erviewing you. The first step is to consider what you want. Are you trying to get into a graduate or undergraduate program? Are you trying to land a great internship? What does the person interviewing you want to see?
Then, think about your personal history and your strengths. How do those fit with the goals you just considered? Closely connecting your answer to those goals gives you a strong advantage, as you can see in these examples.
Graduate School Applicant Example
I've always loved the Victorian period in English literature. Even as a kid, Dickens captured my imagination more thoroughly than the Harry Potter stories or anything else. As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, I studied English with a concentration on Victorian fiction. Now, I hope to continue exploring this fundamentally important literary period as a graduate student.
Internship Interview Example
I'm a senior at Michigan Technological University, majoring in biomedical engineering. Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to work in the field of prosthetics. I saw first-hand how a prosthetic limb helped give my best friend a normal teenage life, and I've always wanted to be a part of that process. I'm drawn to prosthetic design and research, which is why I'm so excited to learn more about the internship your company is offering.
