As the second semester of senior year kicks off and we start to decide on the colleges we want to attend for the next four years, the topic of tuition really starts to become real. With tuition comes the desire for scholarships. And most often with scholarships, unfortunately, comes interviews. Considering how much can be riding on a single interview, they are CRAZY stressful. 

Personally, I attended an Honors Program event this past weekend in Tennessee for the college I will be going to in the fall and it was the most nerve-wracking 48 hours of my life. At stake were two full-ride scholarships (yeah… I know). There were so many intelligent, smart, kind, and overall amazing people there. And it was hard. So I thought I would share my experience along with some awesome advice that I received and maybe help out some of you guys!

STAY CALM

First off, if you’re like me and were genuinely too busy (or lazy) to get a job at some point during your high school career, this college interview could very well be the first real interview you’ve ever had (which it was for me). That alone is terrifying because there is SO. MUCH. ON. THE. LINE.

But seriously, don’t let that get to your head. I can guarantee you’ve been in a situation in an English class or language class and had to have unplanned academic conversations with your peers and you did absolutely fine. I learned to just treat it like one of those because there is no need for any added stress.

 

LET IT BE A REAL CONVERSATION

Going off the “unplanned conversation” aspect, I definitely tried to practice answers to exact questions and do a mock interview with people beforehand and while parts of that can be helpful, I would steer from planning everything out. A mock interview can be incredibly helpful for overcoming physical obstacles, for example keeping eye contact and getting an overall feel for an interview, but it will never be the same with a parent or a friend as it will be with the interviewer. Keep that in mind. On the plane ride down, I was focused on writing out exact questions I thought they would ask me and building really well-thought-out answers so I would sound crazy smart. That is not the reality in the slightest. In all honesty, I became too lazy to do all that but I’m so glad because you will never receive the exact same questions you guess. With the added stress and worry you are experiencing at the time, it will be incredibly hard to remember word for word an answer you already had sculpted. Knowing a few general topics you want to talk about is key though! I was happy that I went through some of the basics and got a feel for answers I could respond with because when it came time, I knew I would be smart enough for a good, extended response. Another key is word choice. Using specific words from the college’s mission statement, for example, will really strike the interviewer’s ear. They are ultimately looking for students to be a good representation of their school so dropping those in your answer can benefit you.

 

HAVE PERSONALITY

As I found myself comparing me to my peers all weekend long, I was able to lift my spirits because I knew that in my interviews, I had personality. While they are looking for a smart, talented, strong student, I can almost guarantee they don’t want someone who can’t be social or be a leader at the school. I really experimented with letting loose a little bit during my interviews and ended up having great, real talks with my interviewers. Being able to laugh with them and have  “side conversations” that stray from the interview questions is a really good side of you to incorporate. They will be able to see that you can connect with new people very well and are easily likable as a person. I got a lot of positive feedback on this part in my interviews!

 

LISTEN TO TEACHER ADVICE

I’m lucky enough to have multiple teachers this year that are so awesome and connect with students really well. They gave me advice for the interviews!!!!! And it was super helpful to keep in the back of my mind!!!!! So don’t be afraid to reach out to your teachers because they’ve been through this and they want you to succeed. I would say the most important tips I received were to 1. Make sure to answer the actual question and don’t stray off too far (thank you Trowbridge!) and 2. Think of reasons that the college is lucky to have you. I kept both of these in the back of my mind during my interviews and I felt a lot more secure.

 

MAKE FRIENDS (IF APPLICABLE)

If you have a singular interview then this doesn’t necessarily apply to you, but it is still a good thing to remember. My interviews were apart of an Honors Weekend for the Honors Program, so while that meant a whole group of people were together all weekend competing for 2 scholarships, it also meant that I was meeting people who are also attending the school next year. Past winners of the scholarship and members of the program mentioned at the beginning that they met so many of their best friends at this weekend when they were applying. I found it very beneficial to keep my mind off my nerves and off of the interviews with the weekend games and “bonding time”. In the end, I really met some great friends and a potential roommate which makes the weekend so worth it, despite the outcome of the scholarship.

 

Even if you don’t have any college scholarship interviews upcoming, I hope you were able to learn some generalized things about a good interview from my recent experience. If you’re there, in the interview, then you are smart enough and capable enough to be there and to succeed. Best of luck to anyone that needs it!