Ace Your College Interview: Mastering the "Tell Me About Yourself" Question

The college interview is a crucial step in the admissions process, offering a personal connection that goes beyond transcripts and recommendations. It's your chance to shine and demonstrate why you're a great fit for the institution. Among the many questions you might encounter, "Tell me about yourself" is almost guaranteed to appear, often as the very first one. This seemingly simple prompt is a golden opportunity to make a strong first impression and set the tone for the entire conversation.

Why This Question Matters

The "Tell me about yourself" question serves several purposes for the interviewer. It allows them to:

Assess your preparedness: It gauges how well you've thought about your experiences, skills, and motivations, and how effectively you can articulate them.
Understand your personality: It provides a glimpse into who you are beyond your academic achievements and allows you to showcase your unique qualities.
Identify potential discussion points: Your answer helps the interviewer determine relevant follow-up questions and guide the conversation in a meaningful direction.
Evaluate your fit: It reveals how your background, interests, and goals align with the college's culture, mission, and academic offerings.
Gauge Demonstrated Interest: Interviewers use your answer to assess your genuine interest in attending their school.

Crafting Your Response: A Step-by-Step Guide

Answering "Tell me about yourself" effectively requires careful planning and thoughtful execution. Here's a structured approach to help you create a compelling and memorable response:

1. Start Strong with a Compelling Introduction

Instead of simply stating your name (which the interviewer already knows), begin with an engaging opening that captures their attention. Consider these options:

Highlight your identity: Lead with your current role or passion. For example, "I’m a high school senior passionate about healthcare and public service," or "I’m a dedicated college student majoring in public health, with a strong interest in community wellness."
Mention a trait or skill: Start by mentioning a trait or skill that fits the job well. For example, "I'm proud to say that I often get told I am (mention a trait or skill that fits the job well)."

2. Weave a Narrative: Connect Your Past, Present, and Future

The key to a successful response lies in storytelling. Share a narrative that connects your personal journey with the core values and specific major of the chosen school. Adapt your experiences to show how your unique path has naturally led you to this scholarship or opportunity.

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Share your background: Briefly mention where you grew up or a foundational aspect of your upbringing, such as your parents’ professions or your cultural heritage.
Discuss your academic interests: Tell the interviewer about your prospective major (if you have one) or your main areas of interest (if you're undecided). Highlight why you're interested in this major and why the university is ideal for this area of focus.
Highlight your strengths: Describe two or three of your most important broader personality traits and provide examples that illustrate these attributes.
Showcase your extracurricular activities: Discuss the activities you're involved in outside of school and how they showcase your skills, commitment, and interests. Focus on your most significant activities or accomplishments and explain their impact on your personality and values.
Mention unique experiences: Include any personal experiences or background that set you apart from others, such as being from a unique cultural background, having work experience, or overcoming challenges. Be sure to connect these experiences to your personal growth, skills, and values.

3. Connect to the College: Demonstrate Your Knowledge and Enthusiasm

Show that you've done your research and understand what makes the college unique.

Align with the school's culture: Since you should have researched the school thoroughly before the interview, you will hopefully already have a good idea of how your personality, as well as academic and extracurricular interests, will fit in there. Crucially, you shouldn’t assume that your interviewer can figure out how your background aligns with the school’s culture on their own.
Mention specific programs or offerings: Connect your background to programs, classes, professors, and other unique offerings at the college, and explain how these resources will launch you into your future. Be specific about what makes the school stand out compared to other schools, in terms of the culture or academic offerings.
Express your interest: Briefly mention why the college you're interviewing for aligns with your interests, goals, and values. Show genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity to attend that institution.

4. End with Your Goals and Aspirations

Conclude by sharing your future goals and how the scholarship or opportunity will help you reach them.

Connect to your journey: End with how this scholarship fits into your journey. For example, "I’m applying for this scholarship because I believe it will help me continue my education in healthcare, allowing me to make a meaningful impact in underserved communities."
Share your long-term vision: "My long-term goal is to work in healthcare administration, and I see this opportunity as a crucial step in building my skills and knowledge."

Dos and Don'ts: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

While crafting your response, keep these dos and don'ts in mind:

Dos:

Be yourself: Speak about what you know and don't try to impress with things you're unfamiliar with.
Be authentic: Share a passion or value that ties into the role or the scholarship.
Be relevant: Tailor your response to the specific school, major, and scholarship you're applying for.
Be concise: Aim for a response that is around 2-3 minutes long.
Be enthusiastic: Let your passion and excitement shine through.
Practice: Rehearse your response with family and friends to ensure a smooth and confident delivery.
Highlight your soft skills: Show that you're eager to learn more.
Show confidence and active listening: Highlight your soft skills, like confidence and active listening.

Don'ts:

Don't overshare: Avoid overly personal details that detract from the professional image you want to project.
Don't sound rehearsed: While practice is important, avoid sounding robotic or memorized.
Don't be generic: Avoid saying something generic that could apply to any institution.
Don't be superficial: Ensure your reasons for wanting to study a particular field are rooted in genuine intellectual curiosity.
Don't make the interviewer do your work: Explain how you would take advantage of specific opportunities at the college.
Don't mention irrelevant hobbies: Avoid discussing personal hobbies that aren’t relevant to the school or interview.
Don't talk too much about friends and family: Focus on aspects of your life that show your potential as a college student.

Sample Responses: Inspiration and Guidance

Here are a few sample responses to illustrate how to effectively answer the "Tell me about yourself" question:

Example 1: Aspiring English/Journalism Major

"I grew up in a small town in Connecticut and have lived there my whole life, so I’d really love to experience city life in college. Since I live relatively close to New York, I’ve had the opportunity to visit a few times, and it has so much to offer, especially in terms of the literary scene. I love reading and writing, so I’m thinking of majoring in English or journalism. My attention to detail is something I’ve been able to rely on to help me overcome challenges. Junior year, I was having a hard time in trig. When I met with my teacher outside of class, though, we were able to determine that I had a solid grasp of simple concepts like sine and cosine, but was struggling with bigger picture concepts. In general, though, my interests are more humanities leaning. I especially enjoy writing and foreign languages, which is why I’m a columnist for my school newspaper and the president of the Spanish club. I'm drawn to NYU's vibrant literary community and its diverse range of journalism courses, which I believe will provide me with the skills and experiences I need to pursue my passion for storytelling."

Example 2: Passionate Theater Enthusiast

"As a kid, I frequently visited family in Los Angeles. During those trips, my aunt would take me to see musicals at the Orpheum Theatre, which sparked my love for drama. I wasn’t always confident, though. Despite my passion for theater, I was incredibly shy as a kid. It took me several years to work up the courage to even audition for a show. I am grateful for how my involvement in theater has helped me become more secure in expressing myself. Aside from theater, I’m really passionate about reading. I started a book club at my high school that meets weekly, and I also run a book blog, where I analyze and review novels I read. I’d love to attend UCLA because the Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program will give me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as an actress. As an avid reader, I’m also extremely interested in UCLA’s Comparative Literature minor. I believe that UCLA's strong emphasis on both performance and academics will allow me to explore my multifaceted interests and become a well-rounded artist."

Example 3: Future Marine Biologist

"I come from three generations of farmers. My family lives on a corn farm in a small town in Nebraska. I always thought I would be a farmer, just like my dad, until my family took a vacation to Hawaii after my freshman year of high school. We went snorkeling almost every day, and I became fascinated with marine life. As part of my pursuit of this goal, last year I became scuba certified, and I started bi-weekly diving lessons at the nearest scuba diving school. It’s a 75-minute drive from where I live, so I’m proud of my determination to continue attending the classes, even when they conflict with my busy schedule. I’d love to attend the University of Maine because it has such a large concentration of professors who specialize in marine sciences, and access to two research centers, the Darling Marine Center and Aquaculture Research Center. I am particularly interested in the research being conducted at the Darling Marine Center on the impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems, and I hope to contribute to this important work during my time at the University of Maine."

Beyond the Answer: Making a Lasting Impression

Remember that the "Tell me about yourself" question is just the beginning. Here are a few additional tips to help you make a lasting impression:

Learn about the interviewer ahead of time: Research your interviewer to find common interests or experiences.
Show that you're eager to learn more: Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the college, its programs, and their own experiences.
Be friendly: Being friendly and sharing unique life experiences is always a great conversation starter, so it would be good to recount core memories that you may have.
Be professional: Remember to be respectful, make eye contact, address the interviewer by their appropriate titles, and smile.
Send a thank-you note: Follow up with a thank-you note to express your gratitude and reiterate your interest in the college.

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