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10 Tips to Ace College Interviews

Prospective student engaged in an online interview, applying strategies to excel in college admissions - The Red Pen

You might be getting ready for your interview with admissions officers, other university representatives or alumni in preparations for your studies abroad. While the purpose of the interview is to help a university better understand where you may fit into the campus environment, it is also a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions, convey your sincerity, personality and other things that can’t always be put down on paper.

Here are some useful college interview tips and reminders:

1) Mind your manners and appearance:

Dress appropriately and arrive/dial in on time. Remember the interviewer’s name and say thank you at the end of the interview. DO NOT text, WhatsApp or take calls during the interview. Maintain eye contact and do not fidget. If your interview is virtual, ensure that you have a backup internet connection and that no one will walk into the room during your session.

2) Know all the details on your application, resume and essays inside out:

Knowing yourself, your passions and your interests puts you in a better position to provide interesting responses to questions.

3) Make note of potential questions:

If you were reading your application, what questions would you have for yourself? Those are probably the questions you will get during the interview.

4) Research the college/programme:

Ensure that you research each programme you would like to attend as this can help you clearly articulate why this college/programme is THE choice for you.

5) Read, read and read some more:

It’s important that you are aware of what is going on in the world around you. Read the newspaper or watch the news, especially in the week leading up to the interview to get up-to-speed on current events and world developments.

6) Admission committee vs alumni interviews:

For MBA applicants, if the interview is with an admissions officer, there is more of an emphasis on academic fit with the programme and recruiting objectives. With an alumnus, it tends to be more about fit from a personality or outlook perspective. The alumnus is trying to figure out whether they would want to be up at 3 am with you to finish a project or be proud to call you a fellow alumnus 10 years from now.

7) Be succinct:

Applicants are expected to be able to provide succinct answers. For MBA applicants, business schools are looking for candidates who can make convincing arguments or statements without rambling.

8) Prepare examples to demonstrate a skill set:

Have an example or story (real, not concocted scenarios) ready for each of the following categories: leadership, teamwork, tough decision, plans that failed, taking initiative, being challenged, working yourself out of a seemingly impossible situation and anything else that is unique in your profile.

9) Be professional:

Don’t be overly formal and don’t take yourself too seriously. Be engaging and have a positive attitude.

10) Be confident:

Display that you are confident in yourself without being arrogant or showing an attitude. Do not think that you know everything and be humble.

As one of our colleagues who regularly interviews said, “the best interviews are the ones that move away from a stiff Q&A session into an engaging conversation.”

At The Red Pen, we offer interview prep services for summer/high school and boarding school as well as undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA programmes. To know more about how to prepare for your interviews, get in touch with us.

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Corporate Office: Suite #311, Prasad Chambers, Tata Rd No 2, Charni Road East, Opera House, Girgaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400004 | Number: +91 98204 91179

Anusha Bhagat

Chief Operating Officer

PGDM, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad;
B.A in Economics, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University

Anusha Bhagat is a growth strategist and operations expert with 15 years of
securities-industry leadership across Hong Kong, India and Singapore.
At UBS she served as Chief Operating Officer – Equities & Investment Banking, India,
transforming an at-risk equities franchise with legacy infrastructure into a
robust, growth-ready platform and rolling out new products under enhanced
governance.

She has launched cash-equity, equity-derivatives and prime-broking businesses in
multiple Asian markets and sat on the deal-closing teams for UBS’s
acquisition of ABN Amro’s global F&O business (2006) and the GS-JB Were
Australia joint venture (2003).
Her track record spans in-house M&A, technology turnarounds,
process re-engineering and enterprise-wide risk remediation.

Known for a collaborative, cross-functional working style, Anusha combines
front-office product insight with settlement, control, technology and
regulatory frameworks to deliver end-to-end solutions. She derives energy from
tackling challenging build-outs and supporting teams in achieving
their growth and career goals.

If Anusha weren’t a COO, she would be …
helping early-stage founders scale up as a full-time venture advisor.

The question she’s asked most often …
“How do we turn this legacy process into a competitive advantage?”

Kavita Sonawala

Chief Marketing Officer

MBA in Marketing Strategy & International Marketing – Purdue University Masters of Commerce and Bachelor of Commerce – University of Mumbai

Kavita has 20+ years of experience in marketing and communications at large companies and start-ups in the Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. She has held leadership roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer – India, J.P. Morgan as the Country Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications & CSR Programmes, India, and most recently at HSBC as Country Head of Corporate Communications. Kavita has lived in the US, working at Silicon Valley technology companies such as Symantec, IronPort Systems, McAfee Inc., Della & James.com, and Apple Computer. She has won the Top 25 CMO award from the Global CMO Council 2014, the Global Women Leadership Award, and the World Women Leadership Congress & Awards 2014. Kavita has also co-authored and published an exclusive coffee table book with Sachin Tendulkar for the Royal Bank of Scotland. At The Red Pen, she leads the marketing team, bringing her expertise in corporate communications, media outreach, internal communications, digital marketing and growth strategy. Kavita isn’t churning out marketing strategies, she is… A meditation coach, an artist and a mom of two teens. If Kavita could give one piece of advice to students, it would be… Do not give up on your passion while choosing your academic path.

Shikha Dhar

Associate Director, Institutional Services

PGD in Tourism Management, IMS Ghaziabad;
PGD in Marketing Management, NMIMS;
BA in Psychology, University of Delhi;
Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun

Having studied psychology at the undergraduate level and management for her postgraduate studies, Shikha Dhar is an expert at 1-1 communication. An academic gold medalist herself, she understands the importance of creative pursuits and hobbies such as music, art, dance.

Shikha specialises in helping students apply to all majors and liberal arts universities in India and Singapore, Canada, Europe, the UK AND US. She has also served as the University Counselor for The British School Caracas (Venezuela), where in addition to helping students with their applications to countries all over the world and guiding their letters of recommendation, she worked extensively on improving the school’s processes. She is currently the Head University Counsellor at DSB International School, Mumbai. Having worked with a diverse student body comprising 20 nationalities and 200 students, Shikha has guided around 2,000+ applications, all of which have got admits from their top 5 choices.

Shikha has travelled to Doha (invited by Northwestern Qatar) and attended both virtual and in-person IACAC conferences, webinars and online sessions hosted by over 100 colleges and universities.

If Shikha wasn’t an academic counsellor, she would be…
an agony aunt.

The weirdest question she’s been asked as a college counsellor?
“Will I be happy?”

Nainika Ajani

Associate Director, Partner Relations

BSc in Business Management, Cass Business School

Nainika has spent most of her career at The Red Pen and has grown to head the Pre-College Advising service line. Over the last five years, Nainika has created a global network of 150+ partners and student forums ranging in programmes for coding to art, dance, skiing and even summer schools at top global colleges and boarding schools. In 2020 she introduced our flagship Summer Programs Fair, which brought together over 35 Indian and global institutions, with over 800 attendees. In 2021, the fair was virtual with 2,000+ registrations and 30+ partner institutions.

As a mentor, Nainika guides students from grade 8 onwards on building their profile in their formative years and works closely with them to understand their passions, interests and academic inclinations. She offers them a wide variety of enrichment options, allowing students to be robust applicants when applying to university. She has advised a diverse group of students from 25+ countries and has helped with applications to the US, UK, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Nainika has assisted 500+ students through The Red Pen’s exclusive mentorship programme, and all of them have been admitted to leading global universities. She actively volunteered for Akanksha and Senior Citizen Care Taker Services and completed internships at Alvarez and Marshal, and Percept.

The question Nainika is asked most often as a counsellor…
“How can I build my profile to be a competitive applicant to top global universities?”

Her students love her because…
she’s accessible and listens.

Aneri Shah

Manager, Boarding School Admissions

Bachelor of Banking and Insurance
University of Mumbai

Aneri is a seasoned education consultant with extensive experience working with students from diverse regions such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and the Philippines. She brings a unique blend of insight and expertise to The Red Pen. While Aneri was the Human Resource Manager at The Akanksha Foundation, she worked in the selection team at Teach For India, evaluating applications for their prestigious fellowship programmes. She also completed the two-year Teach For India Fellowship Programme.

Aneri excels in identifying the ideal courses for students, using her expertise in candidate assessment and selection. Her ability to match students with the ‘best-fit’ schools that align with their academic aspirations and future goals makes her a valuable asset to The Red Pen. With a certification in risk management from the Institute of Risk Management (IRM), London, Aneri provides holistic guidance, ensuring students make well-rounded decisions about their educational paths.

Her impressive track record includes successful student placements at prestigious institutions such as Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Millfield, Marlborough, Charterhouse, Rugby, Malvern, Haileybury, Lancing College, Aiglon, Cushing School, and Northfield Mount Hermon, among others.

Driven by a passion for helping students achieve their full potential, Aneri believes there is a right school for every child. She encourages students to push their boundaries and explore new possibilities, empowering them to discover their unique strengths and capabilities.

Mehnaz Jaffer

Associate Director, Sales, Business Development and Marketing, Undergraduate Applications and Preparation

BS in Management Science, The University of Manchester;
A-levels, Kirby Lodge, Cambridge

Mehnaz Jaffer grew up in the United Kingdom and worked as a college counsellor for a British firm. She successfully went through the entire application process with her son, who is currently studying at Carnegie Mellon University, before joining The Red Pen. This gave her the experience required to navigate the admissions process, the ability to understand the importance of choosing the right college and the empathy to help each student with the challenges of admissions.

Under Mehnaz’s guidance at The Red Pen, more than 500 students have gained admits to some of the most prestigious colleges globally. She has also visited over 40 colleges in the US, Netherlands & UK and has successfully worked on applications to over 120 unique colleges.

Understanding each student’s journey and helping them carve the right career path gives Mehnaz a sense of fulfilment. She is committed to her students’ success; compassionate not only about their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, but also about their actions and solutions.

Mehnaz is…
influenced by The Aga Khan’s teachings that focus on the importance of education.

She thinks college is for…
helping students become citizens of the world.

Aarti Anand

Associate Director, Client Servicing, Undergraduate Preparation

MBA, University of Mumbai;
BA in Economics, University of Mumbai

With over a decade of experience in career counselling, Aarti Anand draws on her background of working as a counsellor for Childline, UK and her vast experience as a corporate trainer to help applicants explore their calibre on their own terms. Aarti is also a certified trainer for psychometric tools such as MBTI and FIRO-B. Previously, she has worked as a banker at ANZ Grindlays Bank and founded a career planning venture, CompassOne.

Having navigated the UK boarding school application space with her son, who graduated from Sevenoaks School, Aarti also gained a lot of hands-on experience with the UK undergraduate admissions process when her sons applied and secured admits to The London School of Economics and Imperial College London.

Aarti truly believes that there is a ‘right fit’ boarding school for everyone and uses this philosophy to help each applicant. Her unique ability to connect with applicants and families on a personal level is what allows her to understand where they would thrive, setting her apart from the rest.

Aarti would tell her student self…
to explore and be brave!

Aarti would like to save the world by …
creating equality.

Sheetal Vora

Associate Director, Client Servicing, Undergraduate Applications

Certified College Consultant & Independent Education Consultant, UCLA Extension;
Diploma in Interior Design, Sophia Polytechnic College;
BCom in Economics and Entrepreneurship, University of Mumbai

With over a decade of experience as an entrepreneur and an interior designer, Sheetal Vora applies her problem-solving and design thinking approach to find innovative ways to help students plan their education.

Sheetal leads the undergraduate team at The Red Pen and has visited over 50 global university and boarding school campuses, while also networking with admission officers. Sheetal has worked with families from the US, UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Pakistan, India and more and has assisted with over 1,500 university applications globally. Even in the pandemic, she and her team experienced one of the most successful acceptance rates with over INR 50 crores in scholarships and financial aid. Additionally, as Sheetal has navigated the application process as a parent herself (her son is currently pursuing his undergraduate studies at Claremont Mckenna College), she strongly resonates with the importance of identifying the ‘best-fit’ university for her students.

Sheetal believes that every student has a unique narrative and works with them to present the best version of themselves in their university applications. She regularly connects with other counsellors and student forums to guide multiple education topics and trains new counsellors so they can inspire their students to make better choices.

Sheetal would tell her student self….
to keep experimenting, nurture your drive and develop a lifelong learning mindset.

She thinks….
adaptable is the new “cool.”

Tripti Singh

Associate Director, Postgraduate Services

MA in Counselling Psychology, University of Mumbai;
BA in Psychology, Sophia College

Tripti Singh is an educational psychologist with 14+ years of experience in counselling and career guidance. Tripti has extensive knowledge of the liberal arts higher education landscape within India and specialises in supporting master’s and PhD applications to leading universities globally.

Tripti has guided over 1,700 students, which has enabled her to develop some unique and invaluable insights She specialises in developing a detailed education roadmap for high school and college students. With numerous university visits over the years and a seat at IECA’s Global Committee, US, she is constantly updated with the changes in international education.

She often conducts workshops as a subject area expert, along with panel discussions. One of these was a panel of coveted social science experts from various parts of the world to discuss the future of social sciences with an engaged Mumbai audience. She has also been invited to speak on career opportunities at prestigious colleges such St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, NMIMS, Sophia College for Women and a government-run school aided by the Myna Mahila Foundation.

If Tripti could invent a major, it would be….
Parenting 101 (with a thesis required to graduate).

The question she gets the most as a counsellor…
“Will I get a job after I study XXXXX?”

Natasha Mankikar

Manager, MBA services

Manager of MBA Services
M.A (Organizational Psychology), SNDT University;
B.A (Psychology), Mumbai University

Natasha has worked with MBA applicants from diverse fields- consulting, social impact, healthcare, scientific research, marketing, technology development, edtech, fintech, private equity, and entrepreneurship. She draws on 16 years of experience developing human capital at leading Indian and multinational firms to help applicants create compelling narratives for admission to top global business programs, including the M7 schools, INSEAD and LBS.

Natasha’s core talent acquisition and development skills have contributed to her understanding of aspirants and her collaborative approach to helping them discover their unique selves and building an authentic voice to articulate their goals.

Passionate about inclusion and gender diversity, she has spearheaded campaigns to create policies for more equitable workplaces.

Neil Maheshwari

CFO & COO, U.S. News
& World Report,

MBA in Finance, Illinois State University;
Chartered Accountant; CPA; Bachelor’s in Accounting

Neil Maheshwari is CFO & COO of the U.S. News & World Report, L.P. He has overall responsibility for financial strategy, capital allocation, business operations and strategic investments.

He has over 30 years of experience in the media business, especially related to corporate finance, business operations, taxes and digital strategy. He was a key member of the team that led the digital transformation of U.S. News in 2010.

Neil’s career began at the New York Daily News in 1993, following its acquisition by Mort Zuckerman. Over the years his responsibilities have encompassed budgeting, contract negotiations, tax management and IT operations for the New York Daily News, U.S. News & World Report and other media entities under the family’s ownership.

As a member of the executive committee, Neil participates in crucial business-strategy decisions and their implementation. He is also deeply involved in evaluating all potential acquisition and divestiture opportunities for the media companies owned by Mort Zuckerman. His prior experience includes leading the sale of Fast Company to G & J in December 2000, as well as the sales of Atlantic Monthly, Radar magazine, Applied Printing Technologies and, most recently, the New York Daily News to Tribune Publishing in 2017.

Before joining the Daily News and U.S. News, Neil spent over four years with a mid-town CPA firm, specialising in audits and mergers & acquisitions for publishing clients. He also gained experience at the India offices of Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young.

Namita Mehta

President

M.Biochem in Biochemistry, University of Oxford;
A-levels, Charterhouse

Namita established and led the University Guidance Counseling Department at B.D. Somani International School, Mumbai. At The Red Pen, Namita assists students in planning their educational journey, while also building a talented team and evaluating quality partners to expand our reach for students. She also specialises in training applicants for the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge interview process. Namita currently resides in Mumbai and has lived in Hong Kong, the UK and Germany.

Namita believes education creates impactful change and global citizens who appreciate different cultures. While she works with plenty of Ivy League and Oxbridge admits, her goal is to guide students to find their best-fit institution so that they are happy, thrive and achieve their long-term goals.

As a thought leader, Namita has spoken on several panels, including those organised by HSBC, Ashoka University, O.P. Jindal Global University, International Career & College Counselling (IC3) Network and more. She shares her expertise through a column in the Mid-Day and has been a featured writer for ET Panache, Hindustan Times, The Mint, Mumbai Mirror, HT Brunch, Indian Express, The Tribune, Businessworld and others.

If Namita wasn’t an academic counsellor, she would be …
a biochemist, discovering the cure for COVID-19!

Namita thinks college is for …
growing, learning and forging lifelong friendships.

Namita would like to save the world by …
impacting education policy, such that the future of the country cares about the environment, is less selfish and has an increased civic sense.

Dr. Kimberly Dixit

CEO & Co-founder of
The Red Pen

PhD in Anthropology, Duke University;
BA in Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Kim has over a decade of experience as an independent education consultant. Her belief, that there is a perfect college out there for every student, guides the ethos and culture at The Red Pen. She has formerly taught anthropology and writing courses at Duke University, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and Stanford University. Originally from California’s Central Valley, Kim has also lived in San Francisco, New York and now calls Mumbai home.

Kim’s area of expertise is advisory services for boarding school, undergraduate and MBA applicants aspiring to study in the US, UK and Canada. She guides them on admissions strategy and application components using a structured yet flexible client-centric approach to help define and achieve personal success. She is a member of the International Association of College Admission Counseling (Int’ ACAC), Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) and a professional member of the Independent Education Consultants Association (IECA).

Kim has co-authored the book Acing Admissions: The International Student’s Comprehensive Guide to U.S. College Admissions, the second version published in 2020. She has also been a featured writer for ET Panache, Hindustan Times, Mumbai Mirror, HT Brunch, The Mint, Indian Express and more.

If Kim weren’t an academic counsellor, she would be …
a social worker or humanitarian aid worker.

If she could invent a major, it would be …
Human Connections (an interdisciplinary subject between history, literature, psychology, anthropology).

If Kim wrote her autobiography, it would be titled …
Lessons on Blooming Where You’re Planted