Myth #15
“Most colleges don’t have individual interviews anymore, just those group sessions.”
That must be true . . . it says so right there on the college web site and on their brochure. Like most things you read . . . don’t believe it quite so quickly. The growing number of applications at top colleges has made the traditional “Fall of senior year personal interview” logistically impossible for most students. The key pieces of that last statement are “Fall of senior year” and “most students”. These admissions offices are simply too busy to maintain the open interview policy of the past. The days of Duke and Harvard and Stanford “encouraging” you or even “requiring” you to come for an interview went out with cassette tapes and car phones. But . . . interviews are still possible and they are definitely still valuable. The story from the last myth is a perfect example of a student getting an interview, and making it count, at a college that doesn’t offer interviews!
You have one shot at applying to college . . . so make it a good one. Be creative, diligent and get yourself an interview! First, college admissions offices are less frantic and distracted during the summer. From the time they begin visiting high schools around the country and then reading application folders . . . they don’t have time to breathe. But during the summer, there’s a lull that you can use to your advantage. You may find an admissions officer with a few minutes to talk.
Second, don’t simply ask for an interview if the school doesn’t offer them. The admissions office isn’t in the business of playing favorites. You’re likely to get a standard response informing you that the school doesn’t offer interviews and encouraging you to sit in on a campus information session. Instead, find a specific reason to speak with an admissions officer. For instance, you might have some specific questions about a course of study, or the challenges of moving from a small community to a large urban campus, or the importance of community service on campus. You can think of something. Many admissions officers would be happy to take a few minutes to discuss this sort of issue with a prospective applicant.
Once you’re in the “non” interview, you’ll have a few minutes to impress the admissions officer with your maturity, personalize your application and distinguish yourself from other students applying from your area.
There is one important caution to keep in mind when using this approach. If you present yourself poorly, it not only won’t help . . . it will actually hurt your application. In the process of personalizing your application you’re going to encourage the admissions officer to make judgments and form opinions about your application. This will either strengthen or weaken your application so be very careful.
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