What's the Purpose of an Admissions Interview?

Not all graduate programs require them, but if you are invited to attend an admissions interview, if in your best interest to graciously accept. Why? There are several interrelated functions of the interview:

• Simply put, interviews are an important way for faculty and graduate admissions committees to attach faces to names and draw distinctions among applicants
• The admissions interview adds the personal touch to your application.
• Faculty spend years cultivating and guiding students in developing their own lines of research. With this much one-on-one contact, it makes sense that faculty want to meet potential students.
• Graduate students spend years working on faculty faculty research. It is essential that you meet them. Do you really want to commit to working with (for) someone for the foreseeable future, without meeting him or her beforehand? Didn't think so.