interview<\/a>,\u201d you are reminded that you haven\u2019t come near clothing that is remotely professional since eighth grade graduation when your mom insisted that \u201call the kids will be wearing suits, honey.\u201d knowing it\u2019s in your best interest to grab a hold of this opportunity, you hastily agree to meet and talk over coffee (or tea, if you\u2019d prefer). <\/p>\nbut how in the world are you supposed to dress? <\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n
1. do your research, and when in doubt, shoot for business casual<\/h2>\n there is a slight leniency on how to dress depending on what school you are interviewing for. for example, if it\u2019s one of the ivies, you\u2019re going to want to lean towards something more formal \u2013 a dress shirt and nice slacks, maybe even a blazer. if it\u2019s for a smaller liberal arts school, you may want to stray from the mono-color suits and include a bit more personality. in either case, your safest bet is business casual. <\/p>\n
girls:<\/strong> this generally entails a blouse, work dress, or nice sweater on top with slacks or a tailored (knee length) skirt on bottom. this is not the time to break out that new piece of clothing that shows just a little more cleavage than your used to \u2013 or, for that matter, any cleavage at all. <\/p>\nboys:<\/strong> slacks and a nice button down should suffice. if you haven\u2019t done so already, invest in a belt. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
be sure to note: wrinkly clothes can easily give the wrong idea about your ambition, so remember that irons were invented for a reason. \n <\/p>\n
2. don\u2019t give the interviewer a reason to be distracted<\/h2>\n you want them to be focused on your insightful answers, not on the nose ring that you got last summer in cabo. in fact, with the exception of your ears, you should probably remove any piercings that you have. keep your hair on the conservative side and don\u2019t overload on the perfume or cologne. <\/p>\n
girls:<\/strong> makeup should be natural and jewelry simple; try not to pair too many busy patterns on top of each other. <\/p>\nboys:<\/strong> if you have facial hair, make it look presentable (yes, it is worth saying), and as cool as that graphic-tee with social commentary on it is, leave it at home – just this once. <\/p>\n \n <\/p>\n
3. shoes are part of the outfit<\/h2>\n girls:<\/strong> really think twice about wearing those 3+ inch heels. unless you want to be that girl who wobbles. or trips. or completely falls down. trust me – flats are perfectly acceptable. <\/p>\nboys:<\/strong> despite what you may like to think, sneakers do not, in fact, go with every outfit. try dress shoes. or loafers. \n <\/p>\n4. be comfortable<\/h2>\n no matter what clothes you lay out the night before, they should fit well and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 boost your confidence. if a three-piece suit is going to make you stiff, than go for something a bit more laid back. you should wear the clothes; they shouldn\u2019t wear you. <\/p>\n
when it comes down to it, you are representing yourself in a college interview \u2013 not your parents, not your high school, not some hoity toity business firm. so (within reason) stay true to your own style and walk in knowing that whomever you are meeting with is going to want to hear what you have to say. \n <\/p>\n
need 60 seconds of procrastination time? check out our cat-approved back-to-school wardrobe essentials.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
two weeks ago, you pressed \u2018submit\u2019. and for a split second it was like everything inside of you turned into a gooey mush. partially from the terror. partially from the relief. another college application down. another check off of the list. another school name you can completely shove into that dark place in your mind […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[24904],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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