For seniors with an interview coming up
College Interview Questions and Practice
Paste your activities and why you like the school. Get the 15 questions you'll likely face, answer notes from your own stories, and live practice.
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Interview prep · Georgetown alumni interview
15 likely questions · 3 stories · 5 questions to ask
- 1Tell me about yourself.Bike co-op Saturdays since 10th grade. Tune-up day, 40 bikes. Land it: why economics.
- 7Tell me about a challenge.Tune-up day with 3 volunteers: [what went wrong first] and what you changed.
- 13Why Georgetown?July visit: [one thing you saw or heard]. Then economics in Washington, D.C.
- AskWhat would you do differently as a student?One of five questions only your interviewer can answer.
- WearClean, everyday clothesBring your questions and a pen. Leave the résumé home unless asked.
What you'll get
The questions you'll likely get, with answer notes from your own stories
- The 15 questions you're most likely to get, each with answer notes from your own stories
- Three stories to have ready and five good questions to ask your interviewer
- What to wear and bring, how video interviews differ, and a live practice interview
Before and after
Your activities in. A prep doc out.
Senior in Baltimore. Georgetown alumni interview next Thursday at a coffee shop. Saturdays I volunteer at a bike repair co-op (since 10th grade). Last April I ran a free tune-up day at school: 3 volunteers, 40 bikes fixed in one afternoon. Model UN for 3 years. Favorite class is AP Macro. Want to study economics, maybe transportation. Visited Georgetown in July.
Interview prep · Georgetown alumni interview 15 likely questions · 3 stories · 5 questions to ask Your three stories 1. Tune-up day: 40 bikes, 3 volunteers, one afternoon. 2. Saturdays at the co-op since 10th grade. 3. AP Macro and [the idea that hooked you]. About you 1. Tell me about yourself. • Saturdays fixing bikes at a co-op since 10th grade. • Tune-up day: 40 bikes in one afternoon (Story 1). • Land it: why that points to economics. Georgetown and your future 13. Why Georgetown? • July visit: [one thing you saw or heard]. • Economics, maybe transportation, in Washington, D.C.
Every answer note comes from the paste. The visit detail the student didn't give becomes a bracket to fill before the interview.
Real examples
Hear real interviews before yours
Each one was published by an admissions office: a real mock interview, a student's account and an interviewer's view. Notice how much rides on specific stories rather than rehearsed speeches.
Interview Tips: Let Your Life Speak
Dartmouth Admissions Beat · Season 4, Episode 13 · Transcript
Dartmouth's dean of admission, Lee Coffin, runs a full mock interview with a Los Angeles senior, then gives feedback. He points to her specific examples and the openings she gave him for follow-up questions, which kept it a conversation.
Read the Dartmouth mock interview transcriptMy MIT Interview
Anna H. · MIT Class of 2014 · MIT Admissions blog
A student's own account of her alumni interview. She memorized nothing, practiced talking about her interests with friends and family, and came with questions of her own.
Read “My MIT Interview” at MIT AdmissionsNotes on the Interview (the EC edition!)
Chris S. · MIT alum and interviewer · MIT Admissions blog, 2013
An alumni interviewer explains that interviewers know only your name, school, hometown and birthday, and asks students to bring two or three questions about MIT.
Read an MIT interviewer's notes
Published by Dartmouth Admissions and MIT Admissions. Links checked October 6, 2026.
Why it works
What questions do they ask in a college interview?
Most college interviews cover five things: you, your classes, your activities, why this college and what comes next. Georgetown, which asks applicants to complete an alumni interview when one is assigned, lists academic interests, activities, summer experiences, family background and future plans as typical topics. River's college interview prep reads your activities or résumé and writes the 15 questions you're most likely to get, grouped by topic, with short answer notes built from your real stories.
Interviews can count. Yale says all of its interviews are evaluative, and admissions officers read the reports alongside your application. Yale also notes that interviewers learn about you from the thoughtful questions you bring. So your doc adds five questions for this interviewer, three stories that can answer most questions, what to wear and bring, and how a video interview differs. Tell River whether you're meeting an alum, an admissions officer or a scholarship panel, and the questions change to match.
Then practice out loud. BigFuture suggests a mock interview with a counselor, teacher or family member; River can run one in chat, one question at a time, with feedback after each answer. Everything comes from what you shared. Where an answer needs a detail you haven't given, like what stood out on a campus visit, River leaves a bracket instead of guessing. Afterward, the thank-you email writer drafts your note, and the why this college essay tool sharpens your reasons.
What lands in your doc
What's in your prep doc
- The 15 questions you're most likely to get, grouped by topic and matched to your interviewer
- Answer notes for every question, built from your real stories as bullets to talk from, not a script
- Three stories to have ready, each linked to the questions it can help you answer
- Five questions to ask this interviewer that the college website can't answer for you
- What to wear and bring, using the college's own interview rules when it publishes them
- How a video interview differs, plus a live practice interview in chat with feedback after each answer
How it works
From your activities to practiced answers
Paste your activities
Paste your activities and why you like the school, or drop your résumé. Rough notes are fine.
Pick your interviewer
Tap alumni interviewer, admissions officer or scholarship panel, or let River work it out from your notes.
Get your prep doc
Fifteen likely questions with answer notes, three stories, five questions to ask and what to wear.
Practice out loud
Run a mock interview in chat, one question at a time, with feedback after every answer.
How to prepare for a college interview on your own
Start with three stories, not thirty answers. Write down one thing you built or led, one thing that went wrong and what you did next, and one thing you do just because you love it. For each, note the numbers and one detail only you would know. Three good stories can answer most questions an interviewer asks, from "Tell me about yourself" to "Describe a challenge." Your brag sheet or activities list is a good place to find them.
Next, learn the format. Check the college's interview page for who interviews, how long it lasts and whether it's evaluative. MIT says its alumni interviews typically last an hour and you don't have to dress up. Stanford asks students not to bring résumés or transcripts and suggests headphones for video interviews. Then write five questions only this person could answer, such as what they would do differently as a student, and none the college website already answers.
Finally, say your answers out loud, twice. Ask a parent, teacher or friend to play the interviewer and to interrupt you with follow-up questions. Time "Tell me about yourself" and keep it under two minutes. Notice where you ramble, and where you list activities instead of telling one story. On the day, arrive ten minutes early or log in five minutes early, put your phone away, and send a short thank-you note within a day.
Questions applicants ask
Common questions
What questions are asked in a college interview?
Expect questions about you, your classes, your activities, why this college and your plans. Stanford says its interviewers have no set list of questions, so each interview is its own conversation. Common ones include "Tell me about yourself," "Why this college?" and "What do you do for fun?" Alumni interviewers often add stories of their own. River picks the 15 you're most likely to get from your material.
What questions should I ask a college interviewer?
Ask what only this person can answer: what surprised them as a student, what they would do differently, or which class changed their plans. Yale notes that interviewers learn about you from the questions you bring. Skip anything the college website covers, and never ask about your chances. River writes five questions matched to your interviewer and to the interests in your notes.
Are college interviews evaluative?
Many are. Yale says all of its interviews are evaluative, and Georgetown and Stanford interviewers write reports that become part of your file. Not getting an interview usually doesn't hurt you: MIT says it waives the interview when it can't offer one, without affecting your application. Check each college's own interview page, because the rules differ from school to school.
What should I wear to a college interview?
Wear clean, neat clothes you're comfortable in, a small step up from an ordinary school day. MIT says you don't have to dress up for its interviews, and Stanford says typical high school clothes are fine. For an admissions officer or a scholarship panel, business casual is the safer choice. For a video interview, dress as you would in person, top to bottom.
Should I bring a résumé to a college interview?
Usually not, unless the college or your interviewer asks for one. Stanford tells applicants not to bring résumés, transcripts or test scores, and its interviewers can't accept them. Bring your questions, a pen and something to jot one note on. Your stories do the work a résumé would, and your prep doc puts them in the order you'll need them.
When do college interviews happen, and how long are they?
Most early-round interviews happen in November and most regular-round ones in January and February. MIT, Yale and Stanford all follow that pattern. Most last 30 to 60 minutes: Yale says 30 to 60, Stanford about 40, and MIT typically an hour, from 30 minutes up to two hours. Leave time at the end for your own questions.
Is the college interview prep free?
Yes, you can start on River's Free plan, which includes AI usage each month and needs no credit card. Your prep doc stays in your workspace, so you can run another mock interview the night before. When you reach the monthly limit, usage pauses until it refreshes or you upgrade. Paid plans start at $14 a month on the pricing page.
Your next step
More for your application
Walk in with three stories ready
Paste your activities and why you like the school. River builds your prep doc, then practices with you one question at a time.