The Future School Admissions Interview: Tips & Tricks
Preparing for an admissions interview can be a daunting endeavour, so we wanted to share some tips to help you craft a story that clearly demonstrates your passion and experience in music production and/or sound engineering to our interview panel:
About The Interview
Our online admissions interview is designed to learn as much about you as a musician, producer or aspiring sound engineer as possible. We want to know your story – where your creative journey began and where you see yourself in the future. We also want to know what makes you so passionate about becoming a music or audio professional, and how our programmes can help you achieve your career goals.
Our interviews typically take 15-20 minutes per student, and are conducted by a panel of 3-4 senior faculty and academic staff from the institution. During the interview you will be asked a series of questions about your background in music and/or audio, your knowledge of the music industry, and your career aspirations. This is your opportunity to showcase your talent & convince us that you are a good fit for our programmes, so make the most of it!
Tip 1
Familiarise Yourself With Our Brand And Programmes
Our admissions panel will want to know how well your career goals and vision align with ours as an institution. Make sure to read through our website, faculty, programmes and our various social media content to understand exactly what we stand for, and make notes about how this compares with your own values as a musician and or engineer. Understanding this will help you convey to the panel exactly why you’re a “fit” for our programmes.
Tip 2
Create a Portfolio
& Prepare Your Story
The panel will want to know exactly who you are as an artist or aspiring sound engineer, so it’s recommended that you not only collate all of your creative work into a portfolio, but also write notes about how you want to present your creative journey. Make sure to use pieces of your work – songs you’ve performed, live shows you’ve mixed for, etc. – as evidence to demonstrate your growth and passion for your chosen programme.
The ability to speak about your achievements and goals with confidence and clarity will set you apart from others. Be prepared to discuss your projects in-depth, focusing on your contributions and creative process. Emphasise your learning from each example you share; reflect on what went well and what you would improve next time. Being able to think critically about your work is a highly sought after professional skill that our panel is constantly on the lookout for.
Tip 3
Prepare Questions
& Practice Answers
A great way to prepare for our interview is to jot down the most likely questions that the panel could ask about your portfolio or career goals, and prepare answers for them. For example, if your goal is to work as a film music producer, you might be asked questions such as:
- Who are some film music producers that inspire you and why?
- Have you worked on any film music before? If so, elaborate on how you approached your composition/production for one of them.
- How can our programme help you achieve your career aspirations?
Make sure to write down as many questions as you can think of for different aspects of your portfolio. If a question comes to your mind, then it could very well come to the mind of one of our panelists, so make sure to capture it!
Once you’ve written down potential questions and answers for those questions, practice answering them out loud without reading from your notes. This will make you sound more natural and authentic to the panel, and will help you answer confidently when asked a question on the spot. Keep in mind that our panel will ask follow-up questions, so prepare sufficiently for each question you write down.
While on the subject of giving answers verbally, make sure that when you speak to the panel, you address everyone on the call, and maintain eye contact with your camera. Speak slowly and clearly, and, most importantly, answer as directly as possible to the question asked to you. We recommend using the STAR framework to structure your answers and help you present your thoughts coherently.
Tip 4
The Day of The Interview
Interview preparation can take a lot of time and energy, so it’s easy to overlook a few things that could strengthen the impression you leave with the interview panel:
Dress to Impress
While we don’t expect you to wear formals, being presentable for your interview will leave a good impression with the panelists and give you the confidence you need to demonstrate your passion and talent. It’s as the title says – Dress to Impress!
Online Etiquette:
Find a quiet room with no visual distractions or noise, good network connectivity, and good lighting to take your interview. Make sure your laptop/tablet/phone is charged, and that the camera and microphone are working correctly. Join the online meeting (in your interview invite) at least 5 minutes in advance, and communicate any issues you’re facing with the admissions team at least an hour before your interview starts.
During The Interview:
The interview is designed to test your knowledge and fit for the programme. Certain questions that the panel asks may throw you off, but remember to stay calm, take a moment to collect your thoughts, and answer as honestly and directly as possible. Be polite, listen carefully and ask questions to be repeated if you’re not sure.
Be Yourself:
This interview is your chance to showcase who you are as an artist. Own your strengths, acknowledge areas for growth, and most importantly, breathe!
Concluding Thoughts
We hope that these tips help you present the best version of yourself to the admissions panel. Remember that the interview is a two-way conversation; It’s as much about you learning if the program is the right fit for you as it is about the panel assessing your potential, so ask questions, be curious and give it your best. Good luck!
