You know those people who seem to have no idea how to end a conversation? The ones who are still talking and trying to keep the conversation going while you’re smiling awkwardly and backing out of the door? You do not want to be one of those people during your all-important college interviews!

Luckily, there’s no need to draw things out: the length of an interview is not generally an indication of how well it has gone. The most important part of your interview takes place in the first few minutes. Showing up early, greeting your interviewer with a firm handshake, and being confident and friendly right from the start – these are the foundations of a successful interview.

The average on-campus college interview lasts for 30-45 minutes (alumni interviews are a bit longer) and that is generally enough time to make a good first impression, answer the interviewer’s questions and ask some of your own. Coming well-prepared with questions and a general idea of how you might respond to common questions, will help prevent valuable time from being wasted.

It’s a good idea to ask your most important questions first, in case you run out of time. If you do run out of time and still have questions you didn’t get to, ask the interviewer if you can communicate further in writing. It’s always a good idea to send a thank-you note following an interview – this is a good time to ask more questions.

When the interviewer indicates that your time is up, it’s important to take the hint and not try to keep things going. Remember, a longer interview is not necessarily a more successful one!