ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW PREP
Using AI Models
Coral Azarian, Rowland Hall
Robert Kostrzeski, RED Consulting
Using ChatGPT to support Interview Prep
Goal
To help students utilize AI as a resource to support their preparation for college interviews, and to identify ways to strengthen their responses both in clarity and specificity.
Outcomes
Students will practice collecting their examples and reflective responses to typical interview questions, in a low stakes environment that supports personal reflection and provides an opportunity to identify growth areas and potential new programs of interest at a specific college/university
STEPS
Have Students Input this Starter Prompt:
I am a high school senior, preparing to interview with an admissions counselor at INSTITUTION NAME Ask me at least 5 interview questions, one at a time, and then after I have answered all of them, provide feedback on my answers, as well as some suggested alternate answers I could have given. I will share my resume with you when you’re ready, so that you can tailor questions to fit my interests.
Students Then Input Their Resume:
If students already have a resume developed, they can simply copy and paste the text into ChatGPT, or add their resume as a Word/PDF file. If they don’t have a resume, they can simply pull any existing questionnaire info; for example, if you use Scoir, students can pull their Activities and Accomplishments section. In whatever form possible, it’s important that students provide the AI model with personal information so that it can tailor relevant interview questions.
Students Engage with ChatGPT Around the Interview
The AI model will ask questions one at a time, and at the conclusion of the mock interview, students will get feedback on their responses. They’ll also get suggested alternate answers to the questions, which they should review carefully to see if they can incorporate that feedback.
STRATEGIES TO AMPLIFY THE EXERCISE:
Ask the Model Specific Follow-Up Questions
As ChatGPT makes suggestions for improvement on interview responses, students can ask for more clarification and specific suggestions As an example:
One of the things you mentioned was that I should practice storytelling - that is something I struggle with, what are some specific suggestions and resources that might help me improve at that?
Identify Areas for Exploration Through Questions
For the questions that particularly stumped a student, they can dive deeper into that area and get additional inspiration by asking ChatGPT to ask follow-up questions. As an example:
One of the questions you asked earlier was how I see my interest in history and religion shaping my future - to be honest, I am not sure how I should answer that question. Help me think about that further by asking me additional exploration questions.
Dive Deeper Into College-Specific Information
For questions where the student sees room for improvement, they can use ChatGPT to identify specific programs and aspects of the college that they can utilize in their responses. Make sure they explicitly tell the AI model to search the internet, so it doesn’t just rely on potentially outdated training data. For example:
One of the strategies you suggested to improve my answers was to be more specific. Suggest some specific programs at Georgetown that align with my interests and accomplishments so that I can use them in my interview responses. Make sure to search Georgetown’s website in detail when you source this information.
Apply a Similar Approach for “Why Us” Supplemental Essay
This same prompting process that students used for interview prep can also work well for students who need to explore themes they can include in written essays. Coach students to understand that the responses from ChatGPT, especially about collegespecific programs that align with their interests, are just a starting point. They can take these and go and do their own research much more in depth, or even use the AI model to help them find other colleges. For example:
You mentioned the “Center for Humanistic Inquiry” at Amherst College. Are there other small private liberal arts colleges that have similar programs?