In Episode 16 of Drop In, Lisa and Josh tackle one of the most OVERSTRESSED parts of the college admissions process:

The college interview.

A student gets an email offering an interview and suddenly everybody starts panicking.

What are they going to ask?
What if I say the wrong thing?
What should I wear?
Do I need to prepare answers?
DOES THIS INTERVIEW ACTUALLY MATTER?!

For most colleges?

Probably not as much as you think.

Lisa and Josh break down the different types of college interviews, how much admissions offices actually consider them, how students should prepare, the questions they are likely to hear, and what students should be asking the interviewer in return.

And yes, there is actually a way to find out how much a college values interviews.

The Common Data Set.

Lisa and Josh explain how families can use Section C7 to see whether a college considers interviews very important, important, considered, or not considered at all.

Because families should put the worry where the weight actually is.

They also talk about schools like Georgetown and MIT, where interviews play a more meaningful role, and why students should generally accept an interview when a selective college offers one.

Then they get practical.

How much should you prepare? What should you wear? What happens during an alumni interview? What should you do differently for Zoom? Should you memorize answers?

Absolutely not.

The goal is not to walk into a college interview sounding like a perfectly rehearsed 17-year-old.

The goal is to have a conversation.

In this episode:

• How to use the Common Data Set to see whether interviews matter
• Why most college interviews will NOT make or break an application
• Colleges where interviews may carry more weight
• Georgetown’s alumni interview process
• Common college interview questions
• How to prepare for “Why this college?”
• Questions students should ask their interviewer
• What to wear to a college interview
• How to prepare for a virtual interview

One of our biggest reminders for kiddos:

You are the expert on YOU.

Think through a few stories. Know why you are interested in the school. Have a couple of good questions ready.

Then stop rehearsing.

Be warm. Be interested. Listen. Ask questions.

Be you.

And remember: you are interviewing the college too.

That person sitting across from you can tell you things about the school that you will never find on an admissions website.

Prepare enough that you can relax.

Then go have the conversation.

Need help figuring out whether an interview matters, preparing for one, building your college list, working through applications and essays, or navigating the entire admissions process?

Visit decisiondrop.com/contact to connect with Lisa and Josh at Decision Drop.