Your college admissions meeting may be your first interview. This formal meeting can be quite daunting, even more so if you’ve never been formally interviewed. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, especially if you know what to expect and you’re prepared.

An interview runs about 30-60 minutes, during which an applicant either shines and creates a new opportunity or falters and loses an option. I believe that success in life occurs when one has numerous options, and a successful interaction can multiply those choices.

What exactly is a college interview? Such an interview is your personal infomercial. Consider it your time to sell a product (yourself) to a potential buyer. During the conversation, introduce the living, breathing personality behind your high school transcript and college application. An interview is your shot at creating a meaningful connection with the interviewer, granting you the luxury of choices.

For additional guidance, the following are my top ten pointers on acing college admissions interviews.

1. Understand yourself. Realize who you are. Schools want to know the real student— who’s behind the record, and what makes you, the prospective student, special. If you truly know yourself, you are prepared to discuss your authentic self during an interview, instead of trying to figure out what the admissions counselor wants to hear.

2. Know the school. Is it a big university or a small liberal arts college? What kinds of student activities are offered? Who are the significant alumni? Review the college’s Web site and other admissions materials. A college wants to know: How well do you know us and how much do you want us?

3. Practice body language and your handshake. According to a well-known UCLA study, people communicate 55 percent of their message with body language. Ensure that your body speaks volumes by exuding confidence, competence and enthusiasm. Make sure you’ve got a dry, firm and sincere handshake.

4. Conduct mock interviews. Practice being asked questions and making conversation flow with a pretend interviewer. You’re probably not used to speaking positively about yourself, and doing so is a critical key to an effective interview.

5. Wear it well. Choose polished attire to wear to the interview, days or weeks before the actual meeting. What a student wears to a college interview is different from what he or she throws on before heading to high school. An interview outfit must be more formal than a pair of jeans and sneakers. Clean and pressed trousers, collared shirts, blazers, skirts and dresses are all appropriate choices. When you’re properly dressed, you make a better impression.

6. Mentally prepare. Convince yourself that you would be thrilled to receive an acceptance letter from this school. That way, you can talk enthusiastically about the college and make the interviewer believe that you would be happy there. Never tell an interviewer that the school you’re discussing is a “safety” school.

7. Show up early and behave respectfully. A 15-minute buffer gives you time to get acquainted with your environment and helps confirm that you make a great impression. Be respectful. Don’t eat food, chew gum or bring drinks to the interview. Use the downtime before the interview to turn off your phone.

8. Say it proud. An interview is not a time for modesty. Distinguish yourself from the competition. Be comfortable talking about your special and unique talents and achievements. Reduce unnecessary filler words like “um” and “like.”

9. Make a personal connection. Interviewers may see hundreds of candidates a season; take strides to stand out. See if you can connect with the interviewer on a personal level. For example, if in the interviewer’s office there is a picture that is familiar to you, or a memento that you love, comment on it. Chances are you’ll bond over a shared experience.

10. Write a thank-you note. Continue your great impression and cement the personal connection after the interview. Get the interviewer’s contact information, and mail a sincere yet professional thank-you note within 24 hours of your meeting.

A successful college admissions interview can provide that extra edge that results in you gaining admittance to the school of your dreams. Start practicing these ten fundamentals to rock your college admissions interview!

Forward Options founder Karen Elizaga is a professional and personal coach who helps clients define their individual purpose and career direction so they proceed with confidence and optimism. A former corporate attorney, Elizaga is a member of the International Coach Federation and is doing coursework in coaching at New York University. She is currently working on two books