I’ll go ahead and say it- I’m not the most eloquent or the best under pressure. So interviews, as you might imagine, are stressful for me! That’s why preparation has always been key for me. I’m sharing questions I recommend preparing for when interviewing for college.
** I want to note that I use a lot of filler words (like, um, etc.) when speaking, so I found it very helpful to actually write out – word for word – my answers to these questions. Most people say that a bullet point format is better so you don’t sound rehearsed. Do what works for you, but the main point is to think through the content of what you’ll be saying. That way, you won’t be coming up with answers on the spot, and you’ll sound more eloquent regardless.**
Before you start preparing for questions:
- For a few of your most interesting or favorite courses, write down a bit of information- what you learned, what you found most interesting, etc. It’s not uncommon for an interviewer to ask what your favorite classes were and then ask what you learned or what was interesting about it.
- For every co-curricular activity you put on your application- write about the activity in STAR format. The ‘result’ is arguably the most important part here. You want to show that you are impact-driven! This is how you should be talking about your activities in an interview.
- Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
- Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
- Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
- Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
- Know what’s happening in society. Look up who your senators, representatives, governors, etc are. Do the same for the city you’re interviewing in. You don’t want to claim to be involved in civil society or care about social topics and not know who your elected officials are.
Personal/About You Questions
- Tell me about yourself. (I’m sure you’ll get this question in every interview)
- What are your career plans and what led you to these decisions?
- What are your academic interests/what are your favorite subjects?
- What are you thinking of majoring in?
- What are you interested in outside of school/classes?
- What are you planning on doing outside of classes in college?
- How do you handle change?
- How do you go about making important decisions?
- How would your teammates/colleagues/friends describe you?
- What newspapers, etc., do you read on a regular basis?
- What do you expect to be doing 10 years from now?
- What are your favorite books/movies/TV shows?
Questions about your experiences
- Describe a situation in which you were dependable or demonstrated initiative. One in which you were not as dependable as you would have liked. What did you gain from that experience? How were you most/least satisfied with that endeavor?
- Describe a situation in which you have worked with a diverse group of people. What did you learn from that situation?
- Describe your volunteer experience
- Describe a time you worked with a challenging situation?
- Tell me about a time when you had to compromise.
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do and how did you correct it?
- What academic achievements are you most proud of? What research projects have you found most rewarding, and why?
- Are your grades fair reflections of your academic abilities and intellectual potential?
Questions About AMCAS Application
- Tell me about your high school.
- Which of your co-curricular activities has been most meaningful to you?
- What are your three most significant employment or co-curricular achievements?
Weird Questions
- If you were a superhero, what superpower would you have and why?
- Have you ever experienced a situation where your integrity was compromised.
- Who would you say has been the most influential person in the last one-hundred years?
- If you could invite four people to dinner, who would they be? Why?
Strengths/Weaknesses Questions
- Biggest challenge/weakness? Biggest strengths?
- What were the happiest and saddest moments of your life? / Best and worst thing to happen to you?
- What was your proudest moment?
- What is the greatest challenge you have faced?
- Tell me about a time when you were criticized unfairly.
- How do you respond to criticism? Describe a situation where your work was criticized. What was your immediate reaction to the situation?
- Tell me about a time when you failed.
- How do you handle failure?
- What do you think will be your biggest challenge/asset in medicine?
- What was the most stressful situation you ever faced? How did you handle it?
- Describe when you faced problems that tested your coping skills. What did you do?
- What was your most difficult decision to date, and how did you go about making it?
- What lessons have you learned from your “failures” or “mistakes”?
School Specific Questions
- Why XYZ School? Why do you think school X is the right place for you? How do the values of this institution line up with yours?
- What do you look for in a school?
- Do you think you would do well in the (school X) System?
- What diversity or unique skills would you bring to our school/city?
- Concerns about this city?
