How Much Do College Interviews Matter?

College interviews are arguably one of the more anxiety-inducing parts of the college applications process. Many students believe that if they have a lukewarm to poor interview, they’ll ruin their chances of getting in. In truth, college admissions committees give less weight to the interview than commonly believed. The interview actually counts for around 5% of your total application, though it becomes more significant if it’s conducted by an admissions officer on-campus.

That said, there is no part of the application that doesn’t matter or “won’t count,” which means that you should take your interview seriously and prepare for it well. A good interview won’t get you an automatic acceptance, but a truly bad one might keep you out. The best way to go into your interview with confidence is to understand what is at stake. In other words, the question we’re dealing with is not “Does my college interview matter?” but rather “Why does my college interview matter?”

What’s At Stake During College Interviews

Obviously, you can only learn so much about a person in the thirty minutes—or even hour—allotted for an interview. Thus, the point of an interview is not to provide admissions officers with an exhaustive or deep understanding of your family life, interests, or values. Most likely, this isn’t even the type of information they are looking to gain from interviewing you. Instead, these are the kinds of topics you should be covering in your personal statement and Common App, and they’ll likely come up in your teacher’s recommendation letters as well.

However, an interviewer can still learn a significant amount about you in a short amount of time—things like your personality and character, your ability to engage in conversations and answer questions, and your decorum and self-presentation, to name just a few. Your college interview, unlike any other part of the application process, is your opportunity to make your application come alive—to put a face, personality, and voice to your name.

Indeed, the very fact that many universities devote time, money, and other resources to organizing and conducting student interviews implies that these interviews are important.  At its core, the application process is designed to show admissions committees the real you. Imagine how helpful it is to an admissions officer to receive input from your interviewer—someone who has not only seen you in the flesh but also spoken to you.

The interview is also a great opportunity to distinguish yourself as an applicant to a competitive school. Though you can work hard to achieve perfect grades and fantastic standardized test scores, there are thousands of students across the country who will have these feathers in their caps too. If you want to make the impression that you specifically are energetic, excited about a school, and a good fit for its community, one sure way to do this is to emote these things in an interview.

Required, Optional, and Nonexistent: Availability of Interviews

As you are applying to college, you’ll notice that every school has its own application requirements; interviews are no exception. Depending on the school you’re applying to, interviews will vary greatly.

In terms of who will conduct your interview, you could be paired anyone from an admissions officer to an alum to a current student. Likewise, locations will vary based on a school’s resources and campuses. Some schools will offer only on-campus interviews, and others will offer interviews in your city or hometown. The latter could occur in school clubs, coffee shops, or restaurants. You should research these logistics beforehand on the school’s website.

The most vital difference, though, is whether interviews are required or not. Some schools will require that you interview. In these cases, there is no question that you must put your best foot forward in your allotted time. If every student vying for a spot in the next graduating class will be interviewed, it will be even more important to distinguish yourself when you meet your interviewers in person.

Meanwhile, some schools will offer optional interviews. In these cases, you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity and schedule one if possible. As we’ve mentioned, an interview is a golden opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates who are equally as qualified as you. Additionally, if you turn down the opportunity to both learn more about a school and showcase your desire to attend, it could be misread as flippant disinterest.

Still other schools will offer limited interviews or no interviews at all. If you are not offered an interview at a school that does offer some interviews, don’t fret. Look into opportunities to procure an interview anyway if you wish, but rest assured that you will not be penalized for this. Usually, this occurs because a college simply doesn’t have the resources to interview every single applicant.

Interviews: They Work Both Ways

If you’ve gotten this far, it should be pretty clear that your interview matters—that your performance, decorum, and self-presentation will all speak volumes about how qualified you are to go to your school of choice. But in addition to that, there’s another reason why your interview is so important. Namely, just as it is an opportunity for a school to decide if you are right for its community, it is equally an opportunity for you to decide if a school can offer you what you want in a college.

For one, the interview provides you with a forum to ask your interviewer any questions you want answered about a school. True, there are good and bad questions, but the fact remains that this part of the interview is designed to give you insight about a school so you can make an informed decision come May.

What You Can Do to Prepare

You should think of your college interview as an opportunity to strengthen your application rather than a potential pitfall. In this light, the best way to set yourself up for success is to make sure your interview runs smoothly—that you enter it confident and prepared.

The best thing you can to do prepare yourself is practice and prepare. Before your interview, research the school in depth, and go in armed with a list of things about the university that excite you, confuse you, worry you, and pique your interest. Is there a department in which you think you want to study? A club you want to join? A class you want to take? Make a list of questions you might ask, but take care not to recite from any notes though. You shouldn’t need notes for really any part of the interview except your questions for the interviewer.

To further quell your fears or nervousness before an interview, it’s a good idea to do a dry run with a teacher at school, older sibling who has been through the college application process, or another family member. Practice answering questions intelligently and with direct, succinct responses. The more you practice carrying on a conversation that is more formal than your everyday discussions, the more prepared you’ll feel for your interview when the day arrives.

Last Thoughts

Most importantly, remember to stay calm throughout the entire interview process. As we’ve said, no part of the application is designed to trip you up or ruin your chances of being accepted. Rather, each component positions you to showcase a different aspect of you. In your interview, let your personality and confidence shine!

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!

For more interview tips, check out our other blog posts:

8 Meaningful Questions to Ask in a College Interview

15 Major Interview Questions to Prepare for

9 Questions You Should Never Ask in a College Interview