What will you contribute to our class?

What you add beyond a seat filled. They're building a class, not ranking individuals.

How to structure your answer

1Two or three specific contributions
2Evidence you've done each before
3The concrete form it'd take here

Be specific: a language, a background, a skill, a perspective, a track record of organizing
Prove each with something you've already done
Name the actual campus outlet — a clinic, an org, a program

A strong answer

What lands

Three things. I speak Vietnamese, so if anyone needs translation for a Vietnamese-speaking patient, put me on it. Second, I organize. I ran a free screening day at a community center with two hygienists and about sixty people through the door. I kept a clean, tight schedule and an organized workspace, which helped the team. Third, I’m a few years older, and I’ll be the one who says the group’s plan isn’t working. That last one isn’t always welcome.

Three contributions, each with something he already did standing behind it.

A weak answer

What most people say

I'd bring hard work and dedication. I'm someone who shows up, supports the people around me, and takes the work seriously, and I think I'd be a positive presence in the class. I'm also a good team player. I've always been the one making sure everybody is included and that the group actually finishes what it started.

Hard work is the entry requirement, not a contribution to a class.

The trap

⚠'Hard work and dedication.' Everyone admitted will work hard; it's not a contribution, it's the entry requirement.

Reading it isn't the same as saying it.

Most people can explain a good answer and still fall apart saying one out loud. Admitted asks you all 100 questions in a faculty voice, records you, and scores your pace and filler words.

Try one interview free Get the guide