While it might be true that college interviews for high school students are not as prevalent, perhaps, as in days past, a number of institutions still extend interviews to some prospective applicants that it is serious about—or close to making a decision upon.

For students, this can be equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. Questions abound, such as: “What are they going to ask me?” “Who is going to interview me?” “How should I dress?”—just to name a few.

With those questions in mind, I want to take a few moments to unpack all-things the college interview, and to also add in a few tips for students who are offered these quite honorable, and invitational-only, opportunities.

The high-mark period for college interviews is certainly not found in today’s ultra fast-moving second decade of the 21^st Century, but more generally in decades past. Maybe it was due to fewer students applying to colleges; fewer students applying to schools in different states (or regions) of the country; fewer students applying to large numbers of colleges; or perhaps other factors known (or unknown). But, for whatever reason(s), colleges now seem to be doing less interviews for high school students. For one, it takes a lot of coordinating and boots-on-the-ground. You need to find a local alumni in the geographical vicinity of a prospective student; a mutually-agreeable time needs to be arranged that works for both parties; for colleges, you want to be relatively sure that a student you are interested in interviewing has a strong interest in attending your institution; and, of course, a student has to agree to meet with a representative of the college. But that is not to say that college interviews are still not important, when they are available (or that they rarely occur anymore—also not true).

If you are a student, what should you do? Let’s take a look at several things to consider when getting ready for your college interview.

1. Say ‘Yes’, of Course:

Every year, I have, on average, eight to ten of my students (these are typically Seniors in the first half of the school year) that will receive an invitation for a college interview. The number-one question to decide is: yes or no. Unless a student has a really strong reason, or a suddenly overwhelming event just sprang to the forefront—at the exact same time period as the college interview—students should always say ‘yes’ to an interview, in my opinion. Turning down an interview (without a valid reason) might give a college the impression that a student is not keenly interested in their institution, perhaps, after all—not something that students want to run the risk of doing (unless, of course, they have changed their mind about applying for admittance to the college wanting to interview them, and, if that is the case, it is the student’s responsibility to be honest and forthright with the person wanting to conduct the interview, and then to also follow-up afterwards with the institution itself, letting the school know their application intentions).

Bonus tip:

The college interview is a relatively low-risk/high-reward power-play for students because the interview itself usually will either keep a student’s application status neutrally in place or may even provide a slight, modest boost. A student would have to either reveal something offensive, problematic, or potential troubling for the interview to reflect poorly upon them. Because of these reasons, it is almost always a great idea to accept an invitation for a college interview.

2. Be Prepared for Anything:

Once a student says ‘yes’ to the college interview, the next thing to know is to be prepared for anything. Each college might set up their processes a little bit differently. The interview might last only 10 or 15 minutes; it could last an hour (if the conversation is flowing well or if there are a lot of questions being asked);  it might be conducted by a recent alum; or maybe an alum that graduated half a century ago—you never know. A student probably won’t know much about the interviewer until the time that they sit down and talk—and that’s OK. It is best for students not to worry too much about the hypotheticals of the interviewer, but just for them to know that the interview is about them—the student—and the person interviewing them is likely a passionate, kind, and caring person willing to be the bridge between the prospective student and the institution in that moment in time. Students should go into the interview with an open-mind and be prepared for anything.

This tip also means giving yourself enough getting-ready time—and travel time to your interview—you definitely don’t want to be late to your own interview!

3. Take a Deep Breath:

As cliché as it may sound, the college interview does not need to be a time for students to stress. It should actually be seen as a honor (something not many students get an opportunity to do) and an exciting time for students. By the time a college interview rolls around, most of a student’s college application work has been completed, so the true stressing-out period of time is hopefully already—mostly, at least, anyway—in the rear-view mirror.

It’s important to remember this following tip, perhaps, above all:

“If a college wants to interview you, know that they are serious about you as a prospective applicant. They may either want to learn more about you (due to their own strong interest and intrigue in you) or they may be close to making a final decision on your application. Whichever way you might look at it, you are a serious applicant in the college’s collective minds.”

College interviews can be a lot of work for schools to coordinate. Additionally, if a college has an abundance of applicants, they may feel that interviews are not a necessary portion of the student application for them—or they may be able to spend their time and resources in other areas, when it comes to making decisions on a student’s college application. Viewed, perhaps, in this light, students should be able to see that it is actually a honor to receive a college interview. After all, colleges cannot interview everyone who applies to their institution, so if they interview you, it’s a distinction reserved for only a small handful of students every year.

4. Dress Comfortably But Modestly:

Student will often ask me what they should wear to their interview, and this is what I always say: Dress comfortably but modestly. If you are a student having a hard time deciding if your attire is too formal, or too informal, choose the former—dress more formal if that makes you feel more comfortable and confident. Even with college interviews, you usually cannot go wrong with dressing formal. However, most times, normal school attire (within school dress code lines) will do just fine. Remember: You want to be comfortable. If a certain outfit or style of clothes makes you feel comfortable, then it also might make you feel more confident (something you want heading into your interview). Clothing can give off clues to others about a person’s style and personality. If you have a particular outfit that you think represents you well (to the college interviewer), go with that outfit.

5. Have Some Prepared Questions:

Heading into your interview, you will want to have a handful of prepared questions written in advance. The reason for this is two-fold: One, you are letting the interviewer know that you are serious about the interview (and, hence, thoughtfully, and carefully, considering which questions to ask); and two: you will have a little something extra to help structure the interview should you find yourself being quite nervous, anxious, or having a harder time engaging with your interviewer. Your previously-constructed questions can give you some additional clarity, confidence, and peace of mind heading into the interview.

What questions should you ask? Short of asking almost literally anything appropriate and relevant, some good questions to ask might include: What made you choose your chosen college? What do you think is most important to know about this college? What type(s) of students are they looking for? What should I know—or be prepared for—as an incoming student? What do you wish you knew beforehand about your selected college that you didn’t know at the time of applying? If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you choose your same college? What were you involved in—or what were your activities—on campus?

Also, it might be a good idea to take down some notes for clarity as you go through your questions (and, later on, for reflection, as well). More on that in a few moments.

6. Approach This As a Networking Opportunity:

Ideally, the interview should be seen as a time for having a free-flowing, organic two-way conversation. It is OK to laugh, smile, and enjoy the back-and-forth banter. Whether the conversation is only for 15 minutes or for upwards of an hour, enjoy the time that you have to spend with the interviewer as you learn more about them (and about the school that you are very much interested in attending) and as they learn more about you.

This is a time where the interviewer gets to see your personality come alive. It’s one thing to describe yourself on paper (in each college application), but it’s another to have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with an ambassador from a school that you are very much interested in attending. At the end of the day, this is an opportunity to add one more (impactful) person to your network. If you leave a good impression with them, your initial meeting with the college ambassador could have the potential of creating future opportunities for yourself. In time, they could be a future friend, reference, or even mentor—you never know. But even if you never see them again, make sure to….

7. Exchange Contact Information and Write a Thank-You Note Afterward:

Chances are, you might already have your interviewer’s email address or phone number (as you were setting up your initial meeting). If not, though, you will want to ask for that information casually during your interview. The reason for this is for follow-up purposes (and professional courtesy). If they ask why, just be 100% honest and let them know that it is so you can send them a thank-you note. Your interviewer is taking valuable time to meet with you—on your behalf—and on the behalf of the institution that they studied at and then graduated from. They had to agree to a specific meeting day and time; drive (or commute in their own way) to a coffee shop (or other public space) to meet you; and then sit down for a certain length of time to get to learn more about you (and, afterwards, they would then have to follow-up with their institution to recap the interview)—all of that takes time. Remember: Time is a person’s greatest gift and resource—once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

If possible, you will want to send your interviewer a short hand-written thank-you note. If it is not logistically possible—for whatever reason—to do so, you will, at the very least, want to send them an email thank-you note. It doesn’t have to be hundreds of words in length. Just a short note of thanks and gratitude written from your heart (and in your own words), as you thank them for the interview and maybe letting them know what you learned or what you will remember from the time that you met. Altogether, you can complete this final step in as little as ten to thirty minutes total—but don’t neglect this final step. You want to end this honorable experience (of a college interview) on a strong, well-reflecting final note for yourself.

—The Blue-Collar Counselor