124: College Interview Tips and Strategies

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:

• Why do colleges give interviews?
• Can a bad interview actually hurt your application chances?
• How do you prepare for the interview?
• What’s the one thing that colleges are looking for above all else?
• How do you answer the “Why this college” interview question?
• How do you answer the Strengths and Weaknesses interview Question?
• How do you answer the Tell Me About Your Reading Life or “What books have you read recently” question?
• What is the hardest interview question and how do you handle it?
• What if you get a “bad” interviewer?
• What if you’re asked a question in an interview that you truly don’t know the answer to?
• How much does body language matter in an interview?
• What should you wear to an interview?
• How do I handle a Skype or Phone Interview?
• How do I set up an interview?
• How should I practice?
• What about Scholarship Interviews—are they different?