Tips for 'Tell me about yourself' in college interviews

'Tell me about yourself' is such a common interview question, but it's still intimidating! What's the best way to structure my response so I sound confident and interesting?

Certainly, creating a thoughtful structure for answering 'Tell me about yourself’ can make it less intimidating.

1. Start with an engaging introduction about your backgrounds such as academic, cultural, geographical or family aspects that may have had significant influences on you. For example, if your background is in robotics and your family loves tinkering with machines, you might say: "As someone who practically grew up in a workshop with my family, I've always been intrigued by the mechanics of how things work.”

2. After providing some personal context, delve into your major academic and extra-curricular achievements, particularly those that align with your goals for college. For example, if you have won robotics competitions, or held a leadership role in a relevant club at school, mention those.

3. Then, discuss your interests or hobbies that aren’t necessarily school-related. Perhaps you enjoy painting or mountain biking in your free time. Talk about what you’ve learned or gained from these pursuits. This will give the interviewer a broader idea of who you are as a person, not just as a student.

4. Finally, discuss your goals and aspirations, and tie this back to why you're excited about the college you're interviewing for. This could be related to specific programs, opportunities or academic faculty at the college. For instance, you might say, "I'm really excited about the robotics program at your school, particularly the opportunity to work under Professor X who is renowned for his work in AI.”

Remember, keep it concise and relevant. This isn't a detailed life history; think of it as a human-interest story about who you are and what your ambitions include. Practice beforehand to make sure you're able to deliver your points smoothly and confidently.