With artificial intelligence making it easier to generate polished essays, admissions interviews are becoming a more important way for colleges to evaluate applicants. Princeton College Consulting notes that interviews offer a chance to authentically showcase your character and may take on a larger role as AI‑written essays proliferate. Yet many students find interviews nerve‑wracking. This guide shares five principles to help you prepare for and excel in admissions interviews.
Why Interviews Matter
Interviews allow admissions officers or alumni interviewers to assess qualities that essays and grades can’t capture:
- Personality and character. Interviewers want to know what you’re like, what you care about, and how you’ll contribute to campus life.
- Fit with the college. They evaluate whether your interests and values align with the institution’s mission.
- Communication skills. Interviews test how you articulate ideas, tell stories, and answer questions under pressure.
Organize the Interview in Your Mind
Princeton College Consulting suggests thinking of interview questions in three categories:
- What is this person like? Questions explore your character strengths—resilience, leadership, integrity. Example: “Describe a situation where you faced a significant challenge and how you handled it”
- What does this person like? These questions probe your passions and extracurricular interests. Example: “What do you enjoy most about your involvement in community service?”.
- What would this person be like on our campus? Interviewers assess how you’ll engage with the college community and whether you’ve researched the school.
Principle 1: Authenticity – Be Yourself
Oscar Wilde’s aphorism “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” applies perfectly to interviews. Authenticity is the first and most crucial principle. Instead of trying to impress interviewers with exaggerated achievements, share genuine experiences and let your natural enthusiasm shine. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses; interviewers appreciate humility.
Principle 2: Connect the What and the Why
When discussing accomplishments, link what you did to why it mattered. If you mention a favorite book, explain why it resonated with you. When describing a research project, connect it to your broader goals. This connection helps interviewers understand your motivations and values.
Principle 3: Embrace Vulnerability and Learning Experiences
College interviews aren’t just about successes; they’re also an opportunity to show resilience. Share a challenge you faced, how you overcame it, and what you learned. Vulnerability demonstrates maturity and a growth mindset.
Principle 4: Understand and Communicate Your Motivations
Know what drives you. Reflect on why you want to study a particular field, join specific clubs, or attend the college. When you articulate your motivations convincingly, your answers become more compelling.
Principle 5: Tell Stories – The Power of Narrative
Humans connect with stories. Use narratives to illustrate your qualities. For example, instead of simply stating that you care about environmental sustainability, recount the time you organized a campus recycling program, the challenges you faced, and the impact it had. Stories make you memorable.
Practical Interview Preparation Tips
- Research the college. Understand its programs, culture, and recent initiatives so you can articulate why you’re a good fit.
- Practice common questions. Have a friend, family member, or mentor conduct mock interviews. Practice answering in a conversational tone rather than memorizing scripts.
- Prepare thoughtful questions. Interviews are a two‑way street. Asking informed questions about research opportunities or campus traditions shows genuine interest.
- Mind your non‑verbal cues. Maintain eye contact, smile, and use open body language. Non‑verbal communication conveys confidence and enthusiasm.
- Follow up. Send a brief thank‑you email reiterating your excitement about the school and highlighting a topic discussed during the interview.
Example from East Coast Scholars Coaching
One ECS student aiming for a competitive liberal arts college prepared diligently for their alumni interview. They practiced telling stories about founding a tutoring club and growing it to 30 members. During the interview, they spoke authentically about the challenges of recruiting peers and balancing leadership with academics. They connected the club’s mission—promoting peer‑to‑peer learning—to the college’s collaborative ethos. The interviewer mentioned later that the student’s humility and clear motivations stood out.
Conclusion & Call to Action
Admissions interviews are an opportunity to showcase your uniqueness beyond test scores and essays. By being authentic, connecting the what and the why, embracing vulnerability, understanding your motivations, and telling engaging stories, you can leave a lasting impression on interviewers. East Coast Scholars offers mock interview sessions and personalized coaching to help you develop these skills. Need help preparing? Book a free consultation and build interview confidence with our experts.
