Top tips for preparing for a university interview

Hello, my name is Benjamin! I study an LLM in International Human Rights Law and Practice at the University of York. I’m also a member of Vanbrugh College. In this blog, I’ll share my three top tips for preparing for a university interview.

1) Asking relevant questions to your subject and university

Asking questions is a great way to demonstrate your passion for the subject you wish to study at university. It’s also a wonderful way to impress the person who is interviewing you. Asking relevant questions shows engagement in higher education before you have even attended university. It’s also an important demonstration of original thought, as asking relevant questions shows that you have your own unique ideas about the subject, and university more generally. This is an important skill to have at university, and it’s helpful to develop this skill before officially attending university. Overall, relevant questions may include asking about specific modules, topics, methods of learning, and career options from studying the degree at university.

2) Dressing appropriately and comfortably

Being comfortable, yet smart, will help you to relax for your university interview. Feeling more relaxed will allow you to demonstrate all of your amazing qualities that will be useful for university. This will mean you’ll leave a good, long-lasting impression on your interviewer. Be sure to look at the university’s requirements for the interview and whether they require you to dress in smart/casual attire. Being dressed appropriately, perhaps by wearing an overcoat or dressing in smart/casual attire, should make you feel more comfortable.

3) Talking about examples where you’ve worked well in a group

Group work is an important part of university and the wider world of work. So, universities may wish to see where you have worked well with others to achieve a common goal or objective. Group-work skills can be demonstrated in a variety of settings, including in part-time work, volunteering roles, and extracurricular activities. Therefore, it’d be useful to have a couple of examples and be able to explain how they are relevant to the degree subject you wish to study.

Read more student advice on preparing for university interview.