Admissions Interviews - Types of College Interviews

Evaluative Interviews, Informational Interviews, and Alumni Interviews

If a college asks you to interview, or gives you the opportunity to interview, you'll want to know exactly what to expect. In addition to preparing for the interview, you'll want to know what type of college interview you'll be doing.

College interviews generally fall into one of the following three categories:

1. On-campus evaluative interviews. Here, an admissions officer or other representative of the college will interview you on-campus--typically in the admissions office. While you'll be given a chance to ask questions, the main purpose of the meeting will be for the interviewer to form an impression of you (yikes!) and make notes for the admissions committee. This is sort of like a job interview; while the evaluative college interview is just one small part of the admissions puzzle, the interviewer's notes will go in your file and help determine whether or not you're asked to join the class.

2. On-campus informational interviews. Unlike evaluative interviews, informational college interviews are at least in theory not about deciding whether you're a good fit for the school. Instead, colleges set up informational interviews to add a personal touch to the admissions process and to answer any questions the applicant might have. Informational interviews could be with an admissions officer, but they could also be with a student employee or volunteer. Beware: In any informational interview, and particularly one with an admissions officer, you should realize that the interviewer very well might take some notes about your session and share that information with the committee--despite the fact that you were promised an "informational" interview.

3. Alumni interviews. Sometimes you'll meet with an alumnus of the college in your own city. Colleges do these interviews because it allows all students to have college interviews, regardless of whether they're able to travel to the admissions office. It also gives applicants a chance to ask questions of an alumnus, rather than someone who works full time for the admissions committee. If you do an alumnus interview, be on your best behavior and be prepared for any type of question. Since you're not meeting with a professional admissions worker, you'll probably be evaluated (and you are being evaluated!) on how your poise, passion, and ability to engage the interviewer in interesting conversation. I do alumni interviews for Harvard, and I consistently find myself asking: "Is this the type of person I'd want as a classmate?"