There are many parts to getting into your top college or university. Since there are many opportunities for something to go wrong, you may be feeling a great deal of pressure. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to panic. Smart advance preparation can do a great deal to increase your odds of getting into the college or university of your choice. Acing your college interview is a major part of getting accepted to one of your top picks. In this article, we will focus on some of the major mistakes you might make on your college interview.
Mistake #1-A Bad Night’s Sleep
No matter how well prepared you may be for your college interview, a bad night of sleep can kill your chances of getting into one of your top college picks. So this means you shouldn’t cram the night before your college interview. You also shouldn’t go out with your friends and stay out late. On the contrary, be sure to stay home, relax, and go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Of course, don’t forget to set your alarm either! It is very important to show up on time.
Mistake #2- Stressing Out Due to Parental Pressure
Some parents undo the chances of their children achieving success by putting them under too much pressure. Remember that even if you do in fact “blow” your college interview, the world does in fact keep spinning. Just do your best and try to ignore any pressure that your parents or anyone else has thrown your way. Otherwise, you may be so nervous during the interview that you stumble through the questions or forget what you wanted to say.
Mistake #3-Not Knowing Anything About the College or University
Imagine going into a job interview and not knowing the first thing about the company where you want a job. Does that make sense? The same thing applies when it is time for your college interview. This doesn’t mean you need to know who the college president was in 1948, but you should have some answer prepared for the question, “Why did you want to be a student at XYZ University?”
Mistake #4-Forgetting Key Documents
If you are planning on bringing everything with you, make sure you have all your documents and materials ready to go. This will safeguard against rushing at the last second and showing up looking unprepared.
Mistake #5- Being Rude
It is a good idea to be polite during any interview, and college interviews are no different. Be certain to introduce yourself, and if your parents are in the waiting room, be sure to introduce them as well. Also shake hands and look the interviewer in the eye.
If you can manage to avoid making these five major mistakes your odds of success will go up! Preparing ahead of time, staying calm and making sure that you are ready for your interview are things that will all go a long way. Finally, don’t panic if your interviewer asks you a question that you can’t answer. Just try to be open and honest. The odds are that he or she doesn’t expect you to have all the answers. However, the way you respond when you don’t have an immediate answer ready will tell your interviewer a great deal about you.
Location – It might seem strange for someone to accept an offer of 
