124: College Interview Tips and Strategies

This episode is an interview… on interviews! Monica James--whom you may’ve heard previously on the podcast in the episode on Demonstrated Interest--absolutely crushes it in this interview, offering more practical advice than you’ll find in most weekend workshops on this topic. And it’s no wonder: for years she’s been teaching people (and in particular high school students) how to give great interviews. We cover, among other things: Why do colleges give interviews? Can a bad interview actually hurt your application chances? How do you prepare for the interview? What’s the one thing that colleges are looking for above all else? How do you answer the “Why this college” interview question? How do you answer the Strengths and Weaknesses interview Question? How do you answer the Tell Me About Your Reading Life or “What books have you read recently” question? What is the hardest interview question and how do you handle it? What if you get a “bad” interviewer? What if you’re asked a question in an interview that you truly don’t know the answer to? How much does body language matter in an interview? What should you wear to an interview? How do I handle a Skype or Phone Interview? How do I set up an interview? How should I practice? What about Scholarship Interviews—are they different?