Your college interviewer is going to want you to talk about your high school experiences. One way to get this type of conversation rolling is to ask you what you would do differently in high school if you could go back in time. It's a question that asks you to be reflective and introspective. It can also be an uncomfortable question because it is asking you to critique yourself -- did you miss an opportunity, make a bad decision, or fail to put in enough effort?
At its heart, the question is asking you to talk about your regrets. You'll want to be careful when answering. You don't want to draw attention to something you did that was foolish, irresponsible or illegal, nor do you want to introduce an overly negative tone into your interview. But you also don't want to be evasive in your answer. These interview tips can help you think about a strong response to a question that focuses on regrets.
More Tips for Common Interview Questions:
- "Tell me about yourself."
- "Why are you interested in our college?"
- "What can I tell you about our college?"
- "Who has most influenced you?"
- "What will you major in?"
- "What will you contribute to our campus?"
- "Tell me about a challenge you overcame."
- "What do you do for fun in your free time?"
- "What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?"
- "Does Your Record Reflect Your Ability?"
- "Recommend a Good Book to Me"
- More Interview Questions
Comments
Hi Allen,
What’s wrong with the student interviewing the college? Is there a downside? College interviews are standard fare ay many colleges, perceived perhaps as a rhetorical firing squad by the student. Not comfortable.
If the student started the conversation on a positive note that suggested that they liked what they saw on the college’s website, but was under a lot of pressure to select from so many, why not have the student ask some great questions to make the admissions officer think, “Holy cow, Batman, this is the kind of student we’re looking for!”
Something I have my student do all the time, and they always call on their cell phones to tell me, “It works!”
Just a thought.
Paul–Absolutely! The interview is a great time to get one’s questions answered, and all students should enter the interview with a lot of school-specific questions at the ready. 99% of interviews I’ve heard about are pleasant two-way conversations. Then there are those few where the interviewer has a clear agenda and wants to be in total control of the conversation…
Allen: The “total control person” is either whacked, or is the agenda a marketing opportunity for the school? In other words, the admission guy has a “prospect” in front of him, wants to make a “sale,” and is going for the “close.” Is this how you see it? Or, am I oversimplifying a bit?
I think at some of your more selective colleges the interviewer can take on the role of gatekeeper, not marketer (I certainly ran into one such person back when I was interviewing). So instead of coming to the table with the attitude of “let me tell you about our great school,” the interviewer is asking, “tell me why you would be a good choice for our great school.” I’d argue that even when the student is the one doing the question asking, the interviewer is still evaluating how good of a match the student is for the school.