If you’re currently applying for college, you’ve likely noticed mentions of an interview as a potential part of the admission process. These notoriously delicate, official yet personal conversations provide the college with unique insights into how you handle yourself in new situations. Interviews might be conducted in front of the entire admissions committee, or one-on-one with an alumni, for example.
Not all colleges require interviews, but those that do are looking to assess your personality, interests, and fit for the campus community. It is an opportunity for the school to get to know you beyond more standard measures, like GPA and test scores.
While most schools will ask similar, common college interview questions, we wouldn’t recommend memorizing your replies. Not only will this sound stiff and robotic, but plenty of interviewers also like to ask unconventional questions to keep the interviewees on their toes and see how they respond under pressure.
Here are some unconventional college interview questions you might encounter, and how you can prepare to ace them.
Unconventional college interview questions
“What book have you read recently that had an impact on you?”
In addition to testing whether or not you’re well-read and knowledgeable, this question is an opportunity for an admissions officer to assess how you digest and react to new information.
To prepare for this question, first and foremost, read. It helps to have in mind a favorite book that changed your perspective in a specific way. Practice giving a concise summary of the book, accompanied by how it made you think or feel.
Remember you can also pivot a question to answer the one you wish they’d ask. For example, if you haven’t read any books recently that impacted you, but you did see a film that changed how you viewed the world, tell them.
Whether you talk about a book, a film, or a Broadway show, the result is the same: the admissions officer will learn about your interests, perspectives, and intellectual capabilities.
“Tell us three things about yourself you didn’t include in your college application.”
Here is an opportunity for the admissions team to assess your attention to detail and your memory. It’s also an opportunity for you to highlight unique or interesting facts about yourself that didn’t fit into the written application.
Answering this question successfully requires you to have a full picture of yourself and your background. Write down extra details that you wish you could have shared in your application package if you had more room. Be prepared to explain why you think it’s important for the admissions committee to know these new details about you (do they explain further why you’re interested in their school, for example?).
This is also an opportunity to let your personality shine and share some quirky or fun facts about yourself with the school. Give them something that will make you memorable!
“What are your weaknesses?”
This question can easily throw a college applicant off their interview game. After all, you probably came prepared to talk about your strengths and why you’d be a good fit for the school, not your weaknesses!
Don’t let this one stress you out. First, no one is expecting you to be perfect. What they want to see with your answer is that you have a realistic view of yourself and that you’re capable of self-improvement.
To prepare for this question, think about a weakness you have that you can also try to improve. For example, if you struggle with punctuality, tell the interviewer how you have a plan to set calendar reminders to keep yourself on track.
The worst answer you could give is that you have no weaknesses, which will come off as arrogant or even clueless. Everyone has weaknesses. Strong candidates know this and work to overcome them.
Common college interview questions
Now that you understand what kind of unconventional questions you might get, let’s look at some more traditional, common college interview questions. It’s critical to prepare for these questions as well. Your answers here will have a significant impact on your overall interview performance.
“Tell us about yourself.”
This common college interview question stumps a lot of students due to its open-ended nature. You could talk about anything! Ultimately, though, the interviewer here is looking to hear not only what you say but how you say it. In other words, are you able to take an open-ended question and provide a coherent response that is appropriate in length?
Make sure your answer shows you’re a well-rounded student, with academic and personal interests that fit the university. Express your passion. And keep the length just right.
“Why do you want to go to this specific college?”
When responding to this question, make sure you can show you’ve done your homework. Research the college ahead of time and highlight unique aspects of the university that make you interested in attending. Connect these features to your life. This could be their state-of-the-art chemistry lab, their new athletic facilities, or their focus on DEIA.
Demonstrate that you know the school, you know yourself, and you know why the two of you are the perfect fit.
“What is a challenge you faced in your life and how did you overcome it?”
Answering this common college interview question isn’t meant to be a competition for who’s faced the most adversity. It’s a way for the school to understand how you react to a challenge—that is, any significant challenge—and whether or not you can learn and adapt.
Colleges want students who don’t quit when the going gets tough. Think about a serious health challenge, tough family situation, or personal issue you’ve experienced that affected your learning. Demonstrate that you were able to manage the difficulties surrounding your experience, and emerge stronger on the other side.
Questions to ask college admissions
At the end of the college interview, the admissions counselor will likely give you a chance to ask them a question or two. The worst thing you could do here is to not ask a question.
Asking questions shows you’ve done your research, paid attention during the interview, and are truly interested in being accepted into the school.
Examples of questions to ask college admissions officers include:
- What does the curriculum of my preferred major look like?
- How would you describe campus life or the campus atmosphere?
- How has attending this school impacted your life? (if the interviewer is an alum)
- Is there any advice you’d give to first-year students at this school?
- Are there any major changes coming to the university in the next few years, such as new facilities, new majors, etc?
- What kinds of on-campus work opportunities are available to students?
Bring a list of questions to ask college admissions to all of your college interviews. If new questions come to you during the interview itself, jot them down so you can remember them when the time comes for you to do the asking.
More college interview prep
Looking for help during the application process, beyond preparing for unconventional questions like this? Here are 5 benefits of using a college admissions counselor.
The college essay often stumps college applicants. Here are 4 tips for essay inspiration.
Are test scores important to your top schools? Here are the 5 most common SAT prep mistakes to avoid.
