Choosing an outfit for your college interviews is not just about knowing what to wear, but it is also about what not to wear. The fact is that no matter what you wear, you are conveying a message. Either consciously or subconsciously this message will influence the opinion of the representative who is conducting the interview.
People Do Judge One Another By Clothing Choices
You might not like the fact that people of all ages judge you by your choice of clothing, but the simple fact is that they do. Research indicates that people form their opinions quickly and a good deal of what they decide is based on how you look. Yes, this might be unfair, but it is usually the reality of the situation. When you walk into an admissions office, you have little to no idea about the background of the people that you will be meeting, what their view on life are, and/or what their political views may be. Due to this factor, you might want to play it on the safe side. For example, if you have tattoos up and down your arm, you might want to consider wearing long sleeves!
The simple fact is that when you walk into an admissions office, you could literally be meeting anyone. You may meet someone that you think is great and you wish could be your friend or you may meet someone that you truly dislike and hope to never see again. For this reason, it is important that you select clothing that is fairly neutral and run of the mill, even if you hate doing it. Remember this is not the costume you will be putting on for the rest of your life, but only for the day of your interview. This is one occasion where you are most definitely dressing for someone else and not yourself.
Are There Exceptions to the Rule?
There are perhaps a few exceptions to these clothing rules. For example, if you are applying to an art school, a design academy or a similar program in the arts you likely have more flexibility. The odds are that if you are interested in being a fashion designer, you don’t have to be quite as conservative for your interview. However, with that stated, it still could be in your best interest to side with caution and try to lean towards the neutral end of the clothing spectrum.
It probably isn’t a bad idea to ask people you trust for a little advice when it comes time to determining your wardrobe choices. They might just have some good ideas and pointers you hadn’t thought about.
Don’t Stress Too Much About Your Clothing Choices
Ultimately, your grades, SAT scores, letters of recommendation and how you present yourself will play a far greater role than how you dress. Yet, playing it safe on interview day is likely your best bet. You just don’t know who you will meet and where they are coming from. You want your to tell people that you are taking getting into college seriously, and if you show up in an outfit that would generally be looked at as odd, you may actually undermine what could otherwise be a strong application. Playing it safe with your wardrobe selection for a few hours really won’t kill you… it just maybe irritate you a bit.
Why do you want to go to our school?
Whether it’s for religious reasons, practical concerns, or simply because it’s tough to find a school that seems like a good fit, a growing percentage of teenagers are being homeschooled by a parent or tutor. There are a lot of advantages to this approach: parents can directly oversee their children’s education, there’s no need to worry about crime or bad influences at school, and you have the flexibility of taking vacation time whenever you like. But there’s one concern that most families have a hard time escaping: once you finish your high school education at home, will any competitive college be willing to take a chance on you?