Tips for College Interview

7/29/2019 Tips for College Interview

1/6

How to Answer the 10 Most Common Interview Questions during College Interviews and Scholarships:

While many colleges interview every applicant, others only select their top prospects. The interview means you are

one step closer to winning a scholarship or getting into the college of your dreams. The bad news, of course, is that you willnow undergo the nerve-wracking scrutiny of face-to-face communication with one or more interviewers. If the thought of this

makes your palms moisten or you get a sinking feeling in your stomach, you are not alone.

The best way to overcome a fear of the interview is to have an idea what you will be asked. In this guide, we will

share with you how to answer the ten most common questions. Having sat on both sides of the table, we can attest to the fact

that an interview can provide significant insight into an applicant's persona. It's really important that you invest the time to

prepare. Let's get started.

Question 1: How have you been a leader or displayed leadership?

When you are asked to explain your leadership capabilities, you don't want to only list off a bunch of titles and

positions. Instead focus on a specific leadership position or activity and give enough detail to show the depth of yourcommitment. Citing concrete accomplishments like getting half of the dorm to participate in a scavenger hunt or giving toys to

more than 200 families also helps the interviewer gauge the significance of your achievement. Remember that you don't have

to hold an official title or elected position in order to show leadership. Describing how you organized something or motivated a

group of people is just as impressive as any official title.

Question 2: What is your greatest strength and weakness?

It's easy to say that your strength is that you work hard. But what will really prove this to the judges is an example.

Use a particular instance to illustrate your strength so that the judges can see what you mean. It's not enough to say that youhave leadership qualities. You must share incidents that show how you have led. What kinds of results have come from your

leadership? Why do you do it? Help the judges understand why you believe this to be your strength.

When talking about a weakness, be honestbut realize that it's important to show what actions you are taking to

address what you consider to be a flaw. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging a failing, but it is very impressive to see

that you are also taking steps to minimize and perhaps overcome that weakness. Certainly, you want the interviewers to believe

that your weakness will not keep you from being successful as a college student.

Question 3: Who is a role model for you?

When interviewers ask this question, their intent is to learn something about you through your answer. In other words,

whom you admire says something about you. So be careful to explain your role model choice. If you just say that your role

model is golfing superstar Tiger Woods but offer no explanation, you aren't sharing much about yourself. The judges won't

know if Tiger is your role model because he's a good golfer, a Stanford graduate or something else. No matter whom you

choose as a hero, be sure to know enough about him or her to explain what specific quality you want to emulate. Also, knowthat person's shortcomings (and how he or she doesn't let it interfere with success) since you may be asked about that as a

follow-up question.

Question 4: What is your favorite book?

Don't give a book report when you answer this question. What the interviewer really wants to learn is who you are.

What you say about the importance of reading the book is indicative of your interests, beliefs, goals, likes and dislikes.

When thinking about which book to choose, ask yourself if your selection made you think differently or compelled

you to take a certain action. Ask yourself what specifically made you relate to a particular character. Also don't feel that you

have to select a classic. It's fine to say that your favorite book is Charlotte's Web orGreen Eggs and Ham. What's important isnot your book choice but why it is meaningful to you.

Question 5: Why did you choose this college?This is an excellent opportunity to reveal something about yourself through your answer. You don't want to be a tour

guide, describing the well-known assets of the college. It is better to explain why the college's features are important to you.

Instead of saying that you chose the school because of its research facilities, explain how you plan to make use of the facilities.

The more details and specifics you can give, the better. If it is applicable and appropriate, walk the interviewers through the

thought process you went through when selecting the college. This will help them understand what is important to you and itwill also show them how seriously you considered your choice of a college and the education you hope to attain there.

Question 6: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

It would be easy just to name a favorite subject and leave it at that. But the interviewer is trying to understand why

you like what you like. When answering a question like this, give reasons or examples for your selection. Don't state the

obvious. If you are asked why English is your favorite subject, give more than "Because I like it" or "Because I'm good at it."


2/6

You can also use a question like this as an opportunity to talk about an achievement or award. If you say that your

favorite subject is English, you can speak about a writing competition that you won or the reading marathon that you started.

This is a good springboard question that you can expand to bring your impressive achievements into the conversation.

Question 7: What's a meaningful academic class, project or other experience?

A question like this is a great opportunity to showcase an impressive project or achievement. Be sure to give a lot of

detail and explain the significance of the experience. Use your answer to show a little more about you by stating why theproject or class was meaningful to you and give examples of incidents that were memorable. If you can, select a subject or

project that relates to the scholarship since it will help demonstrate why you deserve to win the award.

Question 8: Why do you want to enter this career?

When interviewers ask this kind of question, they really want to know what inspires you. They want to see that you

have a rationale for entering a profession. More than that, they want to find you enthusiastic about your choice. Be sure to givea reason for selecting your career (don't say, "I don't know!"), even if it is something as simple as being influenced by a school

speaker, book or TV show. Help the interviewers feel your inspiration by using lots of examples. You want them to understand

why you want to work in this job field and what motivates you in general.

Question 9: With what activities are you most involved?

Fight the urge to answer this question by spouting off a laundry list of activities. Instead of telling all 12 clubs that you

are a member of, select a handful in which you've made significant contributions. This will be more meaningful to the selection

committee and will better capture their attention. For scholarship interviews, be sure to highlight activities that match the goal

of the awards. If you are applying for a writing award, speak about your journalism experience. If you are applying for anaward in medicine, speak about your medical-related experience, studies or volunteer work. Make the activities relevant to the

interview committee.

Question 10: Is there anything else you want to add?

Don't be shy about bringing up something important that the interviewer didn't ask you. If you've forgotten to speak

about something or a topic never came up during the conversation, now is the time to say so. Use this question to bring up astrong point or two that weren't discussed. The last impression you leave is often the strongest. If you think you've already left

a strong impression, then you don't have to say anything. But if you think you need to reemphasize an important point, this is

the time to make a final statement.

Final Thoughts...

Practicing for these questions will not only make your answers better, but it will help to give you confidence before

the actual interview. During your interviews, try to relax and have a real conversation with your interviewers. The interview isnot designed to be an interrogation. After you complete the interview, follow up with a thank-you note or email. Rememberthat interviewers are typically volunteers and have made the time to meet with you. If you feel that there is some important

piece of information that you forgot to share in the interview, mention it briefly in your thank-you note. If not, a simple thank

you will suffice.

Sejarah Universitas Paramadina

Pada tahun 1994, dua yayasan, Yayasan Wakaf Paramadina dengan ketua Prof. Dr. Nurcholish Madjid dan

Yayasan Pondok Mulya, yang masing-masing bergerak di bidang pendidikan, sepakat untuk bekerjasama

untuk mendirikan sebuah perguruan tinggi. Kesepakatan tersebut diwujudkan dengan didirikannya

Yayasan ParamadinaMulyapada tahun 1995.

Sebagai realisasi dari gagasan tersebut, maka pada tanggal 10 Januari 1998 diresmikan berdirinyaUniversitas ParamadinaMulya, yang diharapkan mampu: menyempurnakan konsep perguruan tinggi yang

sudah ada, menghasilkan lulusan yang memiliki keahlian yang diperlukan oleh bangsa Indonesia, yang

mempunyai kompetensi riset, semangat kewirausahaan yang menjiwai etika keislaman. menjadi wahana

pusat kebudayaan dan peradaban mampu mengembangkan kepribadian mahasiswa memiliki fitrahnya

sebagai universitas yang universal, sehingga mampu menyebut dirinya bertaraf internasional.

Pada awal berdirinya, Universitas ParamadinaMulya mempunyai empat program studi, yaitu Teknik

Informatika, Disain Produk, Manajemen, dan Falsafah dan Agama.

Pada tahun akademik 1999 / 2000 dibuka program pasca sarjana, diantaranya Magister Ilmu Agama Islam,


3/6

dan program studi sarjana Desain Grafis / Komunikasi Visual, Ilmu Komunikasi dan Hubungan

Internasional. Sedangkan pada tahun akademik 2000 / 2001, dibuka program studi Psikologi. Pada tanggal

20 Maret 2002 pengelola Universitas diserahkan sepenuhnya kepada Yayasan Wakaf Paramadina,

sedangkan nama universitas disesuaikan dari Universitas ParamadinaMulya menjadi Universitas

Paramadina.

Visi Misi Universitas Paramadina

Kilas Balik

Pada tahun 1994, dua yayasan, Yayasan Wakaf Paramadina dengan ketua Prof. Dr.Nurcholish Madjid danYayasan Pondok Mulya, yang dipimpin Sudwikatmono,yang masing-masing bergerak di bidang pendidikan, bersepakat mendirikan sebuahperguruan tinggi. Maka, pada 10 Januari 1998 secara resmi berdirilah UniversitasParamadina Mulya, yang kemudian berubah nama menjadi Universitas Paramadina.Perguruan tinggi ini diharapkan mampu:

Memperkenalkan konsep perguruan tinggi alternatif.

Menghasilkan lulusan yang mempunyai kompetensi riset dan kewirausahaan yang dijiwai etika

keislaman.

Menjadi wahana pusat kebudayaan dan peradaban.

Menjadi

universitas universal yang bertaraf internasional.

Visi dan Misi

Universitas Paramadina mempunyai misi untuk menjawab tantangan perkembangan bangsa di era yang

terus berubah. Juga, untuk ikut menciptakan model pendidikan yang ideal melalui pengembangan

universitas sebagai pusat penelitian dan pusat kebudayaan yang mendorong kreativitas, mengasah

kepekaan religius, menyuburkan semangat

kemanusiaan dan toleransi.

Visi tersebut diwujudkan dalam berbagai upaya untuk mengembangkan ilmu, melalui penciptaanlingkungan kampus sebagai pusat ilmu dan budaya, yang menjunjung tinggi kebebasan mimbar akademik.

Universitas Paramadina bekerja keras untuk dapat menghasilkan lulusan yang tidak saja mampu

menjawab tantangan dunia profesi tetapi juga memiliki kedalaman iman, kepekaan nurani, keluasan

wawasan dan kemandirian jiwa.

Substansinya adalah bahwa ilmu dapat kita peroleh melalui dua cara, yaitu dengan mendalami kitab suci dan dengan

mempelajari alam semesta. Universitas Paramadina berusaha memfasilitasi keduanya.

Nilai/Karakter dan Kompetensi

Universitas Paramadina menjunjung tinggi nilai-nilai ke-Islaman, kemodernan dan ke-Indonesiaan.Seraya mengharapkan dukungan masyarakat dan melibatkan seluruh civitas akademika, mahasiswadi Universitas Paramadina didorong untuk untuk terus mendalami ilmu dan teknologi, kewirausahaandan peresapan makna hidup beragama. Semua itu diperlukan guna mewujudkan keunggulan

manusia (insan kamil). Perwujudan nilai-nilai tersebut dilakukan melalui berbagai aktivitas yangmelibatkan seluruh civitas akademika, untuk menghasilkan ilmuwan, pemimpin dan entrepreneurmasa depan yang menjunjung tinggi nilai moral dan dapat memanfaatkan peluang yang ada demikemaslahatan bangsa.

Nilai/Karakter dan Kompetensi


4/6

Let's start with some good news. If you are asked to do an interview for a scholarship competition, itmeans that you are a serious contender for the award. The same can also be true for collegeinterviews. While many colleges interview every applicant, others only select their top prospects. Butregardless of the situation, the interview means you are one step closer to winning a scholarship orgetting into the college of your dreams. The bad news, of course, is that you will now undergo thenerve-wracking scrutiny of face-to-face communication with one or more interviewers. If the thoughtof this makes your palms moisten or you get a sinking feeling in your stomach, you are not alone.

The best way to overcome a fear of the interview is to have an idea what you will be asked. In thisguide, we will share with you how to answer the ten most common questions. Having sat on bothsides of the table, we can attest to the fact that an interview can provide significant insight into anapplicant's persona. It's really important that you invest the time to prepare. Let's get started

How have you been a leader or displayed leadership?

When you are asked to explain your leadership capabilities, you don't want to only list off a bunch oftitles and positions. Instead focus on a specific leadership position or activity and give enough detailto show the depth of your commitment. Citing concrete accomplishments like getting half of thedorm to participate in a scavenger hunt or giving toys to more than 200 families also helps theinterviewer gauge the significance of your achievement. Remember that you don't have to hold anofficial title or elected position in order to show leadership. Describing how you organized somethingor motivated a group of people is just as impressive as any official title.

What is your greatest strength and weakness?

It's easy to say that your strength is that you work hard. But what will really prove this to the judgesis an example. Use a particular instance to illustrate your strength so that the judges can see whatyou mean. It's not enough to say that you have leadership qualities. You must share incidents thatshow how you have led. What kind of results have come from your leadership? Why do you do it?Help the judges understand why you believe this to be your strength.

When talking about a weakness, be honestbut realize that it's important to show what actions youare taking to address what you consider to be a flaw. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging afailing, but it is very impressive to see that you are also taking steps to minimize and perhapsovercome that weakness. Certainly, you want the interviewers to believe that your weakness will not

keep you from being successful as a college student.

Who is a role model for you?

When interviewers ask this question, their intent is to learn something about you through youranswer. In other words, whom you admire says something about you. So be careful to explain yourrole model choice. If you just say that your role model is golfing superstar Tiger Woods but offer noexplanation, you aren't sharing much about yourself. The judges won't know if Tiger is your rolemodel because he's a good golfer, a Stanford graduate or something else. No matter whom youchoose as a hero, be sure to know enough about him or her to explain what specific quality you want


5/6

to emulate. Also, know that person's shortcomings (and how he or she doesn't let it interfere with

success) since you may be asked about that as a follow-up question.What is your favorite book?

Don't give a book report when you answer this question. What the interviewer really wants to learn iswho you are. What you say about the importance of reading the book is indicative of your interests,beliefs, goals, likes and dislikes.

When thinking about which book to choose, ask yourself if your selection made you think differently

or compelled you to take a certain action. Ask yourself what specifically made you relate to aparticular character. Also don't feel that you have to select a classic. It's fine to say that your favoritebook is Charlotte's Web or Green Eggs and Ham. What's important is not your book choice but why itis meaningful to you.

Why did you choose this college?

This is an excellent opportunity to reveal something about yourself through your answer. You don'twant to be a tour guide, describing the well-known assets of the college. It is better to explain whythe college's features are important to you. Instead of saying that you chose the school because ofits research facilities, explain how you plan to make use of the facilities. The more details andspecifics you can give, the better. If it is applicable and appropriate, walk the interviewers throughthe thought process you went through when selecting the college. This will help them understandwhat is important to you and it will also show them how seriously you considered your choice of acollege and the education you hope to attain there.

What is your favorite subject in school and why?

It would be easy just to name a favorite subject and leave it at that. But the interviewer is trying tounderstand why you like what you like. When answering a question like this, give reasons orexamples for your selection. Don't state the obvious. If you are asked why English is your favorite

subject, give more than "Because I like it" or "Because I'm good at it."

You can also use a question like this as an opportunity to talk about an achievement or award. If yousay that your favorite subject is English, you can speak about a writing competition that you won orthe reading marathon that you started. This is a good springboard question that you can expand tobring your impressive achievements into the conversation.

What's a meaningful academic class, project or other experience?

A question like this is a great opportunity to showcase an impressive project or achievement. Be sureto give a lot of detail and explain the significance of the experience. Use your answer to show a littlemore about you by stating why the project or class was meaningful to you and give examples ofincidents that were memorable. If you can, select a subject or project that relates to the scholarshipsince it will help demonstrate why you deserve to win the award.

Why do you want to enter this career?


6/6

When interviewers ask this kind of question, they really want to know what inspires you. They wantto see that you have a rationale for entering a profession. More than that, they want to find youenthusiastic about your choice. Be sure to give a reason for selecting your career (don't say, "I don'tknow!"), even if it is something as simple as being influenced by a school speaker, book or TV show.Help the interviewers feel your inspiration by using lots of examples. You want them to understandwhy you want to work in this job field and what motivates you in general.

With what activities are you most involved?

Fight the urge to answer this question by spouting off a laundry list of activities. Instead of telling all12 clubs that you are a member of, select a handful in which you've made significant contributions.

This will be more meaningful to the selection committee and will better capture their attention. Forscholarship interviews, be sure to highlight activities that match the goal of the awards. If you areapplying for a writing award, speak about your journalism experience. If you are applying for anaward in medicine, speak about your medical-related experience, studies or volunteer work. Makethe activities relevant to the interview committee.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Don't be shy about bringing up something important that the interviewer didn't ask you. If you'veforgotten to speak about something or a topic never came up during the conversation, now is thetime to say so. Use this question to bring up a strong point or two that weren't discussed. The lastimpression you leave is often the strongest. If you think you've already left a strong impression, thenyou don't have to say anything. But if you think you need to reemphasize an important point, this isthe time to make a final statement.

Final Thoughts ...

Practicing for these questions will not only make your answers better, but it will help to give youconfidence before the actual interview. During your interviews, try to relax and have a realconversation with your interviewers. The interview is not designed to be an interrogation. After youcomplete the interview, follow up with a thank-you note or email. Remember that interviewers aretypically volunteers and have made the time to meet with you. If you feel that there is someimportant piece of information that you forgot to share in the interview, mention it briefly in your

thank-you note. If not, a simple thank you will suffice.

Documents

Tips for College Interview