I was insanely nervous. I had five minutes to convince someone I'd never met before that they should spend five months in a foreign country with me. First impressions were everything. Luckily, I had prepared for this interview the way I'd prepare for a job or internship interview. It went smoothly and I was accepted to the program. This is how I did it.

Do Your Homework

Be prepared to talk about the area of the world you may be studying in. Look up basic geographic and economic information and keep aware of current events in the particular city you're hoping to travel to. Also, try to anticipate some of the questions you may be asked. Chances are that one of them will be something along the lines of, "Why do you want to go there?" Be ready to answer this question well. The program I applied for was offered through the department of humanities so I went into my interview prepared to answer questions like, "What is your favorite painting?" "What play would you want to see?" "What's your favorite book?" My interviewer actually didn't ask me any of those questions, but I felt so much more confident during the interview knowing that I had well-thought-out responses prepared. And my confidence actually relaxed me so I could easily answer all of the questions I wasn't expecting.

Ask Your Own Questions

Make sure you go into your study abroad interview with plenty of your own questions. After all, this is your opportunity. Most likely, you will be paying to study abroad and your interviewer needs to know that you have put a lot of thought into your decision to go and that you want to make sure that you make the most of your experience. Of course you should let them do most of the question asking, but a few pertinent questions of your own will let them know you're serious about the program.

Tell Them Everything They Need to Know

You never want to leave an interview with regrets. I once had an interviewer who only asked me yes or no questions. The interview was over before I knew it and although I felt I had given all the right responses, I realized while walking to my car that the interviewer still didn't know anything about me. Become close friends with the word 'because'. "Will you be taking the creative writing course that is offered?" "Yes… because I love writing. In fact, I recently won a poetry contest, ." Details that make you stand out among other applicants are so important in study abroad interviews. Make a list of the most important things you think your interviewer needs to know about you; things that really set you apart from your peers. Review the list right before you go into your interview and you'll be amazed how they will work themselves into your responses. Good luck!