There are a few interviewing styles you might encounter during your college application process, and there are helpful tips you will want to keep in mind when you encounter each of them. Formal - The interviewer is very businesslike and polite, the personality displayed is minimal, and he asks very direct, official-sounding questions, seemingly right down the list. This style is most typical of interviews by admissions officers, but don't be intimidated by the formality. Remember that it is still okay to smile, relax, and let your personality shine. Make it your goal to seek opportunities to sway the conversation in a direction that places you in the most positive possible light and highlights the elements most important for you to discuss.

Casual - The interviewer conducts himself as a friend, cracks jokes, sets you at ease and makes you feel comfortable.

This style is more typical of alumni interviews, and it's great that this approach eases your nerves and makes you feel as though you're under less pressure. The danger of this type of interview, however, can be that students sometimes become too relaxed and think it's okay to say anything. The danger here is that subconsciously they don't try as hard to impress their interviewer, believing that they've already earned their support. This is not always true-just because an interviewer smiles and laughs does not mean you're a favorite. You still want to stay on your toes, keep it earnest and positive, and aim to wow him even further than he already appears to be.

Rigid - The interviewer seems determined to rattle you or force you to present yourself in a negative light, and seems to have made up his/her mind not to like you. He/she may ask inappropriate, offensive, politically incorrect, prejudiced, rude, or negative questions. This style is not typical, but it does happen, though rarely to such an extreme. The trick here is to focus on positives all the way through, no matter what you're asked, and no matter what your interviewer's attitude is. If you're consistently being asked questions that will seemingly force you into a negative light (such as, "What are your biggest weaknesses?"), just spin the negatives into a positive. Note a weakness and immediately discuss what you're doing to address it or why it could be a good thing after all. And when the interview is over, report the interviewer to the school he represents - no school wants to risk its reputation by being represented by someone unconcerned about making negative impressions on prospective admissions candidates.

Final note for all styles and cases: By the time you interview, it is essential that you know why you are interested in the school on a level that is not generic, but that demonstrates your understanding of its distinction compared to any other as well as your understanding of why you and the school are a solid fit for one another. When the time comes during the interview when you're asked whether you have any questions, your answer should be yes, and your questions should be thoughtful rather than basic. Part of demonstrating your interest relies on your ability to ask thoughtful, sincere, original questions to show that despite everything you already know about a school, you are still eager to learn more and have given your options a fair amount of thought. Applicants who ask good, thoughtful questions impress interviewers because it not only shows a curiosity about the school, but also indicates that a student has given serious thought to whether a given school is a good collegiate fit. On the other hand, being unprepared and uninformed signals to the interviewer that you're not really interested and thus probably not a great fit. That said, doing your research and planning questions ahead of time are both of great importance to making a great impression.