Many applicants to the most selective university programs share high grades, high test scores, solid recommendations and generous doses of community service and volunteer activities. Yet, if they want to set themselves apart from the pool of exceptional students, a significant research experience in STEM or the social sciences helps.
The use of Skype for admissions interviews is becoming ever more prevalent.
Wake Forest on its website tells you, “We take interviews personally… Whether face-to-face or via webcam, it is our priority to put a personality with a name in our search for future Wake Forest students. The interview provides us with a personal and unrehearsed component to the admissions process…”
This year the alumni interviews at a number of schools were a touch more stressful than usual.
Usually an alumni interview is a relatively relaxed exchange done to gain a sense of how applicants present themselves, engage in conversation, and express their curiosities across a range of subjects. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s an element, a small one, of the college admissions process, these interviews could be one of the more enjoyable and interesting conversations a student might have about a college of interest. It often rewards an applicant with a unique perspective of the school.
How important is the college interview? The correct answer is, 'it depends.' There are over 2,400 four-year colleges and universities. Some put a great deal of weight on the interview; others, especially the most selective schools, rarely even conduct them, except through their alumni network. Of course, just when I'm ready to discount the importance of interviewing, a student, who was a true long shot at UCLA, gets admitted because of the strength of her interview.
