What is the interview in the overseas university?

Each university itself determines the interview format. In the usual time, universities often spend it on campus or nearby your place of residence. The latter is possible if the university has a large community of graduates worldwide, like Harvard or Cornell. In other cases, the interview is carried out by video link (Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts), less often on the phone. In connection with how the COVID 19 Pandemic Influences Students Education, all interviews were transferred to online format or replaced with something else (for example, Brownovsky University requested applicants to send a video popolio).

Next, we will talk about the most common types of interviews in content.

Traditional interview

The basis is common questions about you, your Motivational Speeches, the choice of specialty, plans for the future, career purposes, etc. We have already told a lot about such a format, so I will immediately give examples:

• Why Are you intended in this university? / Why Did You Choose This University?


• What Is Your Greatest Weakness? / WHEN DID YOU FAIL AT SOMETHING?


• What Extracurricular Activities Are You Involved in?


• Where Would You Like to Work? / Career Goals and the countries you Want To Work in / How Would the University Help You to Achieve Your Goals?

Case interview

You are given a task / situation for which you need to offer a solution. The interviewer assesses analytical skills, creativity, logic. The case interviews are important not only and not so much the right answers as the process of finding these answers:

• As you specify clarifying questions, determine key details, draw conclusions;


• How do you find a way out of a non-standard situation;


• As you act within the framework of the specified conditions (often insufficient to solve the problem).

Listen carefully to the question, make a mark. If there are doubts, specify the introductory data. Then say your algorithm of solutions - so the interviewer will make the development of your thoughts.

This type of interviews more often use business schools - for example, French ESSEC and EDHEC (and even on undergraduate). But many universities introduce it for other specialties.

Examples:

• Theoretical or Practical Profile Task (What for a Business Looking To Create An Online Presence?);


• Mathematical Riddle (How Many Babies Are Born in A Given Year in the United States?)


• Puzzle (How Do You Know Whether Or Not The Light Is On Inside A Refrigerator?)