How Important Is the College Admissions Interview?

As we move into December, January, and early February, the interviewing process for regular-decision college applicants goes into high gear. In what can be a stressful experience, high school seniors meet in person or speak by phone with on-site admissions representatives or alumni interviewers nationwide.

How important are these interviews? In a nutshell, it depends. For some students, barring exceptional circumstances, the college admissions interview will have little or no effect on the outcome of their applications. Such students are already clearly destined for either the "admit" or "reject" pile.

Most students, however, fall somewhere in between—decisions about their applications could go either way. For these applicants, the interview can be very important, helping to make or break a case.

For colleges, the interview is a way of finding out additional information about an applicant that might not be revealed by grades, test scores, essays, or recommendations. For students, it's an opportunity to put one's best foot forward and convey knowledge about, enthusiasm for, and "good fit" with a particular school.

Given the potential stakes, determining how important an interview is likely to be to your particular application is a smart first step. Because the fall quarter of senior year is an extremely busy time, few students applying to multiple colleges will be able to prepare equally well for all interviews.

Focus your attention on schools in the middle part of your list, not the "reaches" or "safety schools," which you can deal with later as time permits. That's where the interview will be most important—and where being thoroughly prepared will serve you best.