A brief look at what led you to apply to the college or choose your major.Details from your life that demonstrate how you’d be a great fit at the college.To give a complete answer that stays on track, you can include: On the other, there is the potential to get sidetracked and share information that is not relevant. On the one hand, you can present yourself to the interviewer in a flattering way. The “tell me about yourself” question can be a blessing and a curse. Now that you know what the interviewer is thinking, it’s time to formulate the answer to “tell me about yourself” in a college interview.
Read on to learn how to put your best foot forward.
The opening questions of the interview set the tone for the whole conversation. Something you share in your answer could make for a great segue into the next topic or give the interviewer an idea of something to bring up later. Remember, a good college interview feels like a productive conversation. Lastly, an interviewer may use details in your answer to guide the next portion of the interview. Starting on a conversational, open-ended question can set you at ease and allow for a naturally flowing interview. Rather than launching straight into challenging questions, an interviewer wants to lay the groundwork. The “tell me about yourself” question offers a smooth transition from small talk into the focal of the interview. By allowing you to have the floor, an interviewer can uncover something they may not have otherwise learned about you. An interviewer wants to understand who you are and how you would contribute to the student body. Interviewers ask this question because it aligns with the college interview’s overarching goal-getting to know you. Understanding why an interviewer asks this question allows you to focus on the question’s intent and shape a coherent response. Why College Interviewers Ask This Questionīefore you set out to answer “tell me about yourself” in a college interview, get into the interviewer’s mind. Prepare for this cold open and impress the interviewer with this college interview guide. Odds are “tell me about yourself” or some variation of it will be amongst the first opening interview remarks. Nevertheless, some questions you can be sure will come your way. No matter how many lists of college interview questions you pore over, you can’t predict everything an interviewer will ask.