College visits in the fall mean scheduling college interviews. The college interview is important for the student to learn more about the college and for the college to learn more about the student.

When my daughter was in the midst of her college search, she was interviewed by a representative of Boston University. Since this was her first choice college, she was nervous. She wanted to make a good impression and appear intelligent and confident. She prepared for some interview questions. Not all of them were asked, but it helped her go into the interview more relaxed. Although she wasn’t a top candidate according to their applicant statistics, the interview resulted in an offer of admission.

You can ace the college interview with preparation–the key word here is “preparation”. Recently, I wrote two posts for TeenLife Magazine: Can You Answer These 10 College Interview Questions and 5 Questions You Should Ask on a College Interview. In them I pointed out that students need to remember that they are interviewing colleges just as much as the colleges are interviewing them. Knowing this will help ease the stress of the interview and help your student take charge of the process.

A key thing to remember is that the college decision is your decision. Colleges seem to have the power during the interview process, but the interview is also your opportunity to clarify your choices and learn more about the college. Approaching this interview with this in mind will help you relax and be more confident. Asking questions shows the colleges that you are strong, independent and will be making an informed decision.