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Seven Tips For A Successful College Interview

Last week I wrote about how important it is for students to be the ones to make the call when an interview needs to be scheduled. Today, I wanted to follow up on that idea with some tips on how to have a successful interview. In my career, I have interviewed hundreds of students – sometimes because I wanted to know more about them and sometimes because they wanted to come in and talk about their application and tell their story. I loved it when students sought me out first; when they wanted to make that concerted effort to demonstrate their interest and their potential.

From these experiences, here are seven tips to help you make the most of campus interviews:

1. Arrive at campus at least 10-15 minutes early and make sure you have contact information for your interviewer with you. This way, if you get lost, get stuck in traffic or cannot find parking right away, and are going to be late, you want to make sure they know WHY you are late. Don’t want to worry about this at all? Get to campus 30 minutes early and then you have some time to walk around on your own and collect your thoughts prior to the interview.

2. Have a game plan for what you want to accomplish. Yes, the interviewer is going to want to know certain things about you, but you also need to take an active role in the interview – what do you want the interviewer to know about you, your accomplishments, interests, and goals? Use your answers to provide specific examples the help demonstrate your brand.

3. Bring a list of questions with you in a small notebook so that you are prepared for when the interviewer asks if you have any questions for them. The interviewer will be impressed that you were prepared and it will show them that you are taking your college application process seriously. Just don’t ask basic questions that can be found on the school’s website. Focus on what’s important to you in your college search.

4. Try as hard as you can to be yourself. You don’t need to interview in a suit but do dress appropriately for the interview so that you are comfortable. The last thing you want to experience is a distraction from your ill-advised choice of clothing. Outside of your appearance, you also want to provide the school with a look at the authentic you and you’re not going to accomplish that if you are pretending to be someone you are not.

5. Speak clearly and listen attentively – you’ve earned this opportunity, now go in and own it. Talk to the interviewer, not the floor, walls or ceiling. Likewise, listen closely to the questions you are being asked and, if you need to, take a moment to think about how you want to respond. You want to make sure you are answering the questions but also sticking to your game plan of what you want them to know about you.

6. Don’t be afraid to follow up an answer to a question with a question of your own. For example, if you are asked about continuing a sport or activity, once you’ve answered, ask the interviewer about what they did in high school and if they were able to continue it in college. Did they find this difficult and what were the specific challenges?

7. Always thank the interviewer for his or her time. Get their business card or (contact information if it is a student interviewer) and send them a thank you card within 24 hours of your visit. Keep it simple and to the point but take the opportunity to restate your desire to attend or to reiterate a connection or pleasant moment that happened during the interview. Admissions counselors LOVE thank you notes!

If you have any questions about how to make the most of college interviews, please use the comment section below.

You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com for help on preparing for interviews and to complete a mock interview before you go in for the real thing.

Eric Dobler is the president and founder of Dobler College Consulting. Follow him on Twitter.

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Eric Mar 04, 2012 , , , , , , No Comments
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Remember Who Is Applying To College

college admissions consultant ConnecticutAs high school juniors start visiting college campuses this spring, it’s a great idea for them to request an optional interview at schools where they have a strong interest in attending. This is especially important if they feel that they may not meet the admission requirements and are worried about their chances. By requesting and completing an interview they now have the opportunity to not only demonstrate their interest and possibly meet the person who might be reviewing their application but they may also be able to secure some suggestions on how they might strengthen their application. The bottom line here is that an interview can produce so many positive outcomes.

Having said that, I hope you made note of the fact that I refer to them, they and their and not you.

As a former admissions counselor, I used to get so frustrated when parents did the legwork for their son or daughter. Whether it is meeting an admissions counselor at a college fair or calling the admissions office for information or to schedule a visit, I can’t stress enough just how important it is for the student to take the initiative to ask the questions him- or herself.

Going to college is the beginning of so many journeys in your son or daughter’s life. They will be learning so much about who they are, what they value, who they want to surround themselves with and where they want to go in their lives. And all of this starts with those first tentative steps at a college fair, in an interview or on a campus tour. But it has to start with them.

Recently, I chatted with Donna DeCarlo, a very good friend who is now an admissions counselor at Central Connecticut State University. We were talking about this very topic and I asked her if there was any one recommendation she could offer for students on how to make the most of their interviews. Here’s what she said:

“I believe the interview really is giving the student an opportunity to make their case as to why they should be admitted to CCSU – a chance to really give me insight as to who they are and what they can bring to our campus. It is so much better if the student takes ownership of their information; after all, they are the one seeking admission- NOT mom or dad. When a parent comes along for the interview and takes over the conversation, this is particularly frustrating – especially if the student who is interviewing is a borderline student.”

So parents, be willing to take a step back before you pick up the phone to schedule that interview. Instead, if you want to help, write down the number and have your son or daughter make the call. When they go for the interview, elect to wait in the lobby until the counselor invites you in. By doing so, you will be teaching them valuable lessons about responsibility and initiative and, in the long run, when they have to resolve issues at school, you will have already shown them that they are capable of speaking up and advocating for themselves.

If you have any thoughts or perspective on just how involved parents should be in the college application process, please use the comment section below.

You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com.

Eric Dobler is the president and founder of Dobler College Consulting. Follow him on Twitter.

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Eric Feb 26, 2012 1 Comment
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Four Tips For High School Juniors

High School Juniors! The time is here. As you watch your friends in the senior class find out where they are going in the fall, I hope you are already planning out what you need to do over the next year to get your college process moving.

If you haven’t, here are four things you should be focused on right now:

1. Standardized testing – Both the SAT and ACT have test dates coming up later this spring. The SAT will be offered on May 5th and June 2nd while the ACT will be offered on April 14th and June 9th. Keep in mind that you need to register online for both and the deadlines are typically one month prior to the test date. If you’re not sure which test you want to take – or which one you might do better at, now is the time to take some practice tests.

2. Talk about money – despite the fact that most people hate to talk about money, if you haven’t already talked about cost, now is the time to do it. The average four year cost for public schools is over $60,000. For private schools, it’s nearly $150,000. Knowing what you can afford now will save you a lot of time, stress and heartache when you start building your college list and visiting campuses. Keep in mind that paying for a college is very much like paying for a car – very rarely do you pay the sticker price.

3. Campus visits –Even if you don’t know where you want to apply to yet, you are fortunate to have so many schools within driving distance right here in Connecticut. Want to get a feel for a large, research university? Go visit UConn. Think you might have what it takes to get into and make it at an Ivy League school? Schedule an information session and tour at Yale. Want to see what a highly selective, liberal arts college might offer you? You can visit Wesleyan or Connecticut College. A private, comprehensive university? The University of New Haven is your destination. A regional, state university? Central, Eastern, Southern or Western would fit the bill. I think you see where I’m going with this.

Visiting schools is one of the best ways to figure out how you feel about a school before investing your time in applying. Just be mindful of when schools are on spring break. While some may still offer tours, do you really want to see an empty campus?

4. Senior year courses – planning for next year’s courses should be happening soon and if you read my blog post from last week, you will know that colleges are looking at your senior year course load and grades. AP and honors courses are great ways to demonstrate your academic abilities. Scores of three or higher on the AP test (for very competitive schools, you will need a four or higher in most cases), can earn you college credit.

Another great way to show off your academic skills and earn some credit in the process is to take UConn Early College Education courses, otherwise known as ECE courses. The ECE program allows motivated high school students to take UConn courses at their high schools for both high school and college credit. For example, students at Cheshire High School can elect to take Child Development & Human Growth and British literature in addition to several AP courses.

Considering there are so many steps to finding the right college for you, getting started early can help ease the stress and anxiety of the process.

If you have any thoughts or perspective on things juniors should be doing now to help get their college search moving along, please use the comment section below.

You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com.

Eric Dobler is the president and founder of Dobler College Consulting. Follow him on Twitter.

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Eric Feb 19, 2012 2 Comments
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Seniors – Are You Finishing Strong?

The Finish LineA recent entry in The Choice, the NY Times’ college admissions and financial aid blog, by Martha C. Merrill, dean of admission and financial aid at Connecticut College, talked about the need for students to finish their senior year strong. I don’t call attention to the article because I think there’s anything ground-breaking about Merrill’s suggestions. In fact, I agree with the underlying message – an acceptance to any college or university is not a green light for a student to mentally check out for the remainder of his or her senior year. However, I mention this article because I think a healthy discussion of the impact of applying to a highly selective school like Connecticut College has ensued.

If you read through the comments you will see a virtual back-and-forth of opinions. Some respondents argue that colleges and universities are placing too much stress on students while others argue that a student, once he or she has received admission, should be able to take a break and relax a bit.

To be honest, I think the reality is somewhere in between. I wouldn’t read Merrill’s comments with a knee-jerk reaction. She’s not saying that students can’t let an A in a course slip to a B as much as she’s saying, “don’t throw in the towel now just because you’re looking towards next year already.” The admissions game has gotten out of control over the last several years especially for students who are applying to highly selective schools like Connecticut College. Merrill’s points may be construed as a warning, but I think there is a perspective to be gained from them if you allow yourself to read them in context:

Having said that, let me lend some perspective to each bullet in the order in which it appears in the article:

1. Students should finish their senior year strong. Hopefully, the courses they are taking were selected due to interest and ability rather than how good they might look on a transcript. More incentive to finish strong is that AP courses and coordinated college courses can lead to transfer credit, effectively lowering tuition bills while allowing the student more time to pursue experiential opportunities along the way.

2. A student’s admission is contingent on finishing the school year and graduating. A final high school transcript which reveals all D’s and F’s in the second half of senior year is a concern and the considerable drop off in performance will, and should, be questioned.

3. Like an athlete training for game day, senior year is an opportunity to build momentum while fine-tune academic skills heading into freshman year. Doing well in challenging courses senior year will only help a student be more prepared for their first year of college especially if they are applying for competitive pre-professional programs like engineering, nursing, pharmacy, athletic training or physical therapy.

4. If a school decides to send a student the “oops” letter, as Merrill calls it, it is an effort by that school to gain clarification on the change in grades. The situation is rare but the more selective the school, the greater the chance that this can happen should a student’s grades slip significantly. If it does happen, the student should be prepared to offer a valid explanation.

5. The fifth point is introduced with a sense of doom and gloom; an approach which I think is misleading. Schools should be monitoring the progress of all first-year students as closely as possible. The adjustment to college life can be very difficult and it is critical to get off to a good start. Students should connect with their advisor, a faculty member, or even the dean – someone who can serve as a mentor and provide assistance when they need it.

6. Disciplinary action is what it is – students should exercise sound judgment and understand that there are consequences for their actions. This is a life lesson, not a school lesson.

If you have any thoughts or perspective on how seniors should approach post-acceptance letter life that you would like to share, please use the comment section below.

You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com.

Eric Dobler is the president and founder of Dobler College Consulting. Follow him on Twitter.

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Eric Feb 12, 2012 No Comments
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Talkin’ About The SAT

Juniors, if you’re thinking about taking the March SAT, the registration deadline is February 10th which is less than a week away. Hopefully you have been putting in some time on test preparation. If you haven’t, here are some resources I would recommend.

First, check out Debbie Stier’s website, Perfect Score Project. In an effort to connect with her son as he was preparing for the SAT, Debbie decided to roll up her sleeves and take the test herself. Debbie’s website offers great tips, suggestions for test preparation on a budget and, for the motivated and organized, a year-long test preparation timeline.

Another website for test preparation that I really like is PWN the SAT. Created by Mike McClenathan, the site is full of tips, free diagnostic tests, and an extensive Q& A section. Oh yeah, Mike scored a perfect 2400 on his SAT! He knows what he’s talking about.

The Khan Academy, which is a great resource for visual learners, offers an extensive video library covering nearly 3,000 academic topics. Their test preparation library shows you how to work through question on the math section in the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide. Whether you have the eight-test edition or the ten-test one, you can watch a video on how to solve each problem.

If you’re like me and standardized testing is your nemesis, check out Fair Test – the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. They maintain a list of over 800 colleges and universities who do not require the SAT or the ACT for admission. For some schools, you may need to submit AP, IB or SAT Subject Test scores for admission while for others you may ultimately need SAT scores for course placement. In the end, these schools have decided to place a greater emphasis on your transcript, essay, recommendations, and an interview. A lot of these schools have gone test-optional to level the playing field and to increase diversity on their campuses.

There’s something to like about that.

If you have any questions about test preparation and planning or would like to share any stories or experiences you’ve had with the SAT or ACT, please use the comment section below.

You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com.

Eric Dobler is the president and founder of Dobler College Consulting. Follow him on Twitter.

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Eric Feb 05, 2012 No Comments