College Admissions Interviews: What to Expect and How to Prepare

A college admissions interview is usually a conversation, not a test. Not every college offers one, and policies differ widely, so the first step is to find out what each school on your list does. This guide covers the general picture. It is not a guarantee about how any school treats interviews.

Types of interviews

• Alumni interviews. Many selective colleges arrange for a local graduate to meet with applicants, often in a coffee shop or on a video call. The alumnus writes a short report for the admissions office.
• On-campus interviews with admissions staff. A smaller number of schools offer these, sometimes by invitation.
• Program or scholarship interviews. Honors programs, some scholarships, and certain majors may require an interview as part of selection.
• Optional or informational interviews. Some schools say the interview is for you to learn about them as much as for them to learn about you.

Check each school's admissions page to see whether interviews are offered, optional, required, or not available. If a school offers an optional interview, ask yourself whether you have something to add. Many students find them useful even when they are not required.

What interviewers generally want to learn

• Why you are interested in this school and what you hope to study.
• What you care about and how you spend your time.
• How you think, talk, and react to questions.
• Whether you have done real research about the college.

How to prepare without memorizing

1. Reread your application. The interviewer may have seen parts of it, and you should be ready to talk about anything you wrote.
2. Research the school. Know a few specific things, such as a program, a course, or a tradition, that attract you. Our college pages are a starting point.
3. Practice answering common questions out loud. Try "Tell me about yourself," "Why this college," "What do you want to study," and "What is something you are proud of." Do not memorize scripts, just get comfortable talking.
4. Prepare two or three questions of your own. Ask about the interviewer's own experience or about something specific to the school, not something you could have found on the website.

Good questions to ask

• What was your favorite part of your own experience at the school?
• What do students here get involved in that surprised you?
• How do students typically get connected with research or internships?
• What would you tell a student deciding whether this is the right fit?

On the day

• Arrive a few minutes early, or log in early for a video call and test your camera and audio.
• Dress comfortably and neatly. You do not need a formal suit unless that is what you would be comfortable in.
• Listen, make eye contact, and give real answers with specific examples.
• It is fine to pause and think before answering.

After the interview

Send a short thank-you email the same day or the next. Mention something specific you enjoyed discussing. Then let it go. A good interview rarely changes an application dramatically, and a poor one is usually not fatal, so keep your focus on the rest of your application.

Interview practices differ by college and change over time. Confirm what each school expects. For the rest of the process, see our senior-year timeline and how to ask for a letter of recommendation.