What to Know About the Alumni Interview
If you’ve applied to a top school, there is a chance that you will be asked to meet for an alumni interview. Alumni interviews are often part of the admissions process, though not always. Alumni interviews can be hard to gauge. For example, getting asked to have an alumni interview doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being seriously considered for admission. At the same time, just because you’re not asked for an alumni interview doesn’t mean that you aren’t being seriously considered. When your child works with an Ivy Link advisor, they will receive in-depth interview coaching tailored to their prospective schools. Below we’ve shared some introductory information that every student should know.
The Value of Alumni Interviews
Though these interviews are a part of the admissions process, they are a relatively small part in comparison. They hold nowhere near as much weight as your GPA, standardized test scores, admissions essay, letters of recommendation, or extracurricular portfolio. So, what’s the point of them? Often they are used to keep alumni actively engaged because an actively engaged alum is more likely to donate to the school.
That said, just because the interviews don’t carry as much weight as other parts of the admission portfolio, that doesn’t mean you can phone it in. You should always strive to make a great impression. You don’t want to say anything inappropriate, for example, as they will likely report this to the school and therefore could negatively affect your chances of admission.
What to Expect
Because the interviews aren’t as important to the school as other factors, alumni are often not trained or coached on what to ask in the interview. And they have not seen your actual application, transcript, test scores, etc. so they only know a few basic things about you before the interview. Accordingly, their questions can be pretty generic. We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions for you to answer before the interview:
Tell me about yourself
Tell me about your family
What is your favorite class?
What activities outside of the classroom do you enjoy?
What would a friend say about you?
What would a teacher say about you?
What is your favorite book? Why?
What do you want to study in college?
What do you love about your high school?
Do you feel your transcript accurately represents your high school accomplishments?
If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be and why?
These are just a few examples. Your interviewer should not ask you about your SAT or ACT scores, as these questions are inappropriate. However, if they do ask, you should answer only if you’re comfortable doing so. They may also ask you what other schools you have applied to which is, again, inappropriate. If they ask you this, we recommend answering like a politician. Turn the question into a chance to express how interested you are in this one school.
Final Tips
Dress formally. Even if they tell you it’s a casual conversation, you want to look your best. If they schedule the interview over Zoom or some other online platform, make sure you have a strong internet connection in advance. Also be sure to have a backup location, such as a quiet coffee shop, in case of weak internet at home. After the interview, send a polite “thank you” note. Keep it simple. Thank them for taking the time to talk to you, but don’t try to sell yourself anymore than you already have in the interview. You don’t want to seem desperate nor do you want to seem like a sycophant.
So, if you’re asked for an alumni interview, we wish you luck! Just practice your answers ahead of time and remember to breathe.
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