How to answer “tell me about yourself” during a college interview

This question is polarizing: some people love it, others hate it. It can feel maddeningly vague, but when answered successfully, it’s actually a great opportunity to give some context on your life and set you up for future follow-up questions.

So, how do you answer “Tell me about yourself” on a college interview?

There’s a secret to answering this question. Here it is: start broad, get narrow.

Most likely, at the start of your interview, your interviewer doesn’t know anything about you, your family, your school, your neighborhood. Instead of launching into the little details first, start with the big picture things to contextualize your application: parents/guardians, siblings, where you grew up, where you live now, what school you go to, and so on. You should also mention important life events that are relevant to your application — for example, if you spent a year abroad in France, changed schools halfway through high school, or had an illness that played a big part in your life. 

After you cover the broad outlines of your life, you can feel free to address more specific subjects, like your intended major, extracurriculars, or career goals. Your answer should set up some follow-up questions for later on in the interview — if you want to talk about being on the debate team, mention that!

Finally, be careful to avoid third-rail subjects that you don’t want to bring in. I don’t mean to suggest you should hide anything about yourself, but rather that some subjects might be too complicated or sensitive to unpack in a half-hour-long college interview. Avoid bringing these in or alluding to them as you answer “tell me about yourself.”

I applied to college in 2019, and was admitted to Stanford, Yale and Princeton. Since then, I’ve spent four years coaching students for their college interviews, and I’ve learned the unwritten tips and tricks for acing your interview. I’ve compiled it all in my 26-page College Interview Guide, leaving no stone unturned. Check it out to see a sample answer for “tell me about yourself,” as well the top 100 most common interview questions, my advice on how to prepare in a short timeframe, and more!