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The interview will be a 1 to 1.5hrs-long yap session

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A chance to chat with a college representative. Most colleges require students to interview as part of the process. The interview for US college is completely different from UK uni interviews ****— here are some tips.

• It’s meant to be a very comfortable, free conversation. Try to relax. Yes, this is a major evaluation point of your application, but the more comfortable you are, the better your brilliance will come across. Brilliance is more than what you say - it’s also how you say it. They pick on things like mannerims, tendencies and behavioral traits and confidence, and lack of it.

  Halfway through his video (7:40) this Sutton Trust alum goes through her INTERVIEWER application feedback document. Rare insight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xHR-r9GiPM&t=714s

• Be relaxed and conversational, but it doesn’t mean you should not be strategic, so talk about EVERYTHING you didn’t get to say in your essays/application, that is good conversation material. Weave it into coversation masterfully.
• Don’t treat it like the UK interview where you need to know your intended course in deeply. As a prospective engineer you could be talking to grad of Philosophy from 1962. You actually don’t need to know your intented course deeply, as you are only ~18 so have very limited context on academia and life, plus you’re likely to change course down the line. Knowing about your course may impress them - I think that speaks to your determination to succeed and level of investment into your future. But both these traits can be picked up, even if you have no clue what you really want to study.
• The interview gauges things like your self-awareness and general intelligence.
• They want people who will be successful. Have examples of leadership, impact, and team-playing ability at hand.
• How will you contribute to the campus? The interviewer is not seeing any other part of your application. Time to sell your worth afresh. It’s a slightly different game - you will need an approach other than wowing with grades.
• Try to interview with your first choice of university last. You may gain skill and confidence with each interview you do.
• You probably want to talk about why you want to come to America
  • Professional/social culture
  • Academics/curriculum style
  • Different type of opportunities