A guide to one aspect of your college interview:

Often, at the end of a college admissions interview, the alumni (or student) interviewer will turn to the candidate and say: “Do you have any questions for me?” This is a wonderful moment for you to seize an opportunity, so do not let it pass you by!

 

First, what NOT to do:

  • Say “no, I don’t have any questions” about this college
  • Ask a “yes or no” question whose answer could be easily Googled (“Does College X have a French major?”)
  • Ask any question whose answer could be learned from your explorations of the college’s website (“Where do you have study abroad programs?”)
  • Ask a question whose answer is generally mundane (“How good is the math department?”)
  • Ask a “stock” questions that sound like ChatGPT wrote it for you (“What do you think makes College X unique compared to other schools, especially in terms of its student culture or academic opportunities?”) *ChatGPT did write this one!

 

What SHOULD you do:

  • Ask a question that makes a clear connection to YOU 
  • Invite your interviewer to tell you a story from their experiences as a student

 

How do you do this?

Prepare in advance!

Think of a few things that are central to your interests, your character, and your application and craft thoughtful questions connected to these interests BEFORE you go into your interview. Be sure to keep the question short, but also make sure it includes enough depth and detail to highlight your interest in the area at hand.

 

Here are a few examples:

  • Sustainability is really important to me and my work with our school’s Green Team has been among my favorite extracurricular activities. I was really proud of our recent “Weigh the Waste” contests to reduce dining hall waste at lunches. I’m curious if you can tell me more about how students at College X are involved in environmental sustainability initiatives? What types of projects have students spearheaded at College X to make the campus greener and improve the school’s environmental footprint?
  • My high school’s small size has been really important to my growth as a student. I love building relationships with my teachers both in and out of the classroom. College X is a lot bigger than my high school, and I want to make sure that I can still get to know my teachers. Can you tell me about some of your favorite professors at College X? How did you get to know them outside of lectures? 
  • The best projects I have done in my classes have been collaborative ones, where each member of our team contributes their own expertise to our success on the project (and maybe give a little example). Given how selective College X is, I’m worried that the school might foster a more competitive than collaborative environment. Can you tell me about how you found the school to be on the spectrum from competitive to collaborative? Was the same also true for your friends?

 

You can write your questions down on a notecard and bring it with you to your interview! When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, it is ok to pull out your card and read one! Having your questions in advance shows that you are thoughtful and prepared.

Want to know more about college interviews from the “inside”?

Check out this great episode of the Inside The Yale Admissions Office podcast (“Interviews” – 28 minutes)