Perfect Interview Guide

Jonathan Kang, Editor-in-Chief

Winter is coming around, which means students battle college applications and college interviews. If you’re anything like the average high school student, you might be worrying endlessly about how your interviews will go. However, fear no longer, as this is the foolproof guide to acing your college interview.

Before you step into the interview room, prepare yourself by tirelessly researching the college you are applying to. To start, go to Reddit and search up “common [x college] interview questions” and read the first anonymous post. Practice answering these questions, as every single one is bound to be on the interview. Anon says so. 

Then, prepare questions you would want to ask the interviewer. Important questions can include “Since when did interviewers become so basic?” and “What made you think a grey hoodie with colorful pants was even passable?” With these knockout questions, you are as prepared as possible for the interview.

As soon as you walk into the interview, you want to make sure you leave a good first impression, so go in for a handshake and make direct eye contact. You can even assert your dominance by tightening your grip on the handshake and refusing to let go until the interviewer averts their eyes. This demonstrates your confidence and ability to lead in interpersonal interactions.

When the interviewer begins asking you questions, take as long as you need to answer. If you want, you can even pull out your phone and ask Siri the exact same question. This shows the interviewer that you possess critical thinking skills and can analyze a difficult question through multiple perspectives to provide the best answer.

It is common for interviewers to ask what your biggest weaknesses are, or what failures you have experienced throughout life. However, it is imperative that you don’t answer truthfully: this is a trick question. Instead, you must answer that you are perfect in every way. Some good ways to respond to the question would be: “Actually, using the wrong documents on the Anchor was perfectly calculated to show that I can synthesise outside sources,” and “Using the pen on the SAT Scantron was all according to my plans to cancel.”

Finally, when the interviewer concludes the interview, you want to get out of the room as quickly as possible to show that you are considerate of their time. You can prepare by packing up halfway through the interview, preferably while the interviewer is asking you a question.