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Ivies & Highly Selective Colleges That Require Interviews
Many colleges ask students to interview as part of the application process. These schools use evaluative interviews with an alum or admissions officer to gain a stronger grasp of a student's personality, strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
There are two basic kinds of college interviews:
- Evaluative interview: helps the institution assess the student as a candidate. The interviewer speaks with the student, takes notes and reports all impressions to the admission committee.
- Informational interview: provides the student with information about the institution.
Colleges vary in their procedures when it comes to interviews. Interviews of either kind can take place on or off campus. Some ask you to set one up after you’ve applied and they’ve begun to process your application. Others may ask you to indicate on your application whether or not you’d like to have an interview
INTERVIEW REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE SCHOOLS
For many of the most selective colleges, an interview with an alum or admissions officer is part of the application process. Even when the interview is listed as optional, we strongly urge all students to complete an interview.
The Ivy League Schools
Highly Selective Colleges
We recommend students interview as part of their application, even if interviewing is optional. Interviewing is one more way for a student to display a strong interest in a college, and it lets the interviewer get to know the personality behind the grades and test scores.