While interviews in many colleges in the US are not required, many top colleges encourage students’ participation. An interview is a conversation between students and the representatives of colleges. Through college interviews, admissions officers can observe what kind of student you are based on your language logic, knowledge reserves, communication skills, etc. At the same time, you can also show them your most genuine and comprehensive image. How much do you know about college interviews? Here’s our guide for college interviewees.
Information on College Interview QuestionsTypes of American college interviewsTop 10 comprehensive universities in the US interview requirementsCommon Interview Questions to Prepare for1. Personal information2. School/major3. Activities/interests/goalsTips for School Interview QuestionsFAQ
Is it bad if I don't get a college interview?
Does a college interview matter?
How to prepare for college interviews?
Information on College Interview Questions
Types of American college interviews
Nature of interview
- The Evaluative interview: It tends to know students. In the admission process, the report of the evaluative interview is one of the important application materials.
- The Informational Interview: It is more inclined to inform students the school. After the students finish the Interview, the interviewer usually provides a report to the school for reference, so it is less important than an evaluative interview.
Interview topic
- Admissions Officer Interview: The admissions officer Interview is the most traditional form of the interview in the United States, which belongs to the Evaluative Interview. Each school has an average of 10-30 admissions officers during the interview process. They are professionally trained people who directly impact applications and admissions. The interview usually lasts about half an hour. Due to the geographical limitations of international students, Skype or Zoom interviews are usually conducted online.
- Alumni Interview: Alumni interviews are more informal. The interviewers are alumni from all over the world, and it has been the mainstream interview method of “two-way, third-party objective evaluation” in recent years. After about an hour of conversation between the interviewer and the applicant, the interviewer will then use a paragraph to evaluate the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, and the admissions office will use the assessment provided by the alumni interviewer as a reference.
- Third-party interview: A third-party interview is one in which the university entrusts a third party to help the university conduct the interview, which is a common method for international students today. Third-party agency interviews are paid for and can be repeated as many times as the applicant chooses the one with the best performance to send to the school.
Top 10 comprehensive universities in the US interview requirements
| Top 10 American comprehensive universities interview requirements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The rankings for 2024 | Name | Interview type | Interview requirements |
| 1 | Princeton University | Alumni Interview voluntary participation |
The interview lasts about 30-45 minutes and may include discussions of personal importance and questions for Princeton alumni. |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Alumni Interview voluntary participation |
Most EA interviews will be scheduled in November, and RA interviews will be scheduled in January. The interview usually lasts an hour, but it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. |
| 3 | Harvard University | Alumni Interview voluntary participation |
The decision to assign an interview to an applicant is made at the discretion of the alumni resources available, and not all regions can arrange an interview for all applicants. The interview format depends on the public health restrictions of the location and the choice of applicant and interviewer |
| 3 | Stanford University | Alumni Interview | Applicants are not allowed to request an interview because interview invitations are issued based on alumni availability in their high school district. REA interview takes place in the first few weeks of November, and RD interview in early January to mid-February. |
| 5 | Yale University | Alumni Interview | Applicants are not allowed to request an interview, and are contacted by alumni or senior students as interviewers after application materials are submitted. Interview formats include virtual interviews with alumni and face-to-face interviews with current seniors |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania | Alumni Interview | For the 2023-2024 application season, all alumni conversations will be conducted online. Not attending the interview will hurt students’ application. |
| 7 | California Institute of Technology | / | / |
| 7 | Duke University | Alumni Interview | Alumni interviews are an optional part of the application process. The admissions office will give priority to interviews with students who need more information. The interview lasts 30-60 minutes. Glimpse is only available to high school students attending school in the United States. For international students, Initialview will be considered to use. |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University | / | / |
| 9 | Northwestern University | Alumni Interview | For the 2023-2024 academic year, interviews will be conducted virtually by default, but students can indicate on their application if they wish to be interviewed offline. If you are unable to attend the interview, your application will not be adversely affected. For international students, InitialView will be considered to use in interview. |
Common Interview Questions to Prepare for
Most interview questions for colleges focus on five dimensions: personality and background, hobbies and activities, future planning, high school experience, college and major choice. It can be divided into the following three categories:
1. Personal information
2. School/major
3. Activities/interests/goals
Tips for School Interview Questions
- Before a college admissions interview, it’s suggested that students rehearse with friends or family so that they can answer questions naturally and loudly.
- Students are encouraged to review their lives and academics in order to tell their stories more accurately and smoothly. When giving answers, students should try to put themselves in the interviewers’ shoes and combine their own experiences with suitable words to express their thoughts.
- Students can train themselves to ask interviewers questions. Asking questions is also a part of the interview process. Not only is the college interviewing the student, but the student also has a chance to interview the admissions officer at the same time.
FAQ
Is it bad if I don't get a college interview?
Some schools don’t offer interviews anymore. Even highly selective schools like Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt University have cancelled interviews. If you’re applying to a school that doesn’t offer interviews, you don’t need to do anything differently with your main application but make sure you’re aware of the policy.
Does a college interview matter?
Yes. If you are sure to attend the college interview, it’s very important to perform well during it. knowing what to expect and how to prepare can make a big difference.
How to prepare for college interviews?
- Prepare well in advance. For example, train for applied colleges and interview question banks with the help of families or teachers.
- Avoid asking meaningless questions when it’s your turn to ask interviewers. For example, does the college have a fitness center? How many students are in the freshman class?
- Dress appropriately. For females, makeup, nails, and other jewellery should not be too gorgeous. Don’t wear too much perfume. For males,
wear a suit and tie to show your confidence. Do not wear sports shoes!
