College interview help

Answered

If you can avoid doing them in your case, I would. They rarely count for very much in the admissions process. They do help students if you can create a memorable, engaging, positive, 30-60 minute experience for the interviewer, especially if you are not the strongest candidates. And are also very helpful in affirming for the AOs their gut reaction to your file if you are a top candidate. But as you suspect, if you come across poorly or boring or quiet, the interviewer might incorrectly write things that are not actually accurate about you. They might assume you are lacking a personality or someone fun to be around. You don't want them to make assumptions.

Since you are in the middle of the admissions process, there is not enough time to take public speaking classes or hire tutors to help you become a better interviewer. I would focus on putting together the best version of your application. If an interview is required from a school, then I would do some homework about the school and take some notes before you do your interview. If you come prepared then, you can just look at your notes to help you.

Tips

1. Always have an updated resume ready. Submit one to your interviewer prior to meeting with them online or zoom call. If you meet them in person, have a clean copy ready to hand to them soon after you make your initial introduction.

2. Let the interview speak first and figure out exactly what will engage him the most. You can tell from the first few sentences if he is a RAH RAH Alumni who loves going to College Games or if he is very professional and academic or someone super successful who is volunteering their time. Why is reading your audience important? You want to reserve some questions so that they talk about themselves to you. If your interviewer has a Yale Bulldogs cap on, then ask him something about Yale and his opinion on how attending Yale has changed since they attended.

3. Research the school as best as you can but if there are still questions you have that you can't find from the website or Collegevine etc, then write them down and ask them. For example, you might want to know if you can check out and look at rare books in the Beinecke Library at Yale, and if your interviewer ever did that.

4. When you run out of things to talk about, the interview is over. Basically, it's over faster if you have nothing to say. So if you want to create a memorable interview, you have to have something to ask so the interview talks and you have to have something to say.

5. The bottom line is that interview is a way to put the real-life applicant in front of someone relegated to vet whether you are in alignment with the type of student that school wants or needs. You are not supposed to be everyone's first choice or second choice. The goal should be mutual. You need to learn as much as possible about the school to see if it's a good fit for you and they are using this time to assess whether you are a good fit for them.

Good Luck.