An effective alumni interviews in admissions program can be a win-win-win for alumni, admissions, and college applicants, but it takes some real work to set up a program and continue improving it. Here are the key items you need to know and address from the start.
by Kathy Edersheim (President, Impactrics LLC)
For many colleges and universities, especially the “elite” ones, alumni interviewing of applicants has a long history that is somewhat fraught with the question of purpose, reliability, and feasibility. Some schools have abandoned the system in favor of on-campus or admissions department interviews, while others strive to reach 100% of applicants interviewed.
There are four primary reasons for alumni interviews:
- Promote the school to the Applicant
- Gather additional information about applicants for the admissions team
- Engage alumni
- Disseminate up-to-date information about the institution to alumni
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