Some colleges offer interviews, many don't. Private colleges tend to be more open to interviews than large public universities. If a college on your list offers the possibility, it's in your best interests to take advantage of the opportunity. Admissions interviews almost always help applicants; rarely do they hurt them.
Many students get very nervous when they think about college admission interviews. One way of making the interview easier (and frankly a lot more interesting) is to think of it as just another conversation between you and another person. Not only does an interviewer want to know something about you, but you can also try to find out something about him or her. A good way of doing that is to have a series of questions prepared to ask the college admissions person.
By being prepared to ask questions as well as answer them, you will show the interviewer that you have thought ahead about the interview, done some research about and are really interested in a college. Even more, knowing that you have questions ready to go will make the interview feel less intimidating and more fun for you.
Of course, there are a series of other things you can do to be prepared. For example, 1) Call the Admissions Office to set up an interview and follow that up immediately by making travel arrangements to get to the campus. Just so you know, for students who have limited financial resources, some colleges and universities provide financial assistance to help students travel to their campuses. 2) Bring an activities resume to give to the interviewer and one for yourself to use as a reference. 3) Identify 5-6 things you'd like the interviewer to know about you as you answer his or her questions. 4) As already mentioned, prepare three to six questions that you can ask the interviewer. 5) End an interview with energy and enthusiasm. Shake the interviewer's hand and say thank you, ask for a business card, and let him/her know that this college or university is one of your top choices (if not your top choice). 6) When you get home, don't forget to send an email or hard copy thank you note to the interviewer.
Another useful way of preparing for an interview is to role-play answering sample interview questions. A mock interview can be with a parent, grandparent, teacher, counselor or a friend. The goal of a practice interview is to help you get over your jitters and have some idea about what you're going to say. It's pretty standard for interviewers to ask open ended questions such as, "Tell me a little bit about yourself," or "Why are you interested in attending our college?" After you've practiced answering these questions a couple of times, you'll feel ready when the real interview comes along.
In case you're wondering, most colleges don't offer interviews to students who are juniors, but occasionally they do in late spring of a student's junior year. If you're going to be on a college campus anyway, it's worth calling ahead to see if you can schedule an interview. The summer before your senior year begin scheduling interviews for the fall, which is likely the best time for both you and admissions offices.
Most of all, if you can have fun at an interview, the admissions person will probably also have a good time too. Remember, college interviews are a two-way street.