First semester seniors’ lives consist mainly of school work, sports or other activities, and most importantly, college applications. Some colleges on students’ lists require in-person interviews.

For these interviews, students typically travel to the local Starbucks to meet with alumni from colleges they are applying to. Other interviewers come to McLean to meet with the applicant, while some require the student to travel to the college. Some students find the interviews extremely nerve-wracking while others feel relaxed and calm.

Senior Alex Kohout did not panic about her Princeton interview. She met her interviewer at the Tysons Corner’s Coldstone Creamery.

“I felt really comfortable around him because he had just graduated in 2011, so I felt like we could easily related to each other,” Kohout said.

She thought her interview went smoothly, and she prepared by thinking of questions she could ask him about Princeton.

“We bonded over the Imagine Dragons, whose concert I had just attended.” Kohout awaits the decision from the university.

When asked if she had any suggestions for people who have upcoming interviews, she said to arrive early, practice with a parent or friend, but most importantly, be yourself.