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I hear that Haverford puts a lot of emphasis on the interview. I heard its required, is that true?


Anyway, if anyone knows what to look for in the interview and things like that youre help would be much appreciated.

By Mudbutt (Mudbutt) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 02:09 am: Edit

I would say...yes, the interview is probably required. My stats wern't I suppose not what you would call top notch. I had a mediocre SAT below the Haverford SAT range, decent SAT II scores, and basically took my senior year off of high school through co-op. My essay, however, was utterly brilliant, if I may be allowed to be conceited. I attribute the same formula I used in my essay to my interview, and here it is, in the words of the Oricle of Delphi: KNOW THYSELF.

Ponder the interview, anticipate questions, and search inside yourself for answers. Haverford is about integrity first and foremost. If you look inside, you will come up with answers, and if you continue to look inside yourself, you will continue to come up with your own answers. What you say and what you write will present to the admissions office and the school a three-dimensional figure with a passionate self-concept.

And I may be incorrect, but won't a three-dimensional figure stand out figurtively and literally more than a two-dimensional figure?

By Chinnakaradi (Chinnakaradi) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 10:00 am: Edit

I'm pretty sure the interview is only required if you live within 250 miles of the college or something. I'm not positive though.

Don't stress too much about this. At most colleges I went to we mostly talked about my hobbies and/or the school. I found that they also like to ask you about your family and your teachers. At Haverford, you'll definitely want to mention the Honor Code or something similar - they're really big on that.

By Oonutmeg102 (Oonutmeg102) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:09 am: Edit

My interview went pretty well (and i got in ED). My advice is : don't stress out about it. I was a little nervous because my interview was the day before all the early apps went in, so i was like, oh crap, if i do really poorly it'll stick in their minds. Once I was in there though, the nervousness kind of disappeared 'cause the guy was so nice. And honestly, the questions he asked weren't rocket science. They were about me, my family, my friends, my hobbies, what classes i liked...Nothing about the honor code, or anything that i'd have had to prepare for. Oh also, i read somewhere that people like to talk about themselves, so when he asks you if you have questions for him, make sure you've got some. Just be yourself, and hopefully they'll like you. I don't think there's any formula to it.

By Whzup44412 (Whzup44412) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 04:50 pm: Edit

Well...the interview is required for students who live close enough to Haverford- so I would strongly suggest taking the time to interview (I would stress a school of Haverford's size and selectivity would expect students to take the level of interest to show up for an interview). Mine was with a student, so it was a little laid back. I prepared a set of like 25 questions to ask, so you should probably have some thought out in your mind. They're looking for students who fit the mentality of the college- nice, friendly, intelligent, and in love with the school. Show those qualities, be yourself, and just have fun with it. I stressed out a little bit for college interviews before my admissions process really kicked in gear. By December, I had already have 6 and was getting pro at it. Interviewing is important at Haverford, not the end all, be all of your admissions process (just another element). Good luck !

By Masataka (Masataka) on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 09:34 pm: Edit

I looked at the college viewbook at hand, and it says, an on-campus interview is REQUIRED for all students who live within 150 miles of the college and if that's not possible, you need to inform the college to arrange an off-campus interview.

I live in Japan, but I really wanted to show them how much I care about the college, and I actually traveled all the way to Haverford for an on-campus interview and an overnight stay. I'd assume that was a big big plus.

By Chocoman (Chocoman) on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 03:27 pm: Edit

Thanks. I live about 15-20 miles from Haverford so I guess I have to be interviewed. It turns out that a friend of mine already got interviewed and he told me everything they ask so I'm reading.

By Whzup44412 (Whzup44412) on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 03:30 pm: Edit

Hey, I live about 15-20 miles from Haverford also. Where do you live?

By Reeses (Reeses) on Friday, June 11, 2004 - 11:16 pm: Edit

I lived about 160 miles from Haverford and had an alumni interview in nyc where she lived...we talked for three hours! It was the most fun interview I'd ever had and really convinced me that Haverford was for me.

By Melan297 (Melan297) on Monday, June 14, 2004 - 03:28 pm: Edit

Yea, my interview was so much fun too! I think that's the key. Don't stress about it or try to act smart. Pretend your having a conversation with an old friend and you'll be golden.

By Nikhil72 (Nikhil72) on Thursday, June 17, 2004 - 02:42 am: Edit

I live about 95 miles from Haverford and will be attending in the fall...I did not get a chance to have an interview because they were self-scheduled and I was too late when I called in. I still got in...don't sweat it but definitely arrange one...I think I was just lucky.

By Misspadfoot (Misspadfoot) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 08:02 pm: Edit

I'm 99% sure that the interview is required if and only if you live within 150 miles of the campus.

I don't actually have any questions, though. I think I already know basically everything I need to know. Is it absolutely mandatory to come with a list of questions? (Well, not literally mandatory, but is it fatal if you don't?) And can you give me some possible questions to ask? Because I can't think of any.

By Whzup44412 (Whzup44412) on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

Haverford REQUIRES an interview for those who live withing 150 miles of campus. For those who live outside that zone, an interview is recommended.

You should be prepared with a list (at least in your head) of what you want to ask your interviewer. In my case, I was interviewed by a student volunteer, so I got to ask a lot of questions about social life at Haverford and more general questions like (Is there anything you don't like about Haverford? What was your favorite moment as a student? Etc.). I'd suggest making a list of questions about some of the major/departments your interested in, any extracurricular activities on campus that you think seem interesting. Make sure, that through your question, you reveal that you've done some research on the school and you're interested in taking part in both academic and non-academic campus life.

I actually typed my questions up (haha, I was super organized when it came to college stuff). If I find them on my computer, I'll let you know.

By Andrewstehneyiv (Andrewstehneyiv) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 03:01 pm: Edit

Also, the time at which you schedule your interview determines who interviews you (i.e. if you schedule one outside of admissions office hours you will get a student volunteer.) You may want to consider this because my experiences have differed drastically between students and admissions officers. In fact, I felt least confident after my Haverford interview because it was my first with an Admissions officer, and it seemed a lot more 'business' and to the point. Whereas at places like Wesleyan or Trinity, I interviewed with students and we went on for hours just having really great conversations. On the other hand, speaking directly with admissions may allow you to have a more direct impact. It's up to you.

Also to emphasize some words of wisdom, "Know Thyself" is probably the best advice you can get for this process. I started my interviews after a summer of pretty heavy self-reflection and I was owning every single one of them; however, as the fall went on and school and other responsibilities began weighing more heavily on my mind, I noticed a marked deterioration in the quality of my interviews (on my part of course.) Interviewers want to see someone self-confident and self-aware who knows what theyre looking for in a school and from their education. They also want to see someone who shows interest in their institution. And, as my aunt who works in college admissions said, "The interview is their opportunity to sell themselves to you as much as it's your chance to sell yourself to them." It's really a two-way street.

By Whzup44412 (Whzup44412) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 10:05 pm: Edit

I actually interviewed during office hours and had a student volunteer (a senior). Admissions officers were interviewing other students at the same time as my interview, so you can get a student volunteer during office hours. I've had about 5 college interviewers (3 with students, 2 with alumni). They were all very casual and personal and they allowed me to learn about the colleges just as much as it allowed the school to learn about me. Interviews aren't all too important in the modern admissions process, it's more of a validation of your application. I didn't stress out about them at all, and I suggest being prepared but not fearful of the interview process. It's really easy when you get to it, just be yourself.