When you’re preparing for an admission interview, know what happens during the conversation and when it's done, who considers it, how they learn about it, and what they're looking for. 

 

Here’s the big picture: an alum (or sometimes a member of the school’s admission office) meets and speaks with you for about an hour. Then they fill out a report describing their impressions of you. Finally, an admission officer reviews that report along with the rest of your application and makes a decision, usually as part of a team.

 

So the audience for your interviews is (1) the interviewer who meets with you and writes the report and (2) the admission officer who reads the report before making their decision. 

 

As you prepare for your admission interview, keep in mind the interviewer’s and the admission officer’s roles and perspectives.

 

The Admission Officer

 

First, a caveat: I’ve never been an admission officer. These are assumptions based on my long-ago experience as an applicant and student, on my decades supporting applicants, and on my role as a volunteer interviewer for the college I attended.

 

Admission officers don’t just fill spots; they create an intellectual and social community. They do this by issuing invitations. Each one is a call to join the search for truth; to think deeply and creatively; to live the rich, rewarding life of the mind; and to contribute to humanity’s defining, collective effort to expand knowledge. (Of course, admission officers are also regular people who do a job to pay their bills. But I got lofty there because I believe this perspective on their work can help you reach them. If that description is new and foreign to you, don't sweat it; that won’t affect the strength of your application.)

 

Admission officers work hard to offer invitations to the students who will get the most out of them and who will strengthen their campus’s intellectual and social community and the broader, global community of knowledge builders.

 

That’s what they’re looking for in these interviews: confirmation (1) that you’re a student who will benefit from the priceless, multi-faceted educational opportunity they offer and (2) that -- through your unique experiences, perspective, values, curiosity, and commitment to supporting and learning from others -- you’ll contribute something valuable to the community they love.

 

The Interviewer 

 

Interviewers are usually graduates of the schools you’re applying to. They’re often working professionals who volunteer several hours from their busy schedules to arrange, conduct, and report on each interview. They peel this time away from other professional and personal obligations because (1) they’re grateful for all that their school gave them, (2) they appreciate the opportunity to help the school select the next students who will shape it, and (3) they enjoy deep conversations with bright applicants. 

 

Assume your interviewer’s personal commitment to this work is an expression of good will toward you, their school, and the world. Reciprocate by bringing your enthusiasm and your full attention to the conversation. 

 

I’ve met with other interviewers and asked what they look for in these conversations. Their responses are consistent: 

 

• An engaging conversation in which both parties participate deeply and energetically

• A thoughtful discussion of the applicant’s most captivating intellectual and academic interests

• A tour of the applicant’s talents and the people and things they love and value

• A glimpse of the applicant’s ability to get the most out of their education and help others do the same

 

This mirrors what my school's interview report form asks about.

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The Interviewer’s Report
 

The format and focus of the reports vary between schools, but they commonly ask interviewers to explore three broad topics:

 

• Academic interests and love of learning

• Other interests, talents, activities, and commitments

• Ability to contribute to and benefit from an intellectual and social community

 

Before I elaborate on the third bullet, I’ll repeat: schools take pride in the intellectual and social community that they create. They want to issue their invitations to students who will share that pride and enrich that community. They evaluate this by asking interviewers to comment on items like your: 

 

• Thirst for new experiences

• Openness to new perspectives

• Empathy

• Curiosity

• Creativity

• Communication skills

• Ability to connect with others through and about ideas

 

The interview is your opportunity to show interviewers and admission officers that you share these attributes.

 

What Happens with the Interviewer’s Report?

 

This is also worth repeating: interviewers do not have a direct say in admission decisions. All we do is chat with you and write a report on the conversation. Admission officers look at that report and consider it among many other factors as they make their decisions. 

 

How much and what kind of influence does the report have on admission decisions? I can’t say. The college I interview for says that the interviews can help -- but not hurt -- an applicant’s chances. 

 

I recommend that you (1) consider the interview a valuable opportunity to tip the scale in your favor, (2) know what interviewers, report forms, and admission officers are looking for, and (3) prepare to show that to them.