Admission Interview: What to Wear? Psychology of Color

If you have been invited to a university interview, you’re probably wondering what to wear. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts to help you decide, and a few tips on how psychology of color works!

Do’s and don’ts

Applicants should aim for office-casual, ideally wearing simple clothing that is slightly formal. When it comes to male applicants, one of the most commonly asked questions regarding dress code for university interviews is whether applicants are expected to wear suits. The simple answer is no: it’s not necessary for you to wear a suit. If you don’t wear one, your chances to be accepted won’t be lowered. However, you can’t really go wrong with a suit – if you already have one, it’s a safe option. Otherwise, pick a standard trousers and jacket combo with a smart pair of shoes.

For women, there are trousers, skirts and dresses to choose from. A smart top is equally as acceptable as a shirt and you can’t go wrong with a modest dress or a skirt. Just make sure the hem falls no higher than just above the knee and that it remains a respectable length when you’re sitting down. Avoid jeans, leggings without a skirt or dress on top of them, and low-cut tops.

Another recommendation is to keep piercings and jewelry discreet as too much tinkling and twinkling could become a distraction to yourself and the interviewer. But most importantly, as long as you dress formally, wear something that will make you feel comfortable, confident and happy! Your (dis)comfort could be reflected in the interview, so make sure you feel good in your outfit.

Color psychology

Color plays an important role in how your appearance is perceived. Color evokes feelings, incites emotions and can enhance or damage one’s image. Color psychology studies the relationship between colors and human behavior. It aims to determine how color affects our daily decisions and choices, e.g. what items we buy and why we prefer certain colors over others.

Whatever color you choose to wear to your interview won’t affect your chances of being admitted, but it might be useful to consider what feelings each color traditionally associates when planning your outfit so that it fits your personality and ambition the best.

Here is what color psychology says about the meanings of each color:

• The red color is associated with excitement, passion, danger, energy, and action.
• Orange expresses creativity, adventure, enthusiasm, success, and balance.
• The color meaning for yellow revolves around sunshine. It evokes feelings of happiness, positivity, optimism, and summer but also of deceit and warning.
• Pink’s color meaning revolves around femininity, playfulness, immaturity and unconditional love.
• Green is frequently connected to nature and money. Growth, fertility, health, and generosity are some of the positive color meanings for the color.
• Blue’s color meaning ties closely to the sea and the sky. It is associated with stability, harmony, peace, calm and trust.
• Purple is considered a royal color. the color meaning for purple is connected to power, luxury, wisdom, nobility and spirituality.
• White represents innocence, goodness, cleanliness, and humility.
• The meaning of black color symbolizes mystery, power, elegance, and sophistication.
• Grey showcases neutrality and balance. Its color meaning likely comes from being the shade between white and black.