Alumni Interview

After you've submitted your application, you may be offered an opportunity to interview with a Dartmouth graduate. Interviews will be offered virtually (via phone or video call) and in person for the 2023-24 application cycle.  

How Interviews Are Arranged
  • You do not need to schedule an interview. Once you apply, your contact information is sent to volunteer alumni admissions ambassadors. Our alumni then contact you directly to schedule the interview using the email address you provided in your application.
  • Interviews for Early Decision candidates are usually scheduled around November.
  • Interviews for Regular Decision candidates take place between early December and mid-February.
  • Dartmouth offers alumni interviews only. There are no on-campus interviews.
Interviews Are Optional
  • While our alumni work hard to offer as many interviews as possible, we are not able to offer interviews to all applicants due to alumni availability and geography.
  • Interviews are arranged after you have submitted your application. Not having an interview will not put you at a disadvantage in the admissions process. However, if you are offered an interview, it can help you learn something new about Dartmouth and allow you to add a little more of your own voice to your application.
If You Have Been Invited to Interview
  • Alumni interviews are both informative and evaluative. You can ask our alumni your questions, and they can learn more about you through the conversation. An interview report is added to your file and is reviewed along with your other materials.
  • Interviews take place in person or via a virtual platform or a phone call. Students and alumni are prohibited from recording the conversation.
  • If you are unable to or would prefer not to have an interview, please respond to the alumnus/a as soon as possible to decline the invitation. This will give the alumnus/a plenty of time to offer an interview to another applicant.
  • If you have been invited to interview and you have questions or concerns, please contact us at aap@dartmouth.edu or at (603) 646-6068.
Tips for a Successful Interview
  • Check your email frequently. Be sure to check your junk mail folder, as messages from admissions ambassadors are sometimes routed there. Interviewers use the email address you provided in your application to contact you.
  • If you are invited to interview, respond promptly if you will or will not be able to attend.
  • Make a positive first impression. Arrive on time. Formal attire is not required but dress appropriately.
  • Plan ahead. A brief resume or activity sheet can be helpful to your interviewer but is not required.
  • Prepare. Your interviewer will likely ask you questions similar to these:
    • Tell me about your school: courses, teachers, favorite subject, worst subject?
    • Is there a project, paper, lab, etc. that you were especially proud of when you completed it?
    • What are your future plans: college, major, career?
    • What activities are you involved in: which are the most important to you and why?
    • What would your teachers or friends tell us about you?
    • When you envision your ideal college experience, what does that look like?
  • What are your questions about Dartmouth? Your questions will give your interviewer insight about what you value and your thought process. Make sure to prepare questions for your interviewer. The admissions ambassador interview is a great source of information about life at Dartmouth and about the alumni network.

 

On a recent episode of his podcast, Admissions Beat, Dartmouth's Dean of Admission and Financial Aid conducted a mock interview with a high school senior from Los Angeles and was then joined by Erica Rosales of the nonprofit College Match to share feedback and tips, including ways to make an interview feel more like a conversation and less like a dental appointment. A transcript of this episode is available.