![]() In general, though, being offered an interview doesn’t mean much about your chances of admissions. In these cases, you are only offered an interview if you have already made it to the final round of application reviews and your interview is held in person, on campus. For example, in the case of many combined BS/MD programs, the interview is ultimately the determining factor in admissions. Of course, there are some instances in which the interview might matter significantly more. In fact, Princeton alums are told to consider themselves “ambassadors” rather than interviewers, with their primary role being to provide more information about and insight into the school. The approach at Princeton University is similar to at UPenn. “We find that interviews are generally positive and complement what we see in the rest of the application,” notes the website. However, it is rare that an unfavorable interview summary arrives. The process at UPenn is for alumni interviewers to send a written summary of the interview that will then be included with your other application materials. University of Pennsylvania clarifies that interviews are an opportunity to get to know you better as a candidate and for you to get to know the school better. For example, Brown University notes that, “Rarely will an interview be the determining factor in an application.” This seems to indicate that only in extreme circumstances will an interview get you in, or keep you out, of Brown. Some colleges offer direct insight into how heavily they weigh the interview process. Of course, if you completely bomb your interview by swearing, bad mouthing the school, and disrespecting the interviewer, there’s a good chance that you’ve just bought yourself a rejection letter, but the average interview is never so cut and dry. With a few exceptions, interviews are generally not defining factors in the admissions process. At a college interview, you will generally discuss your goals and the reasons you want to attend the college, as well as ask questions about the college. It also shows that you don’t just look good on paper you can also talk the talk. It personalizes you as a candidate by giving you the opportunity to share information about yourself beyond what is listed on your transcript. In this post, we’ll outline the purpose of the admissions interview, offer some insight into how much interviews ultimately matter, and provide a few different scenarios with regards to whether or not being offered an interview is in any way an indication of the status of your application.Īn admissions interview serves multiple purposes. In order to really understand what role an interview plays in your admissions process, you need to understand the multiple purposes and interview processes. There is no simple answer to these questions. Do interviewees represent a pool of screened candidates? Do they represent the applicants most likely to be accepted? When a college doesn’t offer interviews to everyone, how do they decide who gets an interview and who doesn’t? There are occasions when a student who has applied to a school is later invited to an interview, and then anxiously ponders if this is some kind of indication that he or she has made it past an initial application review. Sometimes, students wonder what an interview means about their chance of admission. At others, you might interview locally with an alumni volunteer. At some schools, you might have an interview with actual professors or members of the admissions staff. ![]() While your interview contributes to your overall profile as an applicant, its formality will vary. One factor that is especially inconsistent is the importance of the pre-admissions interview. It isn’t an exact science and it is ultimately a subjective decision. ![]() ![]() An applicant who shines at one school might be deficient at another. The factors that matter most will vary from school to school depending on the priorities of that specific college. It’s no secret that when it comes to college admissions, some factors are weighed more heavily than others.
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