How To Prepare For US, UK College Admissions And Interviews

As the board exams have concluded, students are now looking for best colleges in India and aboard to pursue their higher education. Narrowing down on a college becomes difficult for foreign aspirants who are willing to study abroad as they have innumerable options to choose from multiple countries. 

Among all foreign countries, US and UK have always been the most preferred destinations .While UK considers the scores of class 10 and 12 along with a strong personal statement for evaluating a candidate's application, the universities in the US take into account the candidate's upward moving trajectory academically from class 9 to 12, candidate's top 10 activities and rigor beyond the classroom via standardised testing scores.

Here are some ways that can help aspirants to ace the interviews in US and UK universities.

 The US interviews focus on the overall personality of the candidate, and the Oxbridge interviews are heavily academic and can have panels, notes Vandanee Ramani, consulting lead, Athena Education. "The US interviewer will likely be an alum who will evaluate the candidate and the role he/she can play in adding value to the institution. On the other hand, the UK interviewer will be a faculty member or a subject matter expert looking to gauge the gravitas of the candidate's understanding of the chosen field."

Some common questions for US interviews are centered around who you are, the interests you have pursued, the challenges you have faced, how you have displayed leadership and why you want to study at a particular university, etc. 

Adding further, Ms Ramani says, "The UK interviews stem from your personal statement, followed by detailed questions on the subject, which can be situational or purely academic. The way to ace them is to research and prepare well."

Sharing insights for interview preparation, Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Leverage.biz offered some tips. "When preparing for these pivotal interviews, understand that beyond academic excellence, these institutions are looking for individuals who bring diverse perspectives and a genuine passion for their chosen field. Start by familiarising yourself with common questions, but go deeper - reflect on your unique experiences, achievements, and challenges. Articulate not just what you've done, but why you've done it and what you've learned. Practice articulating your thoughts in a structured yet natural manner, and remember, confidence is key, but it must be coupled with humility."

He added that an interview is a two-way conversation - it's as much about the candidates assessing if the university fits their aspirations as it is about them evaluating them.

Overall, the US interviews can be more conversational, the UK interviews demand that candidates display strong intellect, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

The key to acing interviews for both is confidence, clarity of thought, and firm communication skills. In cases, where candidates do not know something, they must keep a pen and paper handy to structure their thoughts or ask for time to think about their response.