Great news… you’ve submitted your college application, and now the Admissions Office has contacted you to schedule an Alumni Interview! What are these interviews like? Are they formal, informal? Do all schools have these? For many students, an Alumni Interview would probably be the first time they’ve encountered an interview of any sorts unless they’ve interviewed for a part-time job or a high school summer volunteer or internship program before.
An Alumni Interview is a chance for a school to get to know an applicant better and to see if things match up between seeing the person in real life and what was submitted in the application (i.e. personal statement, list of activities, recommendation letters, etc.). A school’s admissions officers only have limited time to fly around from place to place to interview applicants so they ask their alumni to help them with this process. The alumni act as the ears and eyes of a school’s Admissions Office. Not all schools have Alumni Interviews, and even when they do, only selected applicants get interviewed. However, there are a few schools such as Harvard, that enlist the alumni to interview every single applicant, no matter his or her GPA or test scores. So anyone who applies to Harvard will get a chance to speak with an Alumni Interviewer.
So what are these alumni interviews like? It depends, really. Some might be more formal than others. A student would need to gauge this based on the interview location and who the interviewer is (it’s much easier to do a quick research in the digital age these days). It’s always a good idea to err on the side of more formality, and then adjust accordingly. For the most part, Alumni Interviews are fairly casual and last around 45 minutes or so. The interviewer is not out “to get” or “trick” a student. I interviewed on behalf of Harvard for almost 10 years, and below are some key observations I’ve made over the years to help you set yourself apart at these interviews.
Appearance matters. Although alumni interviews are usually not very formal by nature, you should dress appropriately. You don’t need to wear suits or anything too business-like, just something neat and respectable. Smart casual is probably a good rule of thumb. Interviews can take place in a coffee shop, at the interviewer’s office, or in a large setting where multiple interviews can take place simultaneously.
Keep the interview conversational. As soon as most people hear the word, “interview,” it is natural to think that the interviewer does the asking, and the interviewee just provides the answers. Instead, what makes a successful interview is when it starts to become more like a conversation, rather than just a question and answer session. Think of the interview as meeting a new classmate at school for the first time, for example. You would start off with some questions, but then it would become more conversational as you discover some shared common ground topics. This will also let your interviewers get to know your personalities and other character traits better.
Prompt the interviewer with your responses. The admissions offices do not provide the alumni interviewers with any information about the students other than their name, contact details, and which schools they attend. So the interviewers will always have a set of questions that they ask every student they interview. It is your job, as the interviewee, to share as much as you can with the interviewer so that they understand your profile, which should be consistent with how you presented yourself on your application. Never answer the questions with just a “yes” or “no” response. Always elaborate because that will be the only way the interviewer can find out more about your background, interests, strengths and weaknesses, etc. This will help the interviewer customize their questions according to each student’s responses throughout the interview, making each one different from one another.
Show your interest in the school. You may find it surprising that I have interviewed some students who did not make any effort to show an interest in the school they are interviewing for. That is definitely a red flag for the interviewer, especially when the rate of admission is getting more competitive in recent years. It is to your benefit to ask the alumni interviewer any questions you have about the school as the interviewer is there to not only find out more about you, but also to share their insights about the school with you. They are usually more than happy to tell you about their experiences because it will help you make informed decisions when it comes time to decide which school will be the best fit for you.
I always enjoyed interviewing the students as I found it was a great way to stay informed of the educational system in my local community. I think most alumni interviewers feel the same way, so there’s no need for students to fear this part of the application process. As long as you put forth your best self and treat the interview as a friendly conversation, showing your genuine interest in the school, you should feel very proud of confidently advocating yourself.
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