Favorite Questions: What's your future major?

Part of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ

Question: What do you plan on majoring in in college? (Alts: What do you hope to study? What department are you most interested in? What do you plan to pursue in school?)

Background/Why You're Being Asked:

Like the "Why School X?" question we've already covered, you're pretty much guaranteed of getting this question too during your college admissions interview. For reasons that are unclear, every college interviewer assumes you know what you're going to study--despite the fact that 80% of us had no idea when we were in your shoes, and those of us in that 20% ended up changing majors anyway.

So why is your college interviewer asking?

First,

Reminder: Call For Questions

Gotten interviewed lately?

Tell us about it!

Shoot me an email (info@soootellmeaboutyourself.com) and tell me about your experience--questions you got, things that went well, things that went....not so well, whatever you want to share.

I'm compiling questions asked in interviews this season (see the Princeton and MIT sample questions here and here) by school and will continue publishing them as the season goes on.

Get mad karma--help out your fellow applicants and email me today! ---CJ

So, Some Weather We've Been Having, Huh?

"Hey, great to meet you," I said, shaking the young man's hand.
"Thanks."
"So, did you find the place OK?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Must be a busy time of year for you, huh?"
"I suppose."
"Okaaay... well, let's get rolling with your interview then...."

 So much for building rapport....

Advice

First, let me state emphatically that no-one ever got denied acceptance to a college (probably) for not being affable. Some applicants are introverted and shy--and that's expected.

But, let's be honest: College admissions interviews are awkward enough. For both you and your interviewer. If you can engage your interviewer in a little light small talk before the interview actually starts, it'll have multiple effects:

• Set you at ease. It's easier talking about yourself and jumping into the interview if you've already been chatting with your interviewer for the past 5 minutes while standing in line for coffee. Plus, the reverse (standing silently in line next to your interviewer while you wait to place your drink order can be excruciating. For everyone. Trust me.)
• Set your college interviewer at ease. Believe it or not, it can be nerve-wracking meeting and interviewing someone for the first time. What if you don't ask the right question--or ask something stupid? What if you both end up staring at one another without anything to say? What if (horror!) your interviewee thinks you're a loser and it reflects badly on your school? If you can engage your interviewer in some small talk, it'll set him/her at ease--you're not going to be a disastrous interview after all!
• Establish rapport. The trick of great salespeople is identifying something they have in common with their client and creating a sense of rapport with that person. Beyond simply setting both of you at ease, engaging in small talk can help establish rapport.

So what to do? The basics are simple--if asked something "So, how was your drive over here," respond with something more than "fine" ("Fine--I think I beat cross-town traffic by about 30 minutes. I know it can get bad this time of day.") This can give your interviewer something easy to follow up with ("Tell me about it--I normally have to fight my way through that every day...") and suddenly, voila! It's not exciting--you're talking about traffic--but you're talking, and that's the point.

For added oomph, just finish every reply you make with a question. ("...I know it can get bad this time of day. Do you have to commute much during rush hour?") and you're guaranteed to keep the conversation going.

But, what happens if you get there, meet your college interviewer, and stare blankly at each other? Easy--toss up a softball to prompt some small talk. Three that can't miss:

Weather/season/time of year. Talking about the weather sounds trite (and it is), but it's a can't-miss option. Examples: "Boy, it's sure gotten cold in the past week", "It seems like it's been raining for three weeks straight?", etc... you get the idea. (Everyone complains about the weather, but so few people do anything about it...). Another variant of this is the time of the year--talk about the fact that it's almost the holidays, you can't believe how quickly fall semester is going at school, it doesn't seem like it's possible that it's already nearly Thanksgiving, etc.
 
Part of town. This is another easy topic--talk about the part of town you're meeting in. Examples: "I don't get downtown much, so this is a special treat for me" "Wow, it's been a while since I've gotten out to this area--I can't believe how much things have changed" "Do you work around here? I come to this area a lot because there's a great diner just down the street". It's pretty easy to toss out some innocuous comment about where you are--even if it's "This is a cool part of town--I've never been over here before", it should get conversation flowing.

School/classes/sports. When in doubt, just throw out something about school or classes--or even your high school (or local) football team. "I'm glad I made it on time--practice almost ran a little late" or "I've really been looking forward to this interview. School work has been so busy lately that I haven't had much of a chance to breathe, so meeting with you is a great chance to get out of the grind for a few minutes" "I don't know if you saw it or not, but our school just won our 10th game of the season--it looks like we made it to the playoffs". Tossing out something about school is also a great segue into the actual interview for your interviewer.

Again, if you're not a natural chit-chatter, that's fine--no one is really grading you on your ability to make small talk. But, as with anything in life, a little preparation and forethought and you'll be able to handle those first few (potentially awkward) minutes of your interview with grace and style.   ----------CJ

Favorite Questions: Why [School X]?

Part of an on-going series of favorite interview questions you'll run into during your college admissions interview --CJ

Question: Why do you want to go to [the university you're interviewing for]? (Alts: "Why are you applying to my school?" "Why are you interested in my school?" "What about my school got you interested in it?")

Background/Why You're Being Asked:

If you've been following any of the Current Interview Questions series, one question should immediately jump out that gets asked 99.99% of the time:

Why are you sitting at this table?

Meaning: Of all the colleges and universities in the country, why do you want to attend mine?

There are two reasons, both related, for asking this question:

The first really is why do you want to go to this college? What do you find interesting and compelling enough to want to attend there for the next four years?

Sometimes, students apply (or more accurately, state that they want to apply) for the wrong reasons--to major in a major that isn't offered by that college is a classic example. You want to major in dance, and there's no dance program for instance. The admissions interview can be a time to catch and correct "misunderstandings".

The second reason you're being asked (assuming you know whether there really is a dance program or not), is to see how serious you are about the college--and how well-considered your decision process is. This is a huge life decision--arguably the biggest one you've made to-date--did you base it solely on US News rankings, or have you seriously thought about it and investigated your choices?

Remember that most admissions interviewers have to write up a report of their interview post-interview--so if you have a strong, compelling case for why you want to attend this school, chances are good that it might get parroted back to the admissions committee from your interviewer--probably strengthening your case.

Regardless, you don't want to be the applicant who can't justify why you want to go to this school.

How NOT to respond:

First, how can you blow this seemingly straight-forward question? Here's a partial list:

• Don't answer. This sounds obvious, but more than almost any question this one seems to stump many applicants. Any variant of "Um... I'm not sure", it should go without saying, is bad.

• Incorrect reasons. I don't mean that you said "Gee, I think Boston is fun" and your admissions interviewer disagrees--I mean being factually incorrect. At least 1-2 of my interviewees blow it every year by getting the basic facts wrong: The most common that I get is applicants citing wanting to major in something my school doesn't offer (we don't offer a business degree, which seems to throw a lot of folks), but I've had people screw up which town (and once, which state) my school is in. If your reason for wanting to go to Stanford is because you love LA, you're not going to impress anyone.

• Admit to basing everything on rankings. Sure, everyone knows that a large percentage of students apply to the top 5 (or 10) from US News every year--but no one wants to hear that your sole reason for interest is a dubiously arrived-at ranking.Think about it: Would you be swayed by someone who's only interested in your school because it ranked #8 this year? Come up with something better. (Note that this doesn't apply if you're on some highly specialized ranking--if you want to go to School X because they have the top-ranked linguistic zoology program and your passion is talking to ferrets, that's legit. We're talking generic rankings here.)

• Be utterly generic. "It's a school where I can get a really solid, broad-based liberal arts education." Really? And which exactly of the other 2,000 colleges and universities in the US aren't? In general, if you could cite the same reason for applying to the next school on your list, it's not a great answer.

• Allude to your own ranking. If you're interviewing for Boston College, telling your interviewer "Well, I want to go to Harvard, but if I can't get in there I'd love to go to Boston College since I love Boston" isn't going to get you very far (even if it is true). In general, your admissions interviewer should always walk away from your interview thinking that his/her school is your top choice.

How to nail it: I'll admit that this is a tough question to answer on the spot if you're not ready--it gets to values, judgment, perception and requires a degree of tact, all at once. But it's also the most obvious question out there--there's no excuse not to be ready for it. Some thoughts to prepare:

• Be specific. This is always good advice, but particularly so here. A well thought-out, compelling reason for admission can turn your interviewer's report from a "she's fine" to "please admit her." So take a few minutes and really drill down on your rationale for applying. Was it the academics? What, specifically? A world-renown department or faculty member? A creative piece of the curriculum? If it was the location, what was compelling? You like the way the town embraces the college? How, exactly? And how does that set this school apart from every other in the country? You get the idea. (Easy test: If your answer could apply to any other school in the country, you're not being specific enough--try again.)
  

• Tie your answer to your background and interests. A rationale that ties into your background or interests will resonate better with your interviewer and come across as a stronger answer. For instance, if your passion in high school was the theater, citing a school's theater program as a reason for your interest makes sense. It also reinforces how serious a passion your interest is--you're specifically trying to pursue it in college.
  

• Make it personal. Personal reasons for applying to a given school sound more compelling. Are there personal reasons why you like a school? Did you grow up a football fan? Did you fall in love with campus when you visited? Do you admire older students from your school who went to the university? Personal reasons--particularly when combined with other specific reasons--make a strong case for why you want to attend a given school (and why you should be admitted!)

• Be honest. As with other questions, answer honestly. If you're applying to Cal Tech, but really don't see yourself being an engineer, don't try to fake interest in engineering---and don't cite wanting to be an engineer as a reason for applying. For any admissions interviewer who's done more than one interview, fake answers come across as just that--fake.

Some ideas: 

So say you're applying to a school solely because it's got a high ranking--or because mom forced you to--and you're stuck for a more convincing reason. If you're drawing a blank, think through the areas below for ideas:

• Be inspired. Do you know someone who went to the school? Other alumni--former high school friends, family friends, people in your community--might have inspired your decision. Just be ready to explain what it is about the person that you want to emulate--any why you think attending the same alma mater will help.

• Trips help. Did you visit campus? Something about the campus simply "feel right"? It's shocking how many people end up attending one school and not another because one simply "felt right"---it's likely that your interviewer will know exactly what you're talking about. (Again though, make sure to cite specifics--classes you attended, students you met, games you went to, etc)

• Recommendations. Did a teacher, counselor, coach, or someone else in your life recommend you take a look at the school because of an interest or attribute you have? Often these people know the college landscape better than anyone and are a great starting point when you're putting together your list of schools that you plan to apply to. Just make sure you also explain how you then (on their recommendation) researched the school thoroughly, visited, talked to current students, etc to ascertain that it was a fit for you before applying.

• Practicalities are fine. Not everyone's reason for applying to a given school involves some grand life epiphany--practical considerations (travel distance, cost, etc) also play a role. If, for instance, being close to your family is important to you, and a given school is in-state, applying there makes a ton of sense. 

• Academics are best--but not everything. If you're a star running back on your school's football team and you're applying to a given school because you'll be able to walk-on to the team, that's a great reason. Just make sure to make at least a passing reference to academics too ("...and going to your school would both enable me to play and pursue my interest in engineering"). 
  

So think through it--but don't over-think it. As long as you're ready for the question (and now you are!) you'll do fine on this one ----CJ

Current Interview Questions: MIT

Following up on the Princeton post, I've had some feedback on interviewing at MIT (a couple of alumni interviewers mostly) and wanted to post their feedback. ---CJ

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Like many universities, MIT doesn't give their admissions interviewers a set list of questions or anything so formal, but the questions below (asked in previous admissions interviews) should give you a feel for the type of questions to expect from your admissions interviewer.

In general, be ready to talk about your interests, passions and background. Be ready to talk about why MIT is a good fit for you. And one constant theme: Be yourself. Maybe even more than other schools (possibly because of the engineering focus?) your admissions interviewer wants to get to know you as a person.

• Why MIT?
• How did you find out about MIT?
• What do you like about MIT? What concerns do you have about going to MIT?
• What is your planned major and why?
• Why do you want to be an engineer?
• What are your passions?
• What do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?
  
• What did you do during your high school years that prepared you for or led you toward your intended major?
• What have you done during high school that has had the most impact on your plans for the future and why?
• How do your classmates view you?
  
• 80 years from now, what do you want to be remembered for?
  
• What have you read recently that you've found particularly compelling, and why?
• Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Why?
• If you had all the resources in the world--financial, political, everything--what would you do with it? How would you take advantage of that opportunity?
• What makes you unique from everyone else who is applying?
  

As with other schools without a preset interview sheet, expect your interview to be casual and informal--your admissions interviewer's goals are going to be to "get to know the real you." It's critical that you know what sets you apart as an applicant--what makes you unique--and that you convey this to your interviewer. (for more on this, click here).

As with the other schools, I'll post more questions as they roll in. Good luck! ----CJ

Current Interview Questions: Princeton University

I asked you to email me your college admissions interview questions--and responses are starting to come in. I've also heard from a number of people who interviewed last year--as well as from a couple of admissions interviewers themselves (alumni)--and so I decided to start posting what I've got in case you have an early-round interview coming up. 

I'll keep posting what I hear from you all season, so if you've already been interviewed by a college or university and you want to share what you were asked, either email me or post them in the comments section on a specific school's thread. 

Thanks, and good luck! ---CJ

Princeton University

Basic interview information here. All interviews are done by alumni (nothing is offered on campus), and each admissions interviewer is allowed to ask their own questions, so what you'll get may differ from the questions below--but this should give you a sense for what to expect.

• What might people who don't like you say about you?
• Why Princeton?
• What do you plan to major in? What are you goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
• What did you think of Obama's inauguration speech?
• What is your most meaningful extra-curricular activity? What is its importance to you?
• Tell me about your family.
• What other schools did you apply to and why?
• What activities on campus interest you? What academic programs at Princeton are you interested in?
• What makes you unique from your peers? What sets you apart as an applicant from the other students who are applying this year? (Or, my favorite version: "Why you?")

A couple of people also noted being asked in-depth about parts of their background--someone who said he was interested in drama was asked a number of questions about specific playwrights, individual plays, etc.

Finally, also note that a couple of people warned that their Princeton interviewer seemed to be at a loss for what to ask--if this happens with you, make sure you grab the opportunity and are ready with what you want to convey to your interviewer.

I'll post more specific college interview questions as they roll in. Good luck! ---CJ

Showing Up (On Time) Is Half the Battle

By the time the third call came in, I knew exactly who it was.

"Hi, so... have you found your turn yet?" I asked.

"Well, no, I think I passed it.... There's a Jack-in-the-Box across the street. Am I close?"

You're close to Jack-in-the-Box, I thought, but given the number of fast food joints in town, I had no idea where she was.

"Did you make a right on Main like I told you to?" I asked.

"Well, I think I might have... It looks like I'm crossing the train tracks again. Does that sound right? I'm so sorry about this!"

Not half as sorry as I was for agreeing to interview her, I thought.

Ding.

Advice

There are some things you shouldn't need to be told. Don't go to your admissions interview naked. Answer your interviewer's questions in English. Don't puke on the table.

Add to the list this gem: Make sure you know how to get to your interview location.

I'll be the first to admit--sometimes it's tricky. It's a building downtown, and you don't go downtown much. Or it's a coffee shop in the next town over. Or you have to take the train, or bum a ride from dad, or something.

Maybe it really is tough to get there--but you know what? Life's tough. Suck it up, cupcake. Get there on time.

Every season, at least one of my college admissions interviewees shows up late or gets lost. And no matter how understanding your college interviewer is, being the kid who gets lost isn't the first impression you want to give. (If you're really unlucky, you get a friend of mine who walks out if the applicant is 10 minutes late--run late with her, you'll get blackballed and automatically rejected. End of story.)

So, how do you avoid such a simple error?

• First, make sure you look up where you're going. Just because you think you were there last spring, don't assume you  know where you're going. Did the email from your interviewer say to meet at the Starbucks on 10th and Pine? Look it up on the Starbucks website, Google or Mapquest it for directions, print them out and you're off to a good start.

• Give yourself 30 minutes of leeway. This is critical in cities with big traffic issues that you need to contend with---maybe you'll sail right through, but maybe there's an overturned 18-wheeler blocking 4 lanes. Given Murphy's Law, plan on the 18-wheeler being down--if your directions say it'll take 20 minutes to get to your destination, give yourself 50 minutes. If you're there early, bonus (more on that in a sec).

• Make sure you know which Starbucks, In-and-Out, or Federal Building. If it's unclear from your interviewer which shop they mean (or you can't find directions on the web), ask. I'd rather you ask to clarify the location than show up 20 minutes late because you're at the shop across town.
  

• If your college interview is with an alumni in an office tower, give yourself another 15 minutes for parking and navigating the building. It always takes a surprisingly long time to find a spot in the parking deck, take the elevator to the lobby, get to the lobby, figure out which floor to go to, etc--give yourself more than enough time to cover it all.
  

• Bring phone numbers, just in case. Obviously, have your interviewer's phone number (office and mobile). They probably gave it to you when setting up your interview, but if they didn't, ask for it--if you do run late, you have to call. But the real trick is to bring the number of the place you're meeting--that way, if you get lost but still have ample time to spare, you can call the barrista or receptionist to get directions instead of needing to ask your interviewer.
  

• Finally, don't rely on GPS. It's a great help, but GPS in my experience often misses things--roads that don't go through, construction, etc. Or, it just takes you 20 minutes to plug in the address and you're running late from the start. Make sure you've got printed directions as a backup.
  

If you're running late:

• Despite your best efforts you're still running late? Call your interviewer as soon as possible. The earlier you call, the better. Say it's 30 minutes before your interview, and you know it'll take you 45 minutes to get there--call now instead of waiting until you're actually late. I'd much rather change my plans and show up at the coffee shop 15 minutes later than I was planning than sit there waiting for 15 minutes. 

Whatever you do, you must call. Even 2 minutes late is still late. Call your interviewer.

• If you're egregiously late--15 minutes or more--offer to reschedule. Chances are good that your interviewer won't take you up on your offer, but at this point you need to be as uber-accommodating as possible to have any chance of leaving a good impression.
  

If you're super-early:

• You shouldn't show up at your admissions interview more than 15 minutes early (walking in about 10 minutes prior is perfect--early enough to be punctual, but not so early as to look like you have nothing better to do). Often your college interviewer will have someone else scheduled before you, and it's awkward to have your next interviewee show up when you've just started the earlier interview (less so at an office, more so in a public place like a coffee shop). 

• More than 15 minutes early? Take advantage of your extra time. Sit in the car and review the main points you want to cover in your interview. Review material on the school and review the questions you plan on asking your interviewer. If you're meeting in an office, hit the restroom and make sure you look presentable. If nothing else, walk around the block once or twice to clear your head and get ready to make your best impression.
  

Finally, should you get a ride?

Depends on the ride and depends on the type of person you are.

Some applicants love getting a ride because it takes the stress of getting there off their minds (assuming that mom/dad or whoever is driving knows where they're going). For others, the idea of having a nervous parent drive them to their interview is the last thing they need before walking into a stressful situation. This is really up to you--just make sure that, if you go the chauffeured route--your driver knows where you're going (and can get you there on time)!

If half of life is simply showing up, don't flub the easy half--make sure you know where you're going. -------CJ

Call for Questions

Have your admissions interview yet?

Want to pass along the questions you got from your admissions interviewer?

We'd love to hear about it --- send them to us!  Email is here.

We've already heard back from a couple dozen people who interviewed (mostly on-campus over the summer), so send your information in and we'll include your interview experiences in the overviews we're going to be publishing over the next few weeks.

(And yes, all information will be kept strictly anonymous)

Thanks! --------CJ

PS --- interesting take on a recent study here. The implication (that high-achieving low-income students simply don't apply to the "top" schools because of poor marketing by the schools) seems to miss a more problematic issue--how does a Stanford or Harvard make a low-income student feel welcomed at their school when some of their classmates are going to come from (very) wealthy backgrounds?