I’m planning on applying to Georgetown RD (assuming I don’t get into Harvard SCEA) and will be interviewing next week. I have a few questions to which answers would be much appreciated.
Am I expected to complete and submit the application supplement before the interview?
Should I bring a resume?
What kinds of questions will I be asked?
For how long should I expect the interview to last?
Hi, @TheCrimsonBulldog…I am a long-time alumni interviewer and am happy to offer you the following advice:
It’s not necessary to complete the application before your interview. Submission of Part 1 is what triggers the process.
It’s a good idea to bring a resume to the interview as it helps to focus the discussion. In fact, I always ask my interviewees to email me one in advance of the interview so I can get a sense of the student before we meet.
The job of the interviewer is to bring out qualities in you that are not necessarily reflected on paper. Of course every interviewer is different, but we typically steer away from discussions about grades, test scores, etc. since the school will already have that information. We want to get an idea of what makes you tick. So be prepared to answer a lot of “why” questions…why did you take a particular course, join a club, and so on, and how does it all fit together? Also be prepared for the “why Georgetown?” question. We want to understand how you thought about your college selection process, what was important to you in coming up with your list of schools, and perhaps most important, why do you think Georgetown should accept you over thousands of qualified candidates who will have profiles very similar to yours. You may also get questions about specific challenges you have faced, or successes you have had. So, I would say, plan to be introspective during the interview.
The interviews I have conducted have ranged from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Length of the interview is not as important as content!
Finally, let me emphasize that the role of the interviewer is to help your application shine. Their decision to be part of the application process speaks to their love of Georgetown and they will most likely enjoy talking about the school and all it has to offer. They want to see their applicants get accepted, especially if they know that’s where the student truly wants to be, so they will be on your side.