Navigating College Alumni Interviews: A Comprehensive Guide

Gaining admission to a highly selective college is a multifaceted process. While it may seem like a daunting task, understanding the role each component plays can help you navigate the application process more effectively. College alumni interviews are often part of this process, and this guide aims to provide clarity on their purpose, format, and significance. It's important to remember that securing or not securing an alumni interview is not indicative of your admission chances.

The Evolution of College Interviews

Historically, many selective universities conducted interviews with admissions officers themselves. However, nowadays, most rely on alumni to conduct these interviews. Typically, the alumnus assigned to interview an applicant lives near the applicant. The alum could be a recent alum from a class that graduated within the past few years or a less recent one from a class over half a century ago. These alumni volunteers provide a valuable service to their alma maters.

The Role of Alumni Interviews in Admissions

While many believe the alumni interview is an essential component of the process so that a school can observe a student’s intellectual curiosity, passions, and personality firsthand, it’s really not the case. In fact, the alumni interview remains part of the process today more to make alumni - people who give back to their alma maters - feel like they’re involved in the decision-making of the school than it is to gauge applicants on their fit for the institution. Alumni interviewers are rarely trained. Typically, the local alumni group sends interviewers a list of suggested questions along with some guidance, including some proposed questions to ask and how to make the interview feel less like an interview and more like an opportunity for applicants to learn more about the school.

The rigor of a student’s coursework and their grades are pieces of the puzzle that encompass at least an entire quadrant. Testing, admissions essays, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, the quality of the student’s high school, and flags and tags (e.g., athletic recruit, legacy, development case, underrepresented minority, first-generation college student, etc.), among a few other critical pieces, encompass much of the rest of the board.

The Logistics of Alumni Interviews

Before the pandemic, many alumni interviews took place in coffee shops. However, the pandemic led to the demise of most in-person interviews. Alumni interviews occur during two phases: during the early weeks of November, after students submit their Early Action/Decision applications and during the first two months of the new year, after students submit their Regular Decision applications.

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Interview Timing

Alumni interviews typically occur during two main periods:

Early Action/Decision Applicants: Interviews take place in the early weeks of November after students submit their applications.
Regular Decision Applicants: Interviews occur during the first two months of the new year, following the application deadline.

Location, Location, Location

All interviews are conducted in the local area of the applicant. No interviews are given on campus. Upon receipt of the Georgetown Application, applicants are assigned to a local interviewing committee in their region based upon their school year address. It is the responsibility of the student to contact their interviewer and set up a meeting.

Who Conducts the Interviews?

The Alumni Admissions Program (AAP) is a volunteer network of more than 6,000 Georgetown alumni who interview undergraduate applicants around the world. The AAP is divided into more than 200 regional committees and has been interviewing students for longer than 35 years. AAP interviewers may be alumni of any school at Georgetown, graduate or undergraduate, and they range in experience from the most recent graduates to alumni of the 1960s.

Setting Up Your Interview

Students who send in their applications during the summer should expect to hear something about their interview by early October. Thereafter, interview assignments will be made regularly and students will typically receive the name of their interviewer within several weeks of submitting their application. Assignments are not made in any particular order and occur up through the application deadlines, so students should not be concerned if they do not receive an interview assignment right away.

The Interview Experience

The interview is an opportunity for students to share any information that they feel was not captured in their applications or to highlight any relevant information. Interviewers are not looking for any specific information about the applicant; rather, they seek to have a general conversation about the applicant’s thoughts and interests. Each interview will be unique based on the interviewer and the applicant, but some topics that may come up include: academic interests, extracurricular activities, summer experiences, family background, future plans, and exposure to Georgetown. Finally, students should use the interview to learn more about Georgetown and the Georgetown community from the perspective of an alumnus.

The interview should be conversational in nature and will likely take less than an hour. A report of the interview is added to your admissions file.

Preparing for Common Questions

You will be much less stressed if you arrive well-prepared. Every interview is unique. The interview questions you are asked will depend largely on your interviewer and whether your responses generate follow-up questions. However, you should anticipate questions about your academic interests, family background, career goals, extracurricular activities, and your interest in Georgetown.

Here are some examples of questions you may encounter:

Tell me about yourself.I come from a close-knit family where the values of education and curiosity were instilled early on, so I spent my childhood exploring a variety of subjects. It wasn’t until my adolescence that I developed a passion for understanding how businesses operate on a global scale. Outside of the classroom, I’ve been actively involved in Model United Nations, where I’ve honed my negotiation and diplomacy skills. Additionally, I took on leadership roles in our school’s debate club, which allowed me to articulate and defend my viewpoints effectively. I’ve had the privilege of interning at the Global Impact Initiative, where I gained invaluable firsthand experience in the practical application of international relations principles. These experiences inspired my aspirations to pursue business and international relations.
Why are you interested in this college?I am fascinated by how business, government policy, and international relations intersect. Washington, D.C. encapsulates these elements, so Georgetown’s location is definitely a factor. But my main interest in Georgetown is the joint degree program in business and global affairs. No other school offers a program like this, which I find incredibly exciting. I am particularly drawn to the cohort model and the experiential learning opportunities around D.C. and abroad. And I love that the program offers signature courses that I wouldn’t be able to take otherwise. I plan to enroll in the School of Foreign Service before I apply to the BGA program, but I am also eager to learn from the faculty at the McDonough School of Business. The BGA cohort is a close-knit group, and I think learning with the same people for the duration of the program will motivate me. That said, I plan to get involved outside of the BGA program. Since the program has a language requirement and I’ve already been studying French, I plan to improve my speaking proficiency with the Georgetown French Cultural Association. It will give me a chance to meet other Francophiles and immerse myself in the language, food, and culture. As I was researching schools, it became clear to me that Georgetown has everything I’m looking for to thrive and succeed academically and personally. I also love how Georgetown honors its Jesuit heritage by welcoming everyone and helping students live a life of deeper meaning and purpose regardless of their beliefs.
Why are you interested in your chosen major?The pandemic first made me really think about how we’re interconnected globally - maybe not in the most positive way - but it piqued my interest in how economies and governments around the globe were impacted by this experience. My involvement in Model United Nations and debate further fueled my interest in international relations and business. These experiences provided a platform to explore simulated diplomatic scenarios, which only heightened my desire to explore the intersection of business and international relations in a more formalized academic setting. My internship with the Global Impact Initiative allowed me to see how the concepts I learned impacted in the real world. My time with GII confirmed my decision to pursue international relations and business at the college level. In essence, my journey toward pursuing this major is a culmination of a passion nurtured through academic exploration and validated by real-world experiences.
What kind of campus community are you seeking?I envision a community of individuals united by a shared commitment to intellectual growth, cultural diversity, and service to society. You can, of course, say that numerous colleges and universities offer this type of community. But more than that, I want to be part of a community that honors each person’s individuality and supports them holistically. This is where Georgetown really stands out to me. Georgetown values cura personalis - care for the whole person. The idea of cura personalis is not just about academic and professional development but also about the wellbeing of each individual. I look for a community where students are supported in their personal growth, where mental health and self-care are not only acknowledged but actively promoted. I’ve read about the steps Georgetown has taken to increase mental health services, support first-generation and low-income students, and advance gender equity among faculty. The university is committed to making the campus environment a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive place for everyone. A sense of belonging is very important to me in terms of what I look for in a community.
How will attending this college contribute to your growth?Attending Georgetown will contribute to my growth in several ways - including ways I can’t even anticipate. In terms of my intellectual growth, the opportunities to learn from distinguished faculty, engage with a diverse student body, and navigate the complexities of global issues in Washington, D.C., will help me become a better communicator, researcher, and thinker. If I am accepted into the BGA program, I will have the opportunity to work and study abroad, which will help me grow as a global citizen. Georgetown’s emphasis on experiential learning and its robust network of alumni will provide me with the practical insights, connections, and mentorship opportunities that are crucial for my growth. The chance to intern in the heart of the nation’s capital, interacting with influential organizations and policymakers, will shape my perspective and contribute significantly to my professional development. I am eager to contribute to and learn from the diverse perspectives that Georgetown’s community fosters, which will undoubtedly broaden my worldview. Attending Georgetown will be a transformative experience that will allow me to grow significantly as a scholar, professional, and human.

The Interview Report

An interview report will be submitted and becomes part of the admissions file.

Interview Policies at Different Colleges

Colleges vary in their interview policies, ranging from required to optional. Some interviews are evaluative, contributing to the admissions decision, while others are informational, designed to help prospective students learn more about the school.

Optional Interviews

The Optional interviews provide opportunities for applicants to have meaningful conversations with Stanford alumni. If your high school is in an interview area (listed below), you may be offered an interview with a trained Stanford alumni volunteer, depending on availability. No, declining an interview will not incur a penalty that negatively impacts your admission decision, and you may decline for any reason. If you wish to decline your interview opportunity, please communicate this to the interviewer promptly. Your application will be considered complete with or without an interview. If offered an interview, please respond promptly to accept or decline the opportunity. Interview capacity is limited by alumni availability. No, you should not be interviewed by a Stanford alum with whom you are acquainted. The interview is meant to be an informal conversation, so no formal preparation is needed. Do not bring or share resumes, transcripts, test scores, your application, or other supplementary materials with your interviewer. The interview is a one-on-one experience between you and your interviewer. Parents, siblings, and friends should not be present during an interview. Remember that interviews are a great opportunity to help Stanford learn about you as a person beyond the scope of your written application.

General Tips for Success

Be Consistent: You want your responses to be consistent with your application.
Don't Miss the Opportunity: If the student doesn't reply, the interviewer may or may not take the extra step to call them. And, don't forget to check your spam folder every day.
Appropriate Meeting Places: Coffee shops, libraries, office buildings are appropriate places to meet with an interviewer.
Ask Reflective Questions: Try to ask reflective questions: Why did you choose to attend? What was your favorite part of your experience there?
Remember the Positive Nature: Almost all of these reports are positive which sometimes makes the interview more of a formality rather than a distinctive and influential piece of the application.

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