Interviews and Video Introductions for College Admissions
Do Colleges Offer Interviews, and Are They Important?
There are a lot of misconceptions about college interviews. Some people come into the college application process thinking that every college interviews students– no. Some think that interviews are a crucial part of college admissions– sometimes yes, mostly no. 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 and their ilk) tend to only offer alumni interviews post application, and these are important but usually not dispositive (as they are not available to 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
college interview and video introductions prep
Interviews the Student Requests pre-Submission, as Early as Junior Year
First, a heads up for juniors: you may be scheduling college interviews as early as this summer, 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 this information on a college’s admissions page, and it can be any of the following:
An interview pre-scheduled during an on-campus visit (juniors and seniors) with a student or admissions representative
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: if you have schools on your list that offered interviews in summer and you missed the chance, reach out to admissions to see if you can still interview. By late fall, most opt-in interview spots are full.
Interviews that the College Offers post-Submission
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 year.
Brown University
University of Chicago
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 an interview
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?
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.
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.
