The longer you live, the easier it is to introduce yourself. Be it in a date, job interview, school admission interview, or any other occasion. The older you are, the more you have experienced (in all spheres of life), and can talk about. Your family, the jobs you had, successes and disappointment, lessons you learned along the way, hobbies you tried… Once you are still very young, however, 16, 18, 20, have not worked anywhere, and were lucky enough to have avoided some serious drama in life up to this point, the “Tell me about yourself” question gets more difficult. And that’s exactly the case in most student interviews, for example when you try to get to med school, nursing school, private high school, or any college with admission interviews. What should you talk about then?
Well, you should simply tell them who you are. That means where you are from, what you enjoy to do in your free time, your study goals (you should have some), and perhaps something about your education up to this point, if there is anything worth mentioning… You should realize that in school admission interviews, they use this question as an icebreaker, to help you settle in and calm down, and to get a basic idea of who you are, and your communication skills. Bearing this in mind, how you say it matters even more than what you say.
You should be brimming with excitement–after all this is THE school where you want to go and spend a few years of your life. It is also important to keep an eye contact with the people in the admission committee, and demonstrate that you are ready to speak openly in the interviews, and do not want to hide anything. As long as you manage to do this, they will be satisfied with your answer.
7 sample answers to “Tell me about yourself” question for students and school interviews
- My name is Anna, I am 22 years old, and hope to finally start studying at vet school. Come from a small town in California and love to spend the summers in the Sierra, the Yosemite national park and higher. I am a nature lover, and I have always felt this special connection to animals, which is the no. 1 reason for my career path. Have two brothers, both older, one studying computer science and another one working in nature preservation. My favorite subjects are Math and Biology, and I cannot wait to explore new horizons studying here.
- I am Andrew, 19, and before anything else let me tell you that I totally love this city and campus. It is the most beautiful school I’ve ever visited, and it would be a privilege to study here and perhaps even to represent your colors in track and field. Well, I am an avid runner, thinking that one day I may make it to the national championships, and after that sky is the limit, but I also know that it would be a mistake to rely on my sporting career only, and I should obtain a degree, ideally in something related to sport, since that is my greatest passion.
- I would introduce myself as a dreamer. What you see in front of you may seem like an ordinary girl, 18, no different from any in the streets. But you should know that I dream of changing the world to better, and I want to do it with the help of science. And while you may find me rollerskating next to the river, or listening to music like any other 18-years old does on an ordinary day, I want to dedicate myself to research related to fresh water preservation, which is in my view one of the biggest problems we face as humanity. In order to do that, however, I first have to study, gain connections, work on some papers, and so on. I believe that your school is an ideal place to pursue my ambitions.
- Gavin, 19, avid gamer and programmer, hoping to one day come up with the next big thing in a gaming industry. And I feel the path starts here, in this interview, at this school… I spend most of my time in front of a computer screen, but not always playing, also coding, learning new languages, and so on. After all technology rules the world, and where else should one be nowadays? I live with my mother and sister so far, but hope to relocate to this town once I begin my studies.
- My name is Anita, and you may wonder what I do here being 32 years old already. Well, I guess it is never too late for right decisions in life. When I was younger I thought I did not need education, and would be happy working in some retail store, or in some fast food restaurant. But after a few years I started to dislike the job, and could not see a meaningful purpose in what I do. That’s why I decided to go back to the drawing board, think about my life, and try to do something with it. Considering what I feel, and what I’d like to do with the time I have allotted at this planet, I see nursing school as an ideal step in my professional career, since it will allow me to do jobs with a meaningful purpose. At least that’s how I see it.
- My name is Micheal, I am 15, live with my two brothers and parents here in central Dublin. have always excelled in Math and Physics, won several national competitions, and my parents decided it would be better for me to study at a private high school, ideally bilingual. I was against the idea initially, but when I finally visited your place and understood what you do here, I fell in love with this place and cannot wait to start studying here. Outside of school I enjoy computers and soccer, and having good time with friends.
- Let me introduce myself in seven words: Responsible, optimistic, friendly, focused, and humble student. This is how I see myself, and though I know I have a lot to improve on in life, I also think I am not a bad student to have in the classroom. My favorite subjects are English and Arts, and I am an avid piano payer in my free time. Please feel free to ask anything about my family, education, or about anything else that may interest you.
Final thoughts
Remember that you do not have to reinvent the wheel in your student interview. No doubt if you stand out in some way–be it your education, some unique hobby, worldview, future plans, etc, it is good to mention it. But if you do not, and are simply another applicant, it is fine saying so, telling them something about your family, leisure time activities, and so on. Just remember to show positive emotions and a desire to study at their school. I sincerely hope my list of sample answers helped you to understand how to do it, and I wish you good luck in your upcoming interview!
Matthew
Check also sample answers to other tricky interview questions you may face as a student:
- Why did you choose this university?
- Nursing school interview – What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about yourself – Sample answers for fresh graduates.
