14 Best Interview Tips from College Admissions Counselors

By Hannah Watson

Interviews

These tips will help you ace your college admissions interview.

1. Be on time: It’s simple-show your responsibility by coming to the interview on time.
2. Have a positive attitude: Bring a positive, friendly attitude to your interviews.
3. Dress neatly: Avoid wearing anything that might be considered inappropriate.
4. Show your personality: Let the admissions counselor know what you’re bringing by showing off your personality.
5. Take business cards: Take the business cards of people you meet with so that you can follow up with a call or email if you have questions.
6. Ask questions: The interview isn’t just a time for you to be assessed-get your essential questions answered, too.
7. Be ready to talk about yourself: Keep in mind community service, activities, and other information your interviewer may want to know about.
8. Avoid offending the interviewer: Stay away from swearing or expressing extreme beliefs.
9. Don’t just answer yes or no: Offer thoughtful answers to questions.
10. Show you’re interested: Make it clear that you want to be a part of the college you’re interviewing with.
11. Prepare in advance: Get familiar with the college before your interview.
12. Know why you’re visiting the college: You will probably be asked why you want to attend the college-so be prepared to answer this question.
13. Send thank you notes: Stand out by sending a thank you note after you meet with an admissions counselor.
14. Have documents ready: Show that you’re serious and ready by bringing your important documents with you.

Is My SAT Score "Good?"

When it comes to SAT scores, “good” and “bad” are relative terms, depending on where you’re applying.

There are lots of places where you can see the SAT norms for all schools on your current roster. The College View site is one of them. Click on the “Name” tab and type in a college that interests you. Then hit “Search.” Choose the college’s name on the list on the next screen. (Depending on the school you pick, it could be the only name on that list.)

You’ll see a tab that says, “Admissions.” There you’ll find test score ranges (the middle 50 percent) and you can see where (or if) your 630 falls within that range. For instance, if you look up “University of Hartford,” you’ll know that their middle range for math is 480 - 590. So your 630 would be considered a very good score there. On the other hand, if you look up Duke University, you’ll find a median range of 680 - 790. So your 630 is not a “good” score by Duke standards.

Most colleges put more weight on test scores than their admission officials are willing to admit. However, don’t assess your admission chances strictly by the numbers. If your test results are below a college median, ask yourself if you have other traits that will be attractive to that school (e.g., Are you a recruited athlete? An underrepresented minority? Do you come from a disadvantaged or very unusual background? Do you have any unique talents?) If you answered “No” to all these questions with test results at the low end of the range as well, then your admission odds may not be so hot . But if you responded affirmatively, you may still be in the running, even when your SAT scores aren’t especially “good.”

--Post taken from College Confidential