Interviewing

Why interview?

Interviewing gives us the chance to learn more about you, including:

What you love to do and what excites you
Ways you have impacted those around you
Your unique story and perspectives

Interviewing also gives you the opportunity to talk to someone who knows Rochester, and ask questions about what life at Rochester is really like. Whether you interview with an admissions counselor, alumnus/a, or a current student, it will be considered equally in our application review process.

An interview is strongly recommended, especially if you wish to compete for merit-based scholarships.

Watch

The importance of interviewing

Admission decisions at Rochester are based on a number of criteria. But one critical component is the interview. An interview can sound intimidating, but at the end of the day, it’s a conversation about a subject you know best: you!

Don’t worry about providing resumes, transcripts, etc.—just bring your story to share.
Think about what’s not included in your application that you could chat about.
Ask us questions!
Come as yourself.

Virtual interviews

Virtual interviews are conducted online with admissions representatives and current students using Zoom chat software.

Interviews are currently available for transfer students and rising seniors.

Questions can be directed to admit@admissions.rochester.edu.

Interviews in your area

Throughout the fall of 2023, we will be hosting in-person interview events around the United States. These will typically be small events with one counselor and one student at a time. Dates will begin being posted in August and will continue to be added throughout the fall.

Third-party providers

The University of Rochester partners with InitialView to provide additional interviewing opportunities. These interviews are primarily meant for applicants living outside the United States. If you submit an InitialView interview, then you will not be able to register for an in-person or virtual interview. Please submit your InitialView interview before your application deadline.
Schedule an InitialView interview

Transfers

Interviews for transfer applicants are conducted all year long. If you want to enroll for the fall semester, interview in the spring. If you want to enroll in the spring, interview in the summer or fall.

Can’t make it to any of the interviewing opportunities? Contact us at admit@admissions.rochester.edu and we’ll do our best to accommodate an interview based on your schedule.

Alumni interviews

* Alumni interviews can be requested now through January 20

More than 100,000 University of Rochester alumni live, work, and study all around the world. Some of them volunteer their time each year to meet with students like you during the application process. Interviewing with a Rochester alumnus is a great way for us to get to know you better. Plus, you can learn more about the University directly from one of our graduates. *Please do not request an alumni interview if you’ve already interviewed with an admissions staff member or another alumnus/a.

You can request an alumni interview online. This will take you to a login page in order to complete your interview request form. If you have a MyROC account, please use that login and password to access the request form. If you do not, you will be prompted to create login credentials upon your first time visiting this page.

You can request an alumni interview starting in mid- November.

IMPORTANT: This program utilizes automated email notifications. Some email providers, like Gmail, will filter these messages to a junk or spam email folder. Please be sure to check for your messages from your interviewer in these folders of the email program you use.

Admissions interviews are for applicants to the University of Rochester Class of 2027 only. You may only request and/or schedule one interview per application year. Please do not request an alumni interview if you’ve already interviewed with an admissions staff member or another alumnus/a.

Submit your request as early as possible, but no later than Friday, January 20. The number of interviews our volunteers can accommodate significantly decreases starting January, after the application deadline, at which point an alumni interview cannot be guaranteed.

Early Decision I applicants should interview no later than Nov. 30, and Early Decision II applicants should interview by the January 5 application deadline, if possible.

Request one of the alumni volunteers in the form. They are listed in the drop-down menu by country, city, and state.
Allow at least five business days (longer around the holidays) for your interviewer to respond.
You will receive an automated email notifying you when your alumni interviewer has responded, prompting you to log in to the request portal to view and reply to the message. These notifications can occasionally be caught by email spam filters, so please check your other email folders, particularly if you’re using a Gmail account.

Interviews are requested based on your interview type preference – virtual, in-person, or phone. We have a limited number of volunteers around the country to interview hundreds of students. We cannot guarantee alumni volunteer availability later in January, so please request your interview earlier in the season if possible.

Alumni do not have access to your application. The only information they will be able to view is that which you provide on your interview request form, along with your name, location, and contact information that you’ve provided the University of Rochester.

If you have any questions about the alumni interviewing process, please contact uralumniInterviews@ur.rochester.edu.