College Applications & Interviews

by, Fay Yu, David Guhl, Asheel Kakkad, & Mike Gao[Poolesville Branch]

CompassPoint

Choosing Your Colleges

FACTORS TO CONSIDER Size Public/Private Location Price Majors offered

FACTORS TO AVOID

A significant other Following friends Parental pressure

How Many?

Start with list of 15 and narrow down 3 Reach schools

Highly selective schools that will be your top choice

3 Match schools Schools at which your stats stack up

favorably 2 Safety schools

Schools which you are very likely to get into

Essays

Your application and scores already show how smart you are and how hard you work so this is not the purpose of your essay

Essays need to reveal something about your character

If there is no word limit, 500 is the rule of thumb

Keep your focus narrow and personal Stay in line with your topic

Be specific, use vivid details, and avoid clichés

Essays (Picking a Topic)

Picking a topic is one of the hardest components of writing a college essay

Easy ways to start: Significant interest or experience Where do you see yourself, career wise, 10

years from now? Describe your most rewarding experience Evaluate a specific experience or risk you have

taken and its impact on you Whatever the topic is write about something

you can write with passionate about

College Interviews

Many top tier schools include interviews in their application (including both 1 on 1 & group interviews) If interview is optional, definitely request for one to

bolster your application You will likely receive an interview request via

email from a school alumni Have an appropriate email address (i.e.

firstlast@gmail.com) Respond promptly to interview invitations and use

proper email etiquette Appear as professional as possible

Preparing for the interview Do research about the school & your

interviewer (if possible) Prepare specific questions for your

interviewer about classes/campus clubs/intended field of study

Ask questions about your interviewer’s school experience

Don’t hesitate to email interviewer questions if anything is unclear about the time/location

During the Interview

Arrive 10 min. early Introduce yourself with a firm

handshake Relax! The interview should be a

conversation Maintain eye contact Don’t chew gum Smile/ Show positive emotion

throughout Attire: Business Casual (Better to be

overdressed than underdressed)

Sample Interview Questions

Why do you want to attend XYZ university?

What are you passionate about? What are some activities you do in

your spare time? What separates you from other

applicants? How will you contribute to the

diversity of the student body of XYZ university if you’re accepted?

Group interview

Prepare a 30 sec. elevator pitch that would set you apart from other potential candidates This pitch should highlight your interests and

accomplishments as well as what you are looking for in the school. Memorize the speech by heart and learn to deliver it with confidence.

Don’t be overly aggressive in asking questions to the interviewer, let other applicants have their time too

Establish rapport with your mentor by finding commonalities

Stay after to thank your interviewer and ask any additional questions if necessary

After the Interview

One day post-interview, follow up with a thank you email & mention something you learned /thought was interesting

Email your interviewer after college decisions come out to let him/her know your final choice

Contact Information

Michael Gao (michael.gao328@gmail.com)

UMD-CP, 2015David Guhl (

davidguhl1992@gmail.com) Cornell University, 2014Asheel Kakkad (

akakkad@gmail.com) UMD-CP, 2014Fay Yu (fayyu92@yahoo.com) UMD-CP, 2014