Do all universities require an interview before you’re admitted?

8 comments

1. No most state schools don’t.

   I even got into NYU for law school with no interview. (Did not end up going there though and the other school did require an interview)

   I just looked it up and the two of the best public schools, UCLA and Berkley, do not require interviews or even offer them.

   Here is the list of all schools that require interviews and it’s quite small: https://blog.prepscholar.com/full-list-of-colleges-that-require-interviews.

2. No. I’ve heard that Ivy League schools do (at least some of them). PhD programs also are more likely to.

   Some programs do have more intense admission requirements, but interviews are not universal.

3. No. Many schools rely on personal essays in lieu of an interview, though an interview may be more common at competitive schools or for degrees beyond the bachelor’s level. (I had to do interviews for my master’s program applications). This may be an artifact of when I was applying to undergrad(circa 2005), but a few of my schools would offer to do interviews and would factor that into the process but it wasn’t a requirement and many people got in without an interview.

4. Most don’t

5. I found a full list of US universities that **require** interviews:

   * American Academy of Art
   * Bard College at Simon’s Rock
   * Berea College
   * Berklee College of Music
   * Boricua College
   * Cairn University
   * College of the Ozarks
   * Divine Word College
   * Goddard College
   * Gordon College
   * Hebrew Theological College
   * Hellenic College
   * Juilliard School (Required as part of audition callback process
   * Kendall College
   * Mary Baldwin University
   * Monroe College
   * Northwest College of Art and Design
   * Paier College of Art
   * Point Park University (Required for applicants to stage-management and technical theatre/design)
   * Pontifical College Josephinum
   * Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design
   * Sacred Heart Major Seminary
   * State University of New York Upstate Medical University
   * Stevens Institute of Technology (Required for Accelerated Pre-Medicine applicants, optional for all other applicants)
   * United States Air Force Academy
   * United States Naval Academy
   * University of North Carolina School of the Arts
   * VanderCook College of Music
   * West Coast University
   * Western Governors University
   * Yeshiva University

   [Source](https://blog.prepscholar.com/full-list-of-colleges-that-require-interviews)

   A lot of private, elite universities have optional interviews and it’s **always** recommended to schedule one. As long as you prepare, it’s an opportunity to show the interviewer your charisma, character, intellect, interests, and eagerness to attend that specific school.

6. No, they did not when I applied. Many offered interviews, but they certainly were not required.

7. Reminds me of the “interview” I had with a Georgetown alumnus.

   It was weird to say the least and turned me off more than help me consider the school.

8. No they do not. It’s a very good idea if you can do one.

   I am on the interview committee for my alma mater.

   It’s an optional interview and these days you can do it remotely via video chat or you can do it in person on campus or if you live far from campus with someone on the interview committee in your local area. We don’t make a distinction between whichever option you choose.

   Doing the interview shows you are definitely interested in the school which is important. Admissions wants to know you are a good candidate but they also want to know if you actually want to go to the college. So doing the interview shows you are invested and not just sending in an application to send one in.

   If anyone is applying for college or has kids that are I can give pointers on how to do a good interview.