Acing Your Interview

College application season has begun, and we know you have questions about interviews! We turned the tables and interviewed our Senior Assistant Director of Admissions (and interviews expert), Libby Lakeman, about her best advice for acing your interview. Check out her thoughts.

What are you looking for when you’re interviewing a student?

We are interested in learning more about you and what gets you excited! We want to learn about you as a person both academically and socially. What is your favorite class? What do you like to do when you are not in school? What makes you, you? These are the big questions we are trying to answer through the interview process.

Why would students want to interview at Bryn Mawr even if it’s optional?

Interviews are a great way to humanize the admissions process. While we get to see what you are involved with in and out of the classroom in your application, an interview allows you to talk about your activities in depth. Then when we read your application, we can remember your excitement when talking about math class or your involvement with debate. Interviews also give you the opportunity to ask us questions. It’s a great time to ask about campus life, the academic community, and what resources are available to students. We really see interviews as a conversation and want this to be a learning opportunity for you, too.

What are some ways students can prepare for their interview?

Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments throughout your schooling as well as any challenges you may have faced. What growth have you seen in yourself? Write about some of your favorite memories, what activities you have found the most fulfilling, as well as what you are looking forward to most about this next step. This will hopefully help get you comfortable talking about yourself. I also recommend writing down a few questions you have for us. How can we help you through the admissions process? We are here to help you make the most of your college search process. There are no bad questions!

What are some common mistakes students make during interviews?

A common mistake I see students make is not sharing a big accomplishment or activity in the interview. Are you the president of a club or did you win a major school award? It can feel awkward to brag about yourself in an interview, but this is really the time to tout your achievements! I also encourage students to come with at least one question for us. We really do want to be in conversation with you and the best way to do that is to come prepared with questions for us.

Any tips for calming nerves?

Take a few deep breaths! Remind yourself how exciting the college admissions process is, even if it feels more nerve-wracking than exciting in the moment. If writing down your questions and take notes would easy any tension, feel free to bring a notebook into the conversation with you. Please know that we will not throw you any curveball questions, we just want to get to know you better and be as helpful as possible.

While we do not require interviews for most applicants, we encourage rising seniors to interview with us if you can. Visit our website to register for a virtual, on-campus, or off-campus interview. Reach out to our office if you have questions!

Staying Overnight Makes a Difference

From Andrea Lirio

Why you should definitely consider and overnight and what to expect.

The long wait is over! You’ve finally heard back from colleges and now you’ve got some decisions to make. Before buying college merch and posting your decision on social media, you should definitely consider having an overnight stay. An overnight is extremely important in figuring out if the college’s culture and offerings fit you. Going for an overnight visit or visiting the campus in general is an important tool to help you choose a school that’s perfect for you!

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How Did I End Up at Bryn Mawr?

From Celine CHen

How being open to different paths led me to Bryn Mawr.

My journey to Bryn Mawr was not at all what I expected. The truth is that Bryn Mawr was not my top choice when I was going through the college search process. When I was applying to college, I was set on staying close to home and going to school in sunny Southern California, yet, somehow, I ended up at Bryn Mawr College. So how did I end up here?

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To ED or not to ED?

From MArissa Turchi

 

Are you currently weighing the differences between Early Decision (ED) and Regular Decision (RD)? You’re not alone – this is one of the most common admissions-related discussions for this time of year. I wish I could give you a magic formula, one that simply tells you which decision to select, but I can’t. I can tell you this – there is no right or wrong decision when it comes to going ED or RD. You just have to figure out what option is best for you and your family.

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The admissions advice you need to hear

Link

It’s officially fall which means the college search process is well underway for many high school seniors. This is a stressful time — many students are asking themselves big questions that they’ve never had to consider before. Who am I? Who do I want to become? What do I want to do with my life? Those are heavy questions for anyone, but they can seem especially daunting to a 17 or 18 year old.

There are many places to turn for wisdom and advice throughout this process — friends, family, teachers, counselors, the internet. Even our Director of Undergraduate Admissions and President shared their thoughts about the college search process in other posts. But when it comes down to it there is just one you need to remember.

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