Do Colleges Offer Interviews, and Are They Important? 

There are a lot of misconceptions about college interviews— which colleges conduct them, how much they matter, and what they are used for. The vast majority of colleges and universities in the US do not interview students; however, for those that do, the purpose, focus, and timing can vary greatly, depending on the school. A good rule of thumb is this:

• Large public universities usually do not interview any students

• Many small liberal arts colleges interview students, and these interviews can be very important, even dispositive, especially for determining demonstrated interest

• The most selective (Ivy League colleges and their ilk) tend to only offer alumni interviews post application, and these are very important but usually not dispositive (as they depend on interviewer availability and are thus not an option for all students) 

• A student may also have an interview scheduled for a specific purpose, e.g. with an athletic coach or for a specialized scholarship

Interviews the Student Requests as Early as Junior Year

First, a heads up for seniors: you may be scheduling college interviews as early as the summer before senior year, so don’t sleep on this. You are responsible for scheduling this yourself– a school will not reach out to schedule this for you. It also can be an important indicator to a school of your interest. Yes, that’s one of the ways schools measure demonstrated interest. A Richmond interviewer told a student this fall that the only question he was tasked with reporting back on after the interview was how interested the student was in attending. Schools that offer interviews BEFORE you apply. 

You can almost always find out when a college interviews on the college’s admissions page, and it can be any of the following:

• An interview scheduled in advance of an on-campus visit with a student or admissions representative (juniors and seniors)

• A virtual interview (juniors and seniors) with a student or admissions representative

• An interview off campus or virtually with an alumni representative (seniors) 

Juniors: as you build your college list, take note of whether and when interviews are offered, and make sure to schedule them ahead for colleges that offer them. 

Seniors: Get on Common App and/or college web sites ASAP to book your interview spots for this summer and fall. Just because an interview is “optional” does not mean it is not important. By late fall, most opt-in interview spots are full, so this is a DO NOW item.

Interviews that the College Offers post-Application

Many Ivy League and other highly selective colleges will contact you for an interview after you submit your application. Here are some colleges and universities that will reach out to a student post submission if it has alumni available in your area:

• Princeton

• Harvard

• Stanford

• Duke

• Columbia

• Dartmouth

• Northwestern

• University of Pennsylvania

• Yale 

• MIT

Other schools, like Tufts, will offer an interview post submission only if you request it. Some highly selective colleges do not offer interviews at all, and these include Johns Hopkins, Cal Tech, and Notre Dame.

Colleges that Require or Offer a Video Introduction

A relatively new and growing trend is colleges that require or offer students the chance to record a video introduction. My own child had a 90-second video required when he applied to Cal Arts this last year. 

• Brown University

• University of Chicago

• University of Southern California (specialty portfolio-based programs)

• Cal Arts (Los Angeles)

• Washington University St. Louis

Moreover, a growing list of colleges is requiring of or accepting a recorded interview from international or homeschooled applicants, including sometimes an official interview through Vericant or Initial View. Some of those colleges are these:

• Villanova

• Bates

• Bowdoin

• Carnegie Mellon

• William & Mary

• Barnard

• Georgia Tech

• Syracuse

• Williams

• Denison

• Columbia

• Wooster

See a complete list of colleges participating with Vericant

Stephanie’s advice: When your prospective schools are reading through your applications, you want them to experience various facets of who you are with a through line that gives them a clear picture of who is knocking at their door. An interview is an added opportunity to give context about who’s behind the stats and the writing that you share with the admissions office. Although interviews are not common-place across the board, you may have the opportunity to meet with a representative from one or two of the colleges on your list. If you do, you’ll want to be prepared to show up in an authentic way.

Preparing for A College Admission interview

A) Prepare to respond to questions 💁

• Why are you interested in the school?

• Why are you interested in your major?

• Tell me about your family.

• Tell me about what you do for fun. 

• What is a challenge you have faced?

• What is a good book you have read lately?

• How do you serve your community?

• Where do you see yourself in five years? 

B) Prepare to ask your own questions 👂 👄

• Ask about specific programs, activities, or other topics on campus that you cannot find the answer to by your own research

• Ask the interviewer about his/her/their experience as a student, e.g. What is your best advice for a first year student? What was your favorite part of being a student on campus? What is something you would have done differently if you knew then what you know now? 

Here are some less-expected questions from College Matchpoint. 

Stephanie’s advice: This may feel antithetical, but you may need to practice how to show up authentically. Nerves, bad lighting, and a harried appearance may get in the way of your schools getting your best self. Take some time to visualize how you’d like to make your first impression. Much like walking into a job interview, you’ll want to dress appropriately for the occasion. Choose something to wear in a color that makes you feel great when you put it on, avoid words or patterns and any clothing that draws too much attention away from your face. If your interview is on-line, set your computer up the day before your appointment in a space that has a nice clean background, and consider adding a ring light or another light source to ensure that you can be clearly seen on-camera. Take some time to frame yourself nicely in the shot. Then practice with a parent or coach who can help you shake off any nerves.

C) Role play with a friend, parent, or coach

The goal is to 

• know your sound bites

• have a natural conversation

Do: get your thoughts out

Do: give yourself a moment to collect your ideas

Do: check each school’s site for its advice about the interview

Do: send a thank-you note/email right afterward

Don’t: don’t give short/one-word answers or grill the interviewer

Stephanie’s advice: When your interviewer fields the questions you ask, you are giving them yet another layer of insight into who you are through the topics that you bring to them through the interview. Avoid twisting yourself in knots to appear to be the type of applicant you think they’re looking for at a certain school. Ultimately, you are looking for an excellent fit for your personal educational and experiential needs and desires. Do yourself a favor and bring your best and truest self to every aspect of your applications and through your interviews. That way, you are most likely to land in the environment best suited to who you authentically are.