On October 9th, 2024, Bespoke held the webinar “Bring Your Best Self to College Interviews” led by expert interview coaches Carrie Kaplan, Sarah Hartmann, and Julianna Tauschinger-Dempsey.
Watch the webinar here.
The panelists began the conversation with their number one rule for college interview success: Prepare.
The key to planning and preparation involves having a good idea in advance of the questions most likely to be asked and a go-to method to ensure you answer with confidence and authenticity, no matter the question.
Here is a quick summary of what the panelists shared on these two topics.
Likely College Interview Questions: A Short List
- THE ICEBREAKER
Tell me about yourself…An open-ended question that gives you an opportunity to start strong and control the conversation–emphasis on conversation, not question-answer session! - THE RESEARCH QUESTION
Why do you want to attend/ what do you think you can bring to this school/university. It’s important to do your homework here. - STRENGTH/WEAKNESS QUESTIONS
Perhaps the toughest type of question. Presents an opportunity to show problem-solving skills, maturity, and resilience. Keep this positive.
Don’t dwell on the “tough” situation; focus on how you came out of it, what you learned, and how your thinking and actions have since changed.
Topics: What’s your favorite subject/class/assignment in high school?/what was most challenging? What’s an example of an obstacle, a failure,
or a mistake that you learned from? See the next section on the STAR technique to learn how to create memorable answers. - PROBLEM SOLVING/APPLICATION QUESTION
Examples: Liked most about high school/If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be? A book/film/world event you’ve enjoyed recently.
Prepare and practice an illustrative anecdote or two in your back pocket. - MORE ABOUT YOU
Some examples: What do you want to study in college? What do you want to do after college? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in class?
What classes are you taking this semester? What did you do over the summer? What haven’t I asked that is important to know about you? - THE BIG VAGUE QUESTION
How do you define success? Circle back to your own values (and how they align with those of the school you’re applying to). - RESEARCH PART 2:
What questions do you have for us/me? Use this opportunity as much for getting unanswered questions answered as for showing how much you know
about the school and have spent time actually imagining yourself there.
Use the STAR Technique to Answer the Toughest “Tell Me About” Interview Questions
Good stories–concise, well-planned, authentic–make powerful answers to questions asking for you to describe an experience, positive or negative, that has had an impact on your life.
Here’s an easy-to-remember hack for ensuring your examples tell strong memorable stories.
STAR
- Situation: Focus on the who, what, when, where, why.
- Task: Be specific in describing your role and what you needed to achieve.
- Action: The steps you took–this is the most important part of the question.
- Results: Be specific and offer concrete examples. Also end by describing what you learned from the experience.
Bespoke interview coaches have developed a program that will allow you to be the best version of yourself in a college admissions interview.
Email us at info@bespokeeducation.com to learn more.
