Interview

Certain universities offer you the opportunity to do an (online) interview. An interview is usually not mandatory, but can be a great way to give the university a fuller picture of yourself and at the same time learn more about the university or universities you have applied to. You can usually indicate during your application whether you want to do an interview or not.

The interview is usually conducted by a member of the admissions office or an alumnus of the university in your area. The interview is usually not about your academic skills, but is aimed at getting to know you personally and learning more about your goals and desires for study. A university will also want to know why exactly you applied to them.

Of course, it is important that you have prepared well for the interview and that you have thought about what questions to expect and how to answer them. However, the idea is not to memorize all the answers or put on a play — you should be yourself!

Tips:
  • Ask family, friends and teachers to conduct practice interviews with you.
  • Schedule the interview with your favorite college last so you use the other interviews to practice.
  • Make sure you are up to date on the latest in your interests and hobbies.
  • Send your interviewer a thank you email at the end of the interview.
Some examples of questions (in English) you can expect:
  • Why do you want to attend this university?
  • Why do you want to study in the USA?
  • What do you think you will major in? Why?
  • How would you describe yourself?
  • What is your greatest accomplishment?
  • What is your strongest/weakest characteristic?
  • What kind of impact do you see yourself making on our campus?
  • What is the most significant contribution you’ve made to your school or community?
  • What do you see yourself doing in the future? In five years? In ten years?
  • What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite author?
  • What extracurricular activities are important to you?
  • Tell us about a current event you’re following.
It is also wise to have a few questions for the interviewer, for example:
  • Why would you recommend attending this university?
  • How would you describe campus life at this university?
  • Do you have any advice for me as an applicant?
  • What impact did attending university have on your career?

Make sure you have prepared your questions well, and avoid asking questions with answers that you could have easily found on the website.