SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
BASIC QUESTIONS:
Introduce yourself
Why [insert college/university]?
Why do you want to study abroad in [insert country]?
How would you contribute to our campus community?
Why do you want to major in [insert major]?
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
What is your favorite subject at school and why?
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What makes you different from other students? / What makes you unique?
Tell me three things that aren’t on your college application.
Tell me about something you’ve accomplished in high school that you are really proud of.
Would you like to ask me any questions?
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
Tell me about an extracurricular activity that is meaningful to you.
=> Follow-up options:
- What was your role in it?
- What did you enjoy most about this activity?
- What was the biggest challenge?
- What did you learn from the experience?
- Would you continue this activity in college?
- If you could do it again, what would you do differently?
How did you spend last summer?
How would you spend a free day without work or school?
What makes you lose track of time?
INTERESTS:
Where do you feel at home?
What subject was the hardest for you in high school?
What’s one of your talents?
Tell me about a social issue of your concern.
What is your favorite book/movie? Why do you like it?
What’s your favorite color and why?
Are you looking at other schools as well? Which ones?
SITUATION/REFLECTION:
Tell me about a time when you had to work as part of a team.
What is an area of weakness for you in school and how have you overcome it?
If you could describe your role within your family/friend group, how would you describe it?
Talk about a time where you had to be a leader.
What was a favorite high school experience of yours?
What was your New Year’s Resolution this year?
In the classroom, what type of student are you?
How are you planning on spending your summer?
Do you keep a journal? If not, how do you tend to process large events?
What is the most important skill you will walk away from high school with?
Have you ever had to do something that was the right thing but made you unpopular? If so,
what was it and how did you do it?
Tell me about a success/failure that you experienced.
Tell me about one time you overcame a challenge.
What do you look forward to most in college?
OPINION:
Who do you consider a role model in your personal life? / Tell me about someone who
influenced you.
What does being successful look like to you?
What do you think are the characteristics of a great leader?
What do you think about [recent current event]?
What have you read recently that has impacted or changed how you saw the world?
HYPOTHETICAL:
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
If you had a free day without homework or school, how would you spend it?
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose?
If you could witness one moment in history, what would it be?
If you could go back to the past and change one thing, what would it be?
If you could change one thing about your current school environment, what would it be?
If you were dealing with [current event at university] what would you do?
If you could go back in time to a historical era, which one would you choose?
