University Interview: What Attire Should You Wear

You have an upcoming University interview and want to make a great impression. Your in-person interview attire and how you present yourself to the admissions officers is an important part of interview day.  This article highlights what both men and women should wear and concludes with interview practice strategies and tips for the big day.

Men: What to Wear

Clothing

Knowing that the academic community tends to be more formal, opt for a formal business suit or at least a sport coat, and crisp slacks.  Formal, professional attire will ensure that you make a strong first impression.  It also demonstrates a level of respect for the people with whom you are speaking.  Even if the people with whom you are meeting are wearing business casual, it will serve you well to present yourself in a more formal dress code. 

If you have purchased a new suit for the occasion, ensure that it has been properly tailored meaning the sleeves and pants are just the right length.  Tailoring is often required when buying off the rack suits so don’t leave this important purchase to the last minute.  A blue button-up shirt or white shirt are smart choices – leave the polo shirt at home. Avoid overly bright colors that could be distracting. Your shirt should be crisp and wrinkle free – this typically requires ironing or steaming.  A dry cleaner can steam a shirt for you at a low cost.  Add a traditional tie to finish the look – no crazy patters or colors.  A bow tie can work as well, again keeping it simple and distraction free. 

Shoes

For shoes, pick comfortable dress shoes that match your suit.  If your shoes are new, wear them around the house a couple days before the interview to break them in. No athletic shoes or sneakers of any kind.  Remember, you need to put you very best foot forward – every detail matters. 

Women: What to Wear

Clothing

Similar to men, you want to avoid casual attire and dress as formally as possible for your university interview. Smart choices to make a good impression include a knee length pant suit, skirt suit or dress suit.  Neutral colors such as black, navy, or khaki are ideal choices. A tucked in, blouse (collar or no collar both work) or a silk shirt look sharp underneath a suit jacket.  Avoid any low-cut tops.  If you don’t currently own a suit and it is not in your budget to purchase one, alternative options include: borrow one from a friend or check out local thrift stores (just make sure the item is in good condition and a modern style).  Budget retailers such as H&M usually offer reasonably priced suits as do online retailers such as ASOS and of course, Amazon.  

An alternative outfit could include a pair of dark dress pants and a sweater set or blazer.  Just make sure, and I feel the need to underline and bold this statement – that any and all clothing items are steamed or pressed to remove any crease lines or wrinkles.   These finishing details go a long way when it comes to making strong first impressions with your professional appearance.  

Shoes

Wear closed toe, comfortable dress shoes – flats or heels can both work. While open-toed shoes can seem dressy, they ultimately lack top-notch professional appeal.

Make-up/ Nails

I personally love a full make-up look as I think it enhances my features, brings more color to my very fair complexion and creates a polished look.  A make-up free, natural look is also perfectly acceptable if that aligns with your personal style and makes you feel most comfortable.  If you don’t typically wear make-up but are looking to boost your overall look, I think most women can benefit from mascara, blush and a coat of lip gloss.  If your University interview is a virtual interview, I would definitely apply blush.  The camera can often give you a washed out look and blush is the best way to look a little more alive!  

Ensure your nails are relatively short and well groomed.  If you choose to wear nail polish, stick to simple, neutral colors and of course, make sure the paint job is fresh and chip free.

Accessories

Keep accessories to a minimum to minimize distractions. For women, simple jewelry such as a necklace or earrings are smart choices.  Avoid any bracelets that jingle or clink together when you speak.  It is a good idea to leave any smart watches at home for fear that some kind of alarm or alert might go off during the interview. For men, I would stick to a ring or two if you wear them and a basic watch.  

Facal Hair

For men with facial hair, it should be well groomed.  There is a fine line between intentional facial hair and “I didn’t feel like shaving today” so make sure you are either freshly shaved or neatly trimmed.

Interview Preparation

Now that we have reviewed what to wear for your big day, let’s dive into how to prepare for your interview as well as how to conduct yourself during the actual interview.

In Advance of the Interview

• Before the actual interview, I recommend participating in mock interviews before your actual interview.  This might involve reviewing commonly asked University interview questions and practicing your answers with a friend, college professor or family member.  An important step during your preparation should involve video recording you answering questions so that can make adjustments to your body language, tone of voice or answers.  For example, when reviewing a video, you may notice that you have a tendency to touch your hair or face when speaking.  Maybe you use excessive filler words such as “like” or “um.”  One of the best ways to improve any kind of public speaking, which includes interviewing, is to understand your baseline and determine where to focus on improvement efforts. 
• Perhaps the most common question you will likely get asked during an interview is “Tell me about yourself.” This may seem like a super easy question but if you haven’t thought through a thoughtful response, it can quickly turn into a rambling, non-relevant statement.  Prepare your answer in advance of the interview and keep it to 3-5 sentences. Here is an example. 

Day of the Interview Tips

• Focus on delivering crisp, clear answers in as few sentences as possible.  Simply answer the question and then stop talking.  When we get nervous, we have a tendency to go on and on.  The more you can practice answers to common interview questions, the better prepared you will be to manage the nerves that will inevitably accompany your in-person or online interview.
• On the day of the interview, if you are seated when the interviewer comes out to meet you, stand up, make direct eye contact and greet the individual by name. “Hi Tom, nice to meet you.”  This will surely help you make a good first impression.
• Beyond the initial greeting, try to use the person’s name a few times throughout the interview.  This is one of my favorite ways to highlight strong interpersonal skills and set you apart from the competition.  It might feel strange the first time but using someone’s name regularly in conversation can quickly become second nature.  If the interview is a panel interview where several people from the University, or a specific program are present, see if you can get their names in advance of the interview. The Admissions Department office manager or your interview coordinator will often be able to provide these details.  Usually, you can find pictures of interview attendees on the school’s website.  Start to build name and face recognition so that it is easier for you to use names during the interview.  A great way to incorporate names is during the portion of the interview when you get to ask questions.  For example: “Professor Brown, how quickly do Biology majors get into the lab freshman year?” or “Dean Smith, what percentage of students in the pre-med program got accepted into medical school last year?”
• Demonstrate strong body language throughout the interview.  Keep your hands in your lap and try to keep them there as much as possible to avoid excessive hand talking or face touching.  Sit up straight (no slouching) and keep your attention and eyes focused on the interviewer.  If the format is group interviews with multiple people on the Admissions Committee, rather than scanning the group back and forth with your eyes when answering a question, hold eye-contact with each person for 5-seconds before moving on to the next person.  This strategy builds stronger 1:1 connection and ensures that each member of the selection committee is focused and engaged as well! Holding eye contact for 5-second intervals takes practice.  You can easily practice this method with friends or family members or even at home alone.  Pretend that objects in your home are people, and lock eye contact for five seconds with each.  Stong eye contact is an excellent way to make a positive impression.
• It is perfectly normal to feel a bit nervous before and during an interview.  If you happen to get stumped on a question and can’t think of an answer after 30 seconds or so of thought, ask the interviewer if you can come back to that question later in the interview.  Also, it is perfectly ok to allow silence while you are thinking of answer.  
• No gum chewing during the interview.  Totally fine to accept a glass of water if offered or bring your own if you feel you may need it.  Just don’t bring in the 40oz hot pink Stanley water bottle!

Good luck – you’ve got this!