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Undergraduate Admissions

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!

Let’s chat

Interviewing tips

  • 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.

Ways to interview with Rochester

Interviews in your area

Throughout the fall of 2024, 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.

Sign up for an interview in your area

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

Transfer interviews

Interviews for transfer applicants are conducted all year long with the exception of a break December through to early February. To ensure your interview is considered with your application make sure you are interviewing before you apply or by when your application is complete for review.

Interview timeslots fill up around the priority deadlines, so if you’d like to interview ensure you sign up for an opportunity.

Sign up for a virtual transfer interview 

Interview deadlines

  • Early Decision I – Interviews must be conducted by the November 1 application deadline.
  • Early Decision II – Interviews must be conducted by the January 5 application deadline.
  • Regular Decision – Interviews must be scheduled or requested by the January 5 application deadline.

Alumni interviews

* Alumni interviews can be requested from late October through January 19

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, current Rochester student, or another alumnus/a.

Request an alumni interview today  

You will need to a login in order to complete your interview request form via the link above. 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.

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.

How do I request an alumni interview?

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.

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.

Who can request one?

Admissions interviews are only for Transfer applicants to the University of Rochester at this time. First Year interviews will resume in May. You may only request and/or schedule one interview per application year.

When should I request it?

Submit your request as early as possible, but no later than Friday, January 19. 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. It is your responsibility to ensure your alumni interviewer is aware of any particular deadline dates by which you need to complete your interview.

What is the request process?
  1. Request one of the alumni volunteers in the form. They are listed in the drop-down menu by country, city, and state.
  2. Allow at least five business days (longer around the holidays) for your interviewer to respond.
  3. 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.

What do alumni know about my application?

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.