Ways to impress the interviewer at your university interview

Candidates who prepare themselves for a college interview suffer from anxiety, as a symptom of lack of confidence. Our suggestion in order to overcome any inefficiency in that area is to get prepared best. Don’t prepare yourself just to pass, don’t prepare yourself to prepare yourself to just make a good impression, prepare yourself to outstand, prepare yourself to be their first choice, prepare yourself to absolutely nail it. Having a successful first touch with the academic community will set the grounds to thrive as an undergraduate. It is not only about passing the interview, it is about how you see yourself in their department in the future. Today we will attempt to give you the perspective that an inexperienced candidate needs to make a good start.

1. What you should expect
   What should you expect from them and what should you expect from yourself? This is where basically the game is being played. The expectations the interviewers have are the same for every candidate. What the candidates expect from themselves is what will set them apart from the competition. You can see this interview as a pre-experience of what is to come in a job interview. Of course, you are expected to be dressed properly and be super-polite with your interviewers, as well as be prepared for the common questions, which you will be asked.

   

   The important part is to overcome the anxiety of the first introduction which is always to say a few things about yourself. After that, there are some common questions you can expect to be done when you go under an interview for college. These are things that interviewers expect you to have your research on. Why are you interested in this college? What are your academic weaknesses and strengths? How do you picture yourself 10 years from now regarding your work? These are only some of the questions you should expect to hear. Make sure you have an answer for all of them and that it is a clear one. To enforce your candidacy don’t hesitate to bring evidence of previous achievements, such as a portfolio or exam results.

   

   If something got along the way and you do not have very good exam results, share the problems you may have faced, and your speculations and don’t leave any unexpressed criticism shadow your effort. Now, even though you will go on yourself in the interview many candidates choose their parents to accompany them during this stressful experience. However, we expect you to make one more effort and overcome yourself. Be brave and don’t let your parents’ presence influence this important day. Be sure that their expectations will be reflected in a stressed performance on your behalf.

2. What they expect
   People who interview candidates for college are likely to be your future professors or people you may have to cooperate with in the future over a scientific publication or the conduction of an experiment. These people want you to succeed and they are looking for their future assistants and colleagues. Like in a job interview those people who seem to be there to judge you are actually looking for partners to collaborate with. They don’t expect you to act as an undergraduate who knows pretty much everything. They will be delighted to hear your questions and let you share your excitement about meeting new people, and handling your own finances. They expect you not only to be prepared for the questions about yourself but to also have questions about their institute. What do They have to offer to You? It is a two-way process and this is what they will want to see.

   

   They want to see the ambition on your face, your attitude, and your questions. Their expected questions imply this perspective. When they will ask you ”what do you plan to contribute to this school?” This is exactly what they are looking for. They are expecting you to give them a good reason to choose you over another candidate. They also need to understand that this is their college is your choice and it is not something that you decided to impress your relatives. Always step into other people’s shoes and you will see this is the right way to perform best.

Written by Anna Siampani.