Robert Frost at Amherst.

When visiting colleges, spend some time listening to and watching what students are doing.  See how the students are interacting, what they are wearing, what books they’re reading and so on.  Are the students lively and enjoying what they are doing?

It is always a good idea to do the traditional tours, to observe classes and to attend informational meetings on campus.  To get a real sense of the school, go and speak with the students and observe what they do outside of classrooms.

The alumni network will tell about how the graduates feel about their college education.  Find out what career paths alumni have chosen and who some of the “famous” alumni are.

If the college offers an interview, you must use that opportunity or you will be put at a disadvantage, at least with some colleges.  However, many schools do not require or recommend that you ask for an interview.  If you do have an interview, try to highlight yourself with what the college wants to know more about yourself.  The most important thing, however, is being yourself.  You want to attend a college because it will fulfill your educational needs not because of its ranking, after all.

Whatever you do during your visits to a college, enjoy yourself, try to imagine yourself among the students and see if you will like it.

Maybe not all interviewers endorse this idea but wear something comfortable, something that does not make you fill like you are someplace where you don’t belong.  Many interviewers emphasize that it is what is inside that counts.  College admissions interviewers say that they do not report on how the interviewee was dressed.  However, they would not like it if you wore something that is out of place, such as wearing swim shorts to a cafe for the interview.  College admissions interviewers also would not like if you showed up smelling with bad body odor.  It is not a good idea to wear something too heavy since you will sweating a lot and would not be able to concentrate on the interview

Try to be comfortable and be yourself.  That’s what they want to know.

It is important to remember that interviewers are not trying to scrutinize students and make the interview a difficult process for the student.  It is usually the student who make it more difficult.  Just being comfortable and being himself/herself will make the interview go much smoother and productive.  The interviewer wants to know the personal aspects of the student that are not presented in the application forms.

If your child has an interview coming up and if the interview place is at a quiet public place, you should take your child to that place and order something and spend some time talking with your child. During the real interview, your child will feel more comfortable meeting someone in that place.  I hear that some parents go as far as hiring someone to have mock interviews with their children.  I suppose it is necessary for you or your child to come with some interview questions and have your child practice answering them.  Remember that the interviewers are not there to confirm with your child what your child got on your SAT.  But they might ask your child whether your child’s test scores or GPA’s do reflect your child’s academic potential (i.e. if illness or family circumstances prevented your child from getting good SAT scores or GPA).   Also, have your child come up with some meaningful questions about the college to ask the interviewer.