All About College Admissions Interviews (and How to Ace Yours!)

If you are applying to any schools that offer admissions interviews, it’s likely the interview invitation will come shortly after you submit your application. With application deadlines occurring right now and in the coming weeks, it wouldn’t hurt to start preparing for this important part of the application process. Admissions Offices typically employ their large alumni base to conduct admissions interviews. These people are located around the world and can interview applicants based on geographic location. Alumni interviewers are given a â€Å"guide† on what to evaluate, not necessarily specific questions to ask. This means that not all interviews will be the same, and each alumni interviewer will use their own questions and tactics to evaluate the same criteria: Personal attributes Involvement impact Academic preparedness Overall fit for the institution For a successful admissions interview, I recommend practicing your responses to questions about: Your personal academic interests Your personal extracurricular interests Your interest in school-specific programs/opportunities Additionally, it’s important to know that most alumni interviewers will not review your application before the interview. If they don’t see if before the interview, they’ll never see it. Remember, the best interviews end up being more of a conversation and less of a question/answer session! In preparation for your interviews, I would recommend coming up with 3–5 questions to ask your interviewer about their school experience. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the institution as well, and having prepared questions is often regarded positively. Don’t forget to remain professional in all of your email correspondence with your interviewer as well. Their evaluation of you begins at the first communication. If you’re interested in coaching for your college admissions interviews, feel free to check out our admissions consulting services! We’d be happy to help you ace your college interview!