Many schools offer interviews for hopeful candidates. Volunteer alums conduct the majority of these and recently the large majority have been virtual. These interviews are a powerful tool for getting to know more about the school and getting the school to know more about you. Most Ivy League schools offer these types of interviews. We have been doing a series with specific interview tips for the Ivies, but we also wanted to share what these interviews are, which Ivies offer them, how to get one, and some general tips that work for these interviews across the board.
First, let’s get on the same page about alumni interviews.
An alumni interview is an optional conversation that takes place after you apply but before you get in. They usually take about 30-45 minutes. After the interview, the interviewer will write a report on how it went and then send it to the admissions office. This report is then added to your admissions file. These are usually not-make-or-break. Aka a great interview cannot save a bad application. But through this process, the admissions office gets a better sense of who you are, your personality, and how you would fit in at the school. Interviews, at the Ivies, are optional, but if you get the opportunity to do one, you absolutely should.
Which Ivies offer interviews?
All of them offer interviews except Cornell (for most students) and Brown. Cornell only has Architecture and Fine Arts students interview. They do not offer interviews for any other applicants. However, they do informational sessions with alums if you really want to learn more about the school. Brown[1] has students submit videos instead of doing interviews. We have specific tips for that here if you aren’t sure where to start.
How do I request an alumni interview?
The short answer is you don’t. All the schools that offer interviews have a real, “don’t call us, we’ll call you” vibe when it comes to setting up an interview. Unfortunately, not everyone gets an interview. If you aren’t offered an interview, however, don’t panic. It won’t be used against you. Schools try to interview as many students as possible, but since all the interviewers are volunteers it can be hard to get to everyone. UPenn probably does the best, offering around 90% of candidates an interview, but no Ivy League school can promise one to everyone. If someone doesn’t reach out to you about an interview, don’t try to reach out to the admissions office. If they haven’t given you an interview, it means they are out of interviews.
How do I know if I am offered an interview?
An alum will reach out to you over email or at some schools through their applicant portal. Check the email that is tied to your Common App frequently as that is where it will come from for the majority of schools. When it comes, answer promptly to set up an interview time. Since the email will be coming from the alum themselves, make sure that your spam filter isn’t playing on hard mode. Many interviewers will use their old school email to send requests, but not all of them will. Don’t be surprised if you get an interview from LoraliM37@hotmail.com. Make sure to be prompt, clear, and courteous in your emails before the interview.
Now let’s talk about tips.
Tip 1: Do your research
A lot of schools have shared sample questions online (we have also added them to our college-specific blogs…. Just saying.) Look over the types of questions your interview will likely be asking and ask yourself, am I prepared to answer these? If the answer is no you might need to do some research or soul searching.
Not every school shares questions, but the ones we see again and again are ones like:
What do you want to study?
Why do you want to study it at [name of school]?
What are you passionate about?
What’s your favorite after-school activity and why?
Questions like “What do you want to study?” or “why do you want to come here?” might take a little research. In general, you should know some specifics of the school. You should look into programs, opportunities, and even clubs that make you excited about the school. Being able to name these specifics will make you a stronger candidate.
For other questions, you might just want to think about them or even practice with a friend or family member if you are nervous. Practice can make perfect if you are worried about answering a certain question or type of question.
Tip 2: Come with questions
Are we saying the word ‘question’ too much? No, it’s just that important. These interviews are not just an opportunity for the school to get to know you, they also are a time for you to get to know the school. For many applicants, this might be the first time you can talk to a living-breathing student from one of these schools. You should ask them questions. They are an amazing resource especially if you are still on the fence.
You should prepare a couple of appropriate questions for them. What do we mean by appropriate? Well probably don’t ask them about parties or hooking up. Also, don’t ask them easily googled facts. Asking “does Brown have a Business School?” just makes you look unprepared and less serious about going to the school.
Good questions include:
What is an opportunity you wish you could have taken advantage of as an undergrad?
What was a typical day for you?
What was your favorite thing about the school?
Did you feel that the school was diverse enough for you?
Really think about what you want to know about the school and start there. However, remember these grads might have graduated a while ago, so questions like “what is the campus like right now?” might not give you the best answers.
Tip 3: Be a conversationalist
These interviews are supposed to feel like a conversation. Having great conversation skills will make doing these easier. However, not everyone naturally has great conversation or communication skills. If you aren’t someone who feels comfortable in their skills, practice! You can do a mock interview with a friend, a family member, or a classmate to sharpen your skills. Being comfortable talking about yourself doesn’t come naturally to everyone.
It's also good to think about your answer length. One-word answers kill conversations. At the same time, rambling is not your friend. There is a bit of a sweet spot when it comes to answer length. Your answers should be around 2-5 sentences. This gives you enough time to answer completely without overloading the interviewer with too much content to follow up on. Some answers might be longer or shorter than this because of the question, but in general, this is a good measuring stick.
Tip 4: Give thanks
These volunteers are just that. Volunteers. They are giving up their time because they genuinely love their alma mater. Without them, these interviews wouldn’t happen… trust us, no admissions office workers have time to interview the thousands of applicants that come in. Show that you appreciate them by writing a thank you note. If you do it quickly, they will probably get it before they submit their report. But even if they have already submitted their report, it’s just good manners. Just sending a short email really shows your appreciation.
Interviewing doesn’t have to be a stressful process. It’s important to loosen up and not come off as a robot. The interviewer wants to see your personality and wants to have a good conversation with you. Coming prepared and relaxed will help you give them the best conversation you can! We also suggest checking out our other specific blogs about Ivy League interviews. The majority of schools have fairly similar interviews, but there are some tips and tricks that are school-specific.
Need help navigating the Ivies? It’s what we do! Contact us here.