 2024

502: What Colleges Want (Part 2): A Deep Dive into GPA, Course Selection, and Making the Most of the Academic Opportunities Available to You

On today’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) and Nitzya Cuevas-Macias (Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep) cover: How do students decide which classes to take—and what questions should they ask when deciding? Key recommendations for selecting English, math, science, social studies, language, and elective courses The most frequently asked questions we get asked about courses and grades Nitzya Cuevas-Macias was a first-gen college student at UC Berkeley where she studied History and Legal Studies, and earned her Master’s in Mexican American Studies from San José State. She’s been working in education for 16 years where the majority of her time has been in college access and success, in the CBO, non-profit world, k-12 public and charter, and community college. Currently, she is the Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep, a free public charter in San José, CA and serves as a board member of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.  We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play: 2:21 - Introductions 6:02 - What are key things to keep in mind when planning your high school experience?  10:21 - Subject area recommendations 11:40 - English  16:04 - Math 21:34 - Science  28:02 - Social Studies 31:11 - Languages 33:06 - Visual/Performing Arts  36:17 - Electives 36:39 - Rapid-fire FAQs about grades 37:43 How do colleges evaluate my course grades and transcript? 38:22 - Is it important to only get Straight-As to have a chance?  40:29 - How do colleges evaluate my GPA? 42:05 - How can students balance a high GPA with challenging courses? 44:28 - Should students increase their rigor every year? 45:23 - Is it a good idea to take additional summer or online courses? 49:43 - How important is class rank? 51:19 - Should I pick Honors, AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment?  54:17 - Are AP and IB scores important if my school doesn’t offer AP courses? 57:28 - How do I know what classes to take if I don't know what I want to study or where I want to go to college? 59:59 - Wrap up / closing thoughts Resources: Coursera UC Scout Episode 403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My!: How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context - Susan Tree Episode 213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay) What are AP classes? IB vs AP Easiest AP Classes Hardest AP Classes

What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report

Show Notes On today's episode, Ethan sits down with David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer at National Association of College Admission Counselors (aka NACAC), and they get discuss, among other things:  What are the most important factors colleges consider?  What significant changes has he seen in the college admission landscape in the past few years? How has the emphasis on college essays (aka the personal statement) shifted?  Why has the emphasis in standardized testing changed? What have the impacts been of the Supreme Court decision to ban race conscious admission?  How can students, counselors, and parents use the info in this report to make their college admission process easier?  For over 20 years, David Hawkins has worked in enrollment management and admissions to alleviate systemic barriers to accessing higher education. Hawkins has played a key role in setting NACAC's strategic direction, which involved hearing and representing the collective voice of NACAC’s more than 25,000 high school counselors and college admission officers. His priorities include making NACAC a more effective learning organization, with an emphasis on ethics and redefining advocacy.  We hope you enjoy the conversation.   Play-by-Play 2:04 - Introductions 3:03 - What is the State of College Admission report? 5:48 - How can students, parents, and counselors use this report? 9:50 - Which factors of admissions decisions are most important to colleges? 13:34 - How are “positive character attributes” assessed? 18:00 - What are some specific qualities that are important to colleges? 20:46 - How do students show these qualities in their applications? 25:33 - How has the importance of the college essay shifted in recent years? 27:13 - Which colleges seem to value the essay more highly? 28:47 - How does a student’s interest in attending a particular school influence admissions decisions? 32:30 - How are counselor & teacher recommendations assessed? 33:58 - What are admissions officers looking for in extracurricular activities? 37:38 - Why is high school class rank dropping in rank of importance?  39:30 - Do colleges still want to see standardized test scores? 42:52 - Quick thoughts on creative portfolios, interviews, work experience, state exam scores, and subject test scores 44:49 - David shares predictions on shifts in equity and inclusion in the future of admissions 48:57 - Closing thoughts    Resources State of College Admission Report What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide A List of Activities You May Not Have Considered Including—But That Count! How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College: Step-by-Step Guide for Students How to Write a Letter of Recommendation: Counselor's Guide + Samples How to Write a Recommendation Letter for a Student: Teacher’s Guide + Samples Crash Course to Standardized Testing Podcast Episodes: 204: What You Need to Know About Standardized Tests and Mistakes to Avoid 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want  

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“College Essay Guy” Podcast Interview with Compass Co-Founder

The College Essay Guy , aka Ethan Sawyer, runs a platform (blog, podcast, website) providing college admission related guidance to tens of thousands of followers. He recently interviewed me for his podcast. We had a frank discussion covering a lot of ground, including timely takes on the ins and outs of college admission tests in 2018. I had fun discussing these topics in a less formal venue than my typical scenario of presenting to audiences at schools, allowing me to offer some more personal takes on some of the issues. Please check it out and share with anyone that might find it useful! And whether you’re in the college admission process as a parent or as a professional, I highly recommend subscribing to Ethan’s newsletter and checking out all the other great content on his site.

About Adam Ingersoll

Adam began his career in test prep in 1993 while at the University of Southern California, where he was a student-athlete on the basketball team, worked in the admission office, and graduated magna cum laude . Over the last three decades he has guided thousands of families to successful experiences with standardized tests and has mentored hundreds of the industry's most sought-after tutors. Adam is known nationally as a leading expert on college admission testing and is a frequent presenter at higher ed conferences, faculty development workshops, and school seminars.

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Top 25 College Interview Questions (Example Answers Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

Ah, college interview questions. For many aspiring college students, the idea of participating in a college interview is, in a word, terrifying. Like a job interview, this meeting may determine whether you get into your first-choice school. Cue the anxiety, right? Well, that may not be necessary.

First, yes, it’s true that not all colleges conduct interviews, especially at the undergraduate level. However, they are standard practice at others, particularly with highly competitive programs.

Boston University – which only admits about 23 percent of applicants – has undergraduate interviews for at least some of its programs. Harvard – which has an acceptance rate of just 4.9 percent – actually has an alumni interviewer process , where prospective students speak with a Harvard alum, which catches some applicants off guard.

Now, does that mean you should panic? Hardly. Instead, you need to prepare. So, if you want to make sure you rock your college interview questions, here’s what you need to know to pull it off.

How to Answer College Interview Questions

Alright, before we dig into example college interview questions, let’s take a quick step back and talk strategy. With the right approach, you increase your odds of excelling during your interview. Not only will you be able to nail the questions we’ll be covering in a minute, but you’ll be equipped to navigate the unexpected.

Why does that matter? Because there is no way to know exactly what you’ll be asked. Sure, most college interviews are going to have some classic questions, so you can see those coming from a mile away. The thing is, there’s also going to be some doozies that weren’t on your radar. It’s inevitable.

With the right strategy, you know how to approach your answer. You’ll have a tried-and-true methodology by your side, allowing you to think faster on your feet. When it comes to standing out for all of the right reasons, that’s really the ticket.

So, if you want to create a great strategy, it’s helpful to know what the college interviewer wants to see. In many cases, the admissions committee is looking for evidence that you could excel at the school. They want to see drive, passion, and enthusiasm for both the college itself and the program. They also want to know that you can overcome challenges, have the right tools to keep your education on target, like organization and communication skills.

There’s also a good chance that they’ll want to discuss various aspects of your college application, your accomplishments, and your goals. This helps them see you as a full person, making it easier for them to decide if you’ll be a great addition to the school.

Before your interview, spend a little time reviewing your application, including your essays. This refreshes your memory about what the admissions committee already knows about you.

Additionally, look at the school website and program page. Look for mission and values statements, review any quotes they share, and look for clues about the college’s and program’s priorities. By doing that, you can align your answers with their preferences, making you a stronger match.

After that, you need to prepare for the kinds of questions you’ll face. Straightforward questions – like “Do you have experience with X?” – are pretty simple. You say “yes” or “no,” and then follow it up with either an example that shows you do or an overview of how you would acquire a skill or learn about a topic if you don’t. Easy, right?

Now, there are trickier questions to handle, namely, behavioral interview questions. We’ve talked about behavioral interview questions in-depth before, but here’s the gist. These are questions open-ended questions that are commonly scenario-based. You’ll have to explain how you’d tackled a particular scenario or discuss an example of how you’ve put your skills to work in the past to handle something similar.

So, what approach should you use to manage behavioral interview questions? Glad you asked. First, begin with a heaping helping of the STAR Method . With that, you are using a storytelling approach that makes crafting a relevant and compelling answer easier.

Next, mix in a couple of spoonfuls of Tailoring Method . With the Tailoring Method, you really focus on customizing your response in a way that speaks directly to what the interview or admission committee values.

Mix those two techniques together thoroughly, and you have a recipe for success.

We also wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions!

Click below to get your free PDF now:

Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!

FREE BONUS PDF CHEAT SHEET: Get our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you " word-word sample answers to the most common job interview questions you'll face at your next interview .

CLICK HERE TO GET THE JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS CHEAT SHEET

Top 3 College Interview Questions

Alright, you’ve got a great strategy for handling college interview questions. So, what comes next? Well, reviewing a few examples, of course.

By looking at sample college interview questions, you can learn more about how to put the STAR Method and Tailoring Method to work. It gives you a chance to see them in action, and that makes a difference.

So, without any further ado, here are the top three college interview questions and example answers.

1. Why do you want to attend this college?

College interviewers ask this question because they want to know that your interest in this school is real. Essentially, they want to see that you applied here for a good reason, not just because it was convenient, you thought getting in would be easy, or because your parents or guidance counselor said to.

Here, you want to mix a little bit of flattery with some solid knowledge about what this school brings to the table. The interviewer wants to know that you’re excited about more than furthering your education; namely, this specific college.

Exactly how you need to go about answering will depend on the school and why you choose to apply. However, the technique you’ll use stays the same.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“I wanted to not only attend a school with an outstanding reputation in my chosen program, but also a larger institution that values diversity in its staff and student body. During my childhood, I had the opportunity to live in many other countries since my father was in the military. We got to explore each of the cultures, and I learned the value of being exposed to new perspectives and ways of thinking. I believe that diversity enriches the academic experience, and I know that is a value this college and I share.”

2. Why did you choose this program/major?

Here’s another question that’s all about gauging your interest and passion. Interviewers don’t want to hear that you chose a program or major as an afterthought; they want to learn about a solid reason why you’re heading in this direction.

Ideally, you want to touch on a driving force, something that really sparked your interest in the field. Additionally, tie it into a future aspiration, such as your target career or professional field and why it’s your goal to get there.

“My interest in engineering actually came up in childhood. I was enamored with the giant roller coasters I saw when my family went to Six Flags, especially the steel coasters with all of the twists, turns, and loops. I began exploring the designs, initially with toys like K’nex and Erector sets. The more I built, the more my passion grew. I began exploring skyrise construction, bridge building, and other engineering marvels. It wasn’t long before I knew that is where I wanted to take my career, allowing me to one day be a part of a construction wonder that captivated me as a child.”

3. Tell me about an academic challenge you faced. What did you do to overcome it?

No school experience is without the occasional challenge. Maybe there was a subject that was particularly tough for you, or you had to change schools several times, making your school years a bit disjointed. Maybe you have test anxiety.

The trick with this question is honesty but also showing that you’ve got some fortitude. After all, if you’re answering college interview questions, that means you graduated high school or earned a GED, so you obviously found a way to navigate the situation. Mention the difficulty, but spend more time talking about how you discovered a way to succeed.

“Like many students, I suffer from test anxiety. My academic performance outside of exams was typically top-notch, but when it came to tests, my nerves were hard to overcome. Luckily, I discovered an approach that worked for me. I found that studying continuously in small doses made me more confident in my knowledge and made the material easier to absorb. I also joined study groups for subjects I found more challenging, giving me an additional resource and source of confidence. This allowed me to avoid cramming, as that would often amp up my anxiety. Additionally, I learned a breathing technique that I can use as I’m taking the exam. It’s simple and subtle, allowing me to calm my nerves and regain my focus whenever the need arises. Together with the studying techniques, I am able to perform at my best during tests, ensuring I can showcase my understanding of a subject with greater ease.”

22 More College Interview Questions

Here are 22 more college interview questions you might encounter:

• What do you feel are your academic strengths? How do they help you excel as a student?
• Tell me about your academic weaknesses? How do you plan on improving or navigating them?
• What is something unique that you can bring to the student body?
• Do you plan on taking part in any extracurricular activities or clubs?
• If you could change one thing about your high school experience, what would it be, and why?
• Why do you feel that going to college is the right move for you? Did you consider other options for launching a career?
• Who inspired you most as you were growing up?
• Who is your favorite author, and why?
• What do you do to destress or have fun?
• Do you think your academic performance here will mirror your high school performance? Why or why not?
• How can this college and program help you achieve your long-term career goals?
• If you weren’t focusing on this major, what would you choose instead?
• What do you want to get out of your college experience?
• Describe your ideal school culture, both academically and otherwise.
• Are you considering other colleges? If so, which ones are you thinking about, and why?
• Tell me something about you that isn’t in your college application or essays.
• If you attend this school, do you plan on living on-campus or off-campus? Why are you intending on going in that direction?
• Which subject was the most difficult for you in high school?
• Are there any graduation requirements that worry you?
• How do you plan on spending your school breaks?
• What skill did you learn in high school that you feel is most important to your future success?
• Describe the kind of student you are when in the classroom.

5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a College Interview

At the end of your interview, you’ll usually get a chance to flip the script and ask a few questions yourself. Make sure that you have some questions to ask the college interviewer ready. Otherwise, you’re missing out on an opportunity.

What opportunity is that? Well, by asking questions, you look more enthusiastic and interested. That matters. Plus, you get a chance to find out more about the school, program, or anything else that may impact your college experience. That’s important, too.

While you can certainly customize your questions based on what you learn during your interview, it doesn’t hurt to have a few in your back pocket. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are five good questions to ask a college interviewer.

• What do you love most about this college?
• Is there anything that really differentiates this program from those at other schools?
• Are there any academic changes on the horizon at this college?
• What do the most successful students in this major have in common?
• If you could change one thing about this college, what would it be, and why?

Putting It All Together

While heading in for a college interview can be scary, it’s also incredibly exciting. You’re getting a chance to move closer to your dream school and career. That’s amazing.

Before your interview time arrives, take advantage of the tips above. That way, you can show them that you’re the ideal student for them, increasing your odds of getting a spot at your preferred college.

FREE : Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet!

Download our " Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet " that gives you word-for-word sample answers to some of the most common interview questions including:

• What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
• What Is Your Greatest Strength?
• Tell Me About Yourself
• Why Should We Hire You?

Click Here To Get The Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 14 college interview questions you must prepare for.

College Admissions

The college interview process can be nerve-racking. This interview gives the college you're applying to another opportunity to evaluate you and help determine whether or not to offer you admission. However, your college interviews won't be nearly as scary if you know what to expect.

In this article, I give you the 14 college interview questions you absolutely must prepare for. I explain why you're being asked these questions and how to provide great answers. Furthermore, I offer advice on how to prepare for your interviews so that when the time comes, you'll be ready to ace them.

A Short Introduction to College Interviews

A college interview provides a college with an opportunity to give you more information about the school and answer any questions. In addition, the interview gives the college a chance to learn more about you, your interests, and how you'll be able to contribute to the school.

Very few colleges require interviews, although a fair number offer optional or recommended ones. These are typically highly selective or small private colleges, such as Columbia , Occidental , and Bates . Most large public universities don't even offer interviews because there are simply too many applicants.

Check a college's website or contact its admissions office to determine whether interviews are offered and how to schedule one. Interviews can be on-campus, usually with an admissions representative, or off-campus near where you live, usually with an alumnus of the college.

If you have the option of getting interviewed, do it. It's to your benefit to take advantage of an opportunity to interview because it shows the school that you're genuinely interested in attending. And demonstrating interest can greatly help your chances of admission. Finally, the interview gives the school another chance to get to know you outside of what's in your application.

Try not to stress about the interview too much, though. As long as you're polite, attentive, and prepared, it should only help your chances of getting accepted. The interview will also give you an opportunity to learn more about the school, and help you decide whether or not it might be a good fit for you.

souvenirsofcanada /Flickr

The 14 Most Common College Interview Questions

The questions I'm listing and explaining were either referenced in multiple admissions websites and interview advice guides, or are general enough that you'll be able to answer a number of similar questions by preparing for them.

Below, I provide you with each question. I then explain why colleges are asking it, what they're looking for in a response, and how you can prepare for the question ahead of time.

Question 1: Tell Me About Yourself

This isn't even actually a question, but it's something you might be asked to do in an interview. Because it's so general, you might have trouble figuring out where to begin.

Why they're asking this: Colleges are asking you to do this because they really do want to know more about you. That's one of the primary purposes of the interview, after all!

What they're looking for: You need to paint a unique portrait of who you are to separate yourself from other applicants. Avoid clichés or descriptions that would be too common. For example, don't just say you're hardworking—explain what has driven you to become as diligent as you are and why you feel it is important.

How to prepare: Rehearse answering this question. Try talking about your passions, hobbies, and interests. You can discuss what inspires you or what your friends like about you. Be specific. Again, you want to make yourself memorable .

Question 2: Why Are You Interested In This College?

Why they're asking this: This is an important question and one you should definitely prepare for, since colleges want to see that you're taking the application process seriously and have a legitimate interest in attending the school.

What they're looking for: Talk about your interest in a major or academic program, the cultural values of the school, or extracurricular activities that drew you to the college. Again, be thorough and specific. Don't talk about prestige or rankings, and don't say you just want to go there because it's close to home; none of this shows genuine interest in this specific college!

How to prepare: To answer this question well, you'll need to conduct extensive college research before the interview. You should be able to cite specifics when answering this question. Follow the same advice as if you were writing the answer to this question for your application essay .

Bart Everson /Flickr

Question 3: Why Do You Want to Major in _____?

If you've indicated that you want to major in a certain subject, you might be asked why you're interested in that particular field.

Why they're asking this: Colleges are interested in your academic goals and want to see that you're academically inclined.

What they're looking for: Talk about why a certain subject inspires you or why you're passionate about it. Don't say that you're pursuing a certain major to make a lot of money or have job security. That doesn't demonstrate genuine academic interest; it just makes you seem shallow.

How to prepare: Think deeply about why you want to pursue a specific major. Why do you find it fascinating? What experiences provoked your interest in the subject? How will the major enable you to reach your future professional goals?

Question 4: What Are Your Academic Strengths?

Why they're asking this: In an effort to get to know you as a student, colleges are interested in getting your perspective on where you excel academically.

What they're looking for: Don't make this answer too short. Don't just say, "I'm good at science." When discussing your academic strengths, explain how you've capitalized on your strengths. If you're an excellent writer, for example, how have you used your writing skills to excel in school? How do you plan on continuing to use your strengths?

How to prepare: Make sure you know your academic strengths. You should be able to explain how you recognized your strengths, how you're currently using them, and how you plan to use them in the future.

Question 5: What Are Your Academic Weaknesses? How Have You Addressed Them?

Why they're asking this: Colleges want to admit good students, but they're aware everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Colleges want to see that you have the persistence and work ethic to succeed despite your challenges.

What they're looking for: Schools want students who can demonstrate their ability to confront and overcome challenges. Try revealing strategies or specific approaches you've taken to improve your academic weaknesses. You could also tell a specific story about how you managed to do well in a subject that was especially difficult for you.

How to prepare: Be aware of your academic weaknesses and how you've addressed them. It's not good to say that you don't have any weaknesses. That's not very believable, and you'll come off as arrogant.

Question 6: What Do You Plan to Contribute to This School?

Why they're asking this: Colleges want to admit students who will make positive contributions to campus and academic life. Essentially, they're looking for students who will make the school better.

What they're looking for: In short, specifics. Don't limit your answer to vague positive traits. Don't just say you'll contribute a good work ethic and a regard for others. Is there specific research you wish to pursue? Do you want to have a leadership position in an extracurricular activity? Are there specific community service projects you want to do? How will your presence on campus and in the classroom make a difference?

How to prepare: Know the specific contributions you want to make to the school. Identify your college goals as well as the activities you want to pursue while you're in college.

Question 7: What Do You Expect to Be Doing 10 Years From Now?

Why they're asking this: Just to set the record straight, you don't need to have your entire future figured out. Colleges understand that you probably won't have everything decided and your plans are likely to change. What they do want is students with direction.

What they're looking for: Colleges want students who are motivated to achieve their goals. The bad, general answer is to only say you expect to have a fulfilling career and be making a positive impact on the world. What are some specific activities you'd like to do? How do you plan on impacting the world? You don't have to limit your plans to professional goals. Do you want to take your mom on a vacation? Or have weekly gatherings with your best friends from high school?

How to prepare: You can write down some detailed notes answering this question. Paint a picture of the life you want to have in 10 years. That picture should reveal your uniqueness.

Question 8: What Would You Change About Your High School?

Why they're asking this: With this question, colleges are looking for your ability to identify problems and get a better understanding of what you're looking for in a school. By learning what you'd change, they get a chance to learn more about what matters to you .

What they're looking for: Colleges want a thoughtful response. Be specific and respectful. Don't say, "I'd get better teachers." Say that you'd allocate more resources to the music department so that more students can have the opportunity to learn how to play new instruments. Discuss how learning an instrument helped you, and describe the current state of the music department. Try to make it clear that you want to improve your school to benefit the personal and academic growth of all of its students.

How to prepare: Think about the strengths and weaknesses of your high school. What are some specific problems it has? What are the consequences of those problems? What steps would you take to make improvements?

Shouldn't other kids have the opportunity to rock out like this? ( Joe Lewis /Flickr)

Question 9: Whom Do You Most Admire?

Why they're asking this: From this question, colleges can get a sense of your values. If the person you most admire is Justin Bieber, for example, colleges might wonder about your priorities.

What they're looking for: Don't limit your answer just to naming the person. Why do you admire that person? For instance, many people say that the person they most admire is a parent. But what specifically has that parent done that you admire so much? In short, don't forget the details.

How to prepare: Think deeply about your response to this question. If the person you admire is somebody you know, practice by giving your answer to that person. You'll know you've answered the question well if you're rewarded with a hug or even a few tears from your audience.

Question 10: What Is Your Favorite Book?

Why they're asking this: This question is designed to help schools learn more about your interests. Colleges also probably want to make sure that you actually read books.

What they're looking for: Don't limit your answer to the name of a book; think about why you like the book so much. How did it inspire you? Did a particular character resonate with you? Did you learn something from this book that influenced your opinions or behavior? Did this book help shape your perspective or values?

How to prepare: Really think about books you've read that you connected with and why. I've also seen similar questions asking about a news article you recently read, so try to stay up to date with the news, too!

Question 11: Why Do You Want to Go to College?

Why they're asking this: For this question, schools are trying to understand why you're motivated to pursue higher education.

What they're looking for: Colleges want to see you have clear goals you're trying to accomplish by attending college. Obviously, they don't want to hear that you want to go to college because your parents are making you or so you can attend wild parties. In your answer, emphasize how college will allow you to pursue your passions, aid in your personal development, and enable you to fulfill your future goals. Be specific. What are your passions and goals? How will college give you an opportunity to pursue these passions? What college activities will increase your awareness and facilitate your intellectual and emotional growth?

How to prepare: For ideas, check out the pros in my article about if you should go to college .

Steven Depolo /Flickr

Question 12: What Do You Like to Do for Fun?

Why they're asking this: This question is designed to get a better sense of your general interests and overall personality.

What they're looking for: Your answer doesn't only have to include activities that are academic. After all, you probably wouldn't be believed if you said all you do for fun is read science textbooks and do math problems. If some of what you do for fun is intellectual, though, explain why you find these activities fun. Finally, try to avoid general answers such as "hang out with friends."

How to prepare: You shouldn't have to prepare much for this question since I assume you already know what you like to do for fun. However, spend some time thinking about why you enjoy these activities.

Question 13: What Is an Obstacle You've Faced and How Did You Get Through It?

Why they're asking this: Colleges want to know if you've faced (and overcome) any significant challenges in your life. They also want to see that you're persistent and willing to work hard in order to overcome these obstacles.

What they're looking for: It's fine if you haven't had some awful, incredibly difficult obstacle in your life. Think of a time when you faced a problem that challenged you, and you put in a lot of effort to solve it. Your obstacle could be related to your home life, school, or an extracurricular activity. In your response, explain how the obstacle challenged you and emphasize what exactly you did to overcome it.

How to prepare: Think of a significant challenge you've had in your life and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from the problem? How did you solve it? Did it change or influence the way you address similar problems?

Question 14: What Makes You Unique?

Why they're asking this: This question is essentially what all the other questions above are meant to determine. It's another general question that's often difficult to answer. We are all unique, but it can be hard to put into words exactly what separates you from other people.

What they're looking for: Schools ask this question because they want to get to know you better. You can discuss a trait or multiple traits you possess. Give examples and stories that demonstrate these qualities. Do you have any uncommon interests or goals? Is your background very unique?

How to prepare: I recommend doing some serious brainstorming to address this question. Write out specific attributes and anecdotes you can share that demonstrate your uniqueness. When do you feel most comfortable? What makes you the proudest?

What makes you special?

How to Prepare for College Interview Questions

For each of these questions, I recommend jotting down some notes so that you can remember key points or details. Don't try to completely write out your answers and memorize them. The way you speak in an interview is supposed to appear conversational and not rehearsed. Also, if you try to memorize your answers and forget your script during the interview, you'll end up looking confused and unsure of yourself.

Practice your responses by having somebody ask you these questions and then answering them as if you were actually in the interview. Remember that you want to be as specific and detailed as possible. Learn to separate yourself from all the other applicants being interviewed.

For some of these questions, it'll be helpful to review your personal statement . Your personal statement likely has some details or stories you can incorporate into some of your answers.

How Do You Answer Questions You Didn't Prepare For?

Undoubtedly, the questions above aren't the only possible interview questions. R egardless of how much you prepare, you'll almost definitely be asked a question you weren't expecting. There's no need to be too nervous, though. Just try to give honest, detailed answers. As long as you're thoughtful and professional, you shouldn't worry too much about surprise questions.

Also, you might be able to incorporate some details from the other questions you prepared for in your responses. For example, for any question related to academics, you could probably include details from your response to the question, "What are your academic strengths?"

If you want to get more comfortable with the interview process, have a friend or parent ask you questions about yourself, and respond as if you were in the interview. This is an excellent way to prepare you for the real deal and will give you more confidence.

What's Next?

Still feeling nervous? Check out our guide to the best tools to help you prepare for your interview , so you can feel confident going in.

College interviews also give you the opportunity to ask questions. Make sure you ask the right questions during your interview .

If your goal is to get into one of the most selective colleges , check out our popular post on how to get into Harvard and the Ivy League .

As you navigate the college selection process, it's important to know how to choose a college .

Justin has extensive experience teaching SAT prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and selection process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to reach their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.

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Julia Stiles Wanted to Be Just Like Kat Stratford, Too

Twenty-five years after “10 Things I Hate About You” made her stand out among a generation of young stars, she’s stayed true to the ideals of her most famous character.

Credit... OK McCausland for The New York Times

Supported by

By Jessica M. Goldstein

• April 3, 2024

Julia Stiles starts lunch with a disclaimer: “I’m kind of like a bundle of emotions, because I have a 5-month-old baby and I went into directing my first movie.”

Maybe you didn’t know Stiles had gotten into directing. Her feature, “Wish You Were Here,” doesn’t yet have a release date and has only been lightly covered . You definitely didn’t know about the baby, because Stiles declined to do the standard-issue celebrity-birth promotion (post an announcement on Instagram to get aggregated by People magazine). She’s been in the business for nearly three decades. It’s not that she doesn’t know the norms. But participating in the norms just because they’re the norms has never been her thing.

“I didn’t really talk about it,” she said of her latest pregnancy, though she was excited to talk about it now, about how being a parent (her older sons are 6 and 2) nourishes her work. “I think that actually being a mom is really great training for being a director,” she said. “You have to think 10 steps ahead but also be in the present moment. You have to be good at time management. You have to be sensitive to people’s needs and guide them, but also hold a boundary.”

Over a two-hour lunch at Jack’s Wife Freda in the West Village — a likely place to spot a celebrity, though unlikely for said celebrity to have gone to school just a few blocks away at P.S. 3, as Stiles did — she was exhausted but animated, especially when the conversation turned to directing. “I am running on fumes in terms of sleep,” she said. “But I feel more energized than I ever have.”

On the second day of shooting, she said, her supervisor told her to stop apologizing. “I wasn’t saying ‘sorry,’” Stiles said. “But she meant, ‘Just stop qualifying your opinions and your ideas. You don’t have to explain them. You’re the director.’ And she was totally right. I took it to heart and I put on my big girl pants and leaned into being a director as opposed to a people-pleasing actress.”

It’s strange to hear Stiles, 43, describe herself as struggling with this sort of thing — being unapologetic about her vision, holding the line against external pressures — given the role that launched her career. As the acid-tongued, defiant Kat Stratford in “10 Things I Hate About You,” Stiles provided, for a generation born just too late to be riot grrrls, a vision for how to be a cool teenage girl whose every move did not revolve around appeasing the appetites or fulfilling the fantasies of teenage boys.

Kat reads Sylvia Plath and rails against “the pathetic emptiness of meaningless, consumer-driven lives.” Popularity contests bore and disgust her; she only smiles when she feels like it. Kat is many things girls of the era (1999) were explicitly told they shouldn’t be (abrasive, outspoken) or couldn’t be (funny, intellectual) yet, in staying true to herself, she reaps the finest rewards (Sarah Lawrence, Heath Ledger).

Unlike many cultural artifacts from that turn-of-the-aughts time, “10 Things,” which just celebrated its 25th anniversary, feels fresh and vibrant. It’s a testament not just to the whip-smart script by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith (the pair who would go on to write “Legally Blonde” and “She’s the Man ,” among others) but also to the magnetism of the film’s leads — and what Stiles’s Kat came to mean for those who emulated her.

“Julia did such a magnificent job of embodying that, I think in large part just because she lived it genuinely,” said Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of her co-stars in “10 Things.” “She was not someone I would at all call a shrew” — as in the Shakespeare play “The Taming of the Shrew,” upon which “10 Things” was loosely based — “but someone I would call razor-sharp.”

Larisa Oleynik, who played Kat’s kid sister, Bianca, recalls rewatching “10 Things” recently. “The thing I love so much — and I’m going to get emotional — is, she’s so earnest,” Oleynik said. “She’s so genuine. And to me, that is the most beautiful thing about Julia’s portrayal of that character. It is coming from a deeply heartfelt, vulnerable, sensitive, insanely intelligent place,” she said, while adding: “I don’t think anyone else would have been able to be that real.”

Stiles started acting as a 12-year-old in New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, but had a hard time finding her place in film. “I was a 17-year-old girl, auditioning for romantic comedies and commercials and TV shows and always being told, ‘You’re too serious,’” she said. “You know, ‘Smile. You’re too angsty.’” That changed when she read the “10 Things” script. “It was the first time that I had read a character in a teenage romantic comedy that spoke to me,” she said.

As Oleynik remembers it, Stiles was that girl, “a cool, downtown New Yorker” who, though only a few months Oleynik’s senior, “seemed so much more mature.” Before the “10 Things” table read, Oleynik had gone to Fred Segal to buy her real-life junior prom dress, an indigo slip that wasn’t all that dissimilar to the prom dress Kat wears in the movie . “I really, really wanted her approval,” Oleynik said. “I remember thinking, if Julia approves, I can go .”

IN 2002, ACCORDING TO THE self-appointed cultural anthropologists at Newsweek magazine, there were exactly three types of teenage girls in America. You could be an Alpha: a blonde who loved cheerleading, worshiped Gwyneth and Vogue, and managed to be “both bitchy and nice.” You could be a Beta, which was basically an aspiring Alpha; Betas reportedly took diet pills as after-school snacks, spent after-prom at a motel, and were, tragically, brunette. Or you could be a part of a rising cohort of Gamma Girls: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”-watching, flare-jeans-wearing freethinkers who were “obsessed with Shakespeare,” dated the “class smartass,” and subscribed to Jane magazine. The poster child for the Gamma Girl: Julia Stiles.

Stiles had zero recollection of this (her teasing reply, via text: “please don’t make me Google myself”). When I sent her the images from the issue, she responded with barf emojis. “I do remember the media pitting us against each other, though,” she added. When she was on the cover of Rolling Stone that same year, the magazine could not praise her without denigrating her “squeaky-voiced, three-named contemporaries.”

In her late teens and into her 20s, Stiles was on the receiving end of what could feel like an overwhelming amount of attention, both from the highbrow sect — she was crowned one-to-watch by Vanity Fair, which put her on the cover of their 1999 Hollywood issue before “10 Things” was even released — and the teenage masses, winning back-to-back MTV Movie Awards, including Best Kiss in 2001 alongside her “Save the Last Dance” co-star Sean Patrick Thomas.

“How did I handle it? I sometimes imploded,” she said. “I also rebelled against it, probably, by running in the other direction a little bit.” Rather than go all-in on acting to capitalize on whatever momentum she had from “Ten Things,” Stiles attended Columbia University. “I went to college so that I could focus on other things. I would take time off from work … to not give it as much power.” She also worried that one day she would be the only one among her peers who hadn’t gone to college. “I know that I was thinking: I don’t want to be sitting around at 40 with a bunch of studio executives or other people that have had that experience and I didn’t.”

Stiles was in her dorm room freshman year when she was sent pages from “The Bourne Identity” script. All she could think was: Oh my God, I can’t do this because I’m going to miss my final exams . She took the part and lost all her credits from that semester. “But I was at least able to go and do the movie and still graduate.”

Gordon-Levitt also enrolled at Columbia that year; he and Stiles lived in the same freshman hall. “She really was very much an intellectual seeker of a person,” he said. “And going to a university like Columbia is, I think, just the allure of the world of ideas — as alluring as the world of Hollywood is, that’s not the kind of thing that ever seemed to motivate her.”

TODAY’S YOUNG STARS CAN SEEM preternaturally-savvy, as if they were born with an innate understanding of how to pick projects and manage their brand across multiple platforms. “I don’t know how strategic or conscious I was of, ‘This is what I’m going to do in my career,’” Stiles said. She chose roles mostly on instinct, if they seemed like they’d be fun: more modern twists on Shakespearean classics (“O,” “Hamlet”); the well-it-seemed-progressive-at-the-time teen love story, “Save the Last Dance"; the midcentury feminist-awakening drama “Mona Lisa Smile.” Her part in the “Bourne” franchise, intended as a one-off, was brought back for the three subsequent installments, and her performance in the fifth season of “Dexter,” as a vengeance-seeking rape survivor, earned her an Emmy nomination.

But in the lulls between work, especially as she left her 20s behind, she started feeling unmoored. “There’s only so much control that actors have over their own careers,” she said. She wasn’t necessarily worried that she’d never get to act anymore. “But it was like, am I going to only be given opportunities to work on things that I don’t really believe in or don’t really care about?” she wondered. “They’re not going to know what to do with me, because I’m not the ingénue anymore and I’m not the mom. So what’s in between?”

It took 2019’s “Hustlers,” the true-crime indie about strippers scamming their Wall Street regulars in the aftermath of the 2008 crash, for Stiles to feel compelled to go after a role the way she had for Kat. She was cast as the journalist, Elizabeth, whose reporting brings the women’s stories to the world. “It really wasn’t until then that I was able to try and take more control over what direction my career is going to go,” she said.

With “Wish You Were Here,” Stiles is fulfilling an ambition she’s had for ages. “It took a long time to find the right story to tell,” she said. The film, based on the novel by Renee Carlino, is about a woman who believes she’s been unceremoniously dumped after a passionate first date, only to reconnect with the guy who ghosted her when she learns he’s terminally ill.

Just before “Wish You Were Here” started shooting, Stiles acted in “Chosen Family,” directed by Heather Graham. Graham says she wasn’t able to get her independent film financed until Stiles signed on. “It’s hard to make movies, especially movies that are female-driven,” Graham said. “A lot of people will say that they want to support female directors and filmmaking, but she really took a chance on working with me, a newer director who’s an actress. It meant a lot.”

Graham was impressed by Stiles right away. “She has a strong presence,” Graham said. “When she comes in, you’re like: This woman could be President of the United States. You’d believe she could do it!”

The star of “Wish You Were Here,” Isabelle Fuhrman, was 2 years old when “10 Things” premiered. And yet, when she joined the cast of Stiles’s directorial debut, she said “10 Things” was the reason.

“She said that she was a teenager who was always told she was too much and too opinionated and too loud,” Stiles said. “She really loved my character, and that was very meaningful to me.”

Like Kat, Stiles’s “10 Things” castmate Oleynik went to Sarah Lawrence College. This was years after the film’s release, when it wasn’t exactly a box office smash. “I thought no one had seen it,” she said, but on campus, she found some of the film’s most devoted fans. “It’s because of Kat! It’s because that character resonated so much. Kat’s probably why I went to Sarah Lawrence.”

Stiles’s recollection is that, as a young woman and an actress, she cared more about other people’s perceptions than Kat did. The character with whom she became instantly and eternally identified was, in fact, “ a bit aspirational,” she said.

“Part of being an actor,” she said, “is you get to play out onscreen all the things that you can’t really do in real life.”

In her 20s, Stiles said, she was apprehensive of whatever fame “10 Things” had brought her. From her present vantage point, she’s appreciative and at ease with what her early work still means to other people, and grateful for it. “As a performer, to be in something that people are talking about 25 years later is very special and very meaningful.”

The experience of being known this way, for this long, isn’t one she anticipated or even prepared for. “I feel like I’m still figuring it out, too.”

An earlier version of this article misstated the name of a university. It’s Sarah Lawrence College not Sarah Lawrence University.

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