The inside scoop on interviews

By Anna Weichel

Summer Intern, Office of Admission

Guest Blogger

Hello everyone!

I’m so glad that you’re checking out the Admissions blog! Hopefully some of the previous blog entries have provided you with valuable information that might help you prepare for the college application and decision processes. I know information on inquiry email etiquette, resumé revision, and how to differentiate myself (and my application!) from the pool of thousands of other applicants was helpful as I prepared to apply to colleges four years ago. That is certainly hard to believe it was only four years ago! But lo and behold, my senior year is here.

My name is Anna Weichel and, as I mentioned, I am a senior this fall at the University of Richmond. I’m from Bradenton, Florida and am majoring in Rhetoric and Communication Studies and minoring in Spanish. I interned in the Office of Admission on campus this summer with six other fabulous interns. We had a great time getting to know students (like you!) who attend information sessions and go on a tour of campus, led by other Richmond students. One of our primary tasks as interns, however, is to interview prospective students through optional, non-evaluative informational interviews. So, what exactly is an informational interview and how can you sign up for one? Read on!

Richmond’s informational interviews are an optional part of the application process. As I mentioned, they are non-evaluative and serve as an opportunity for us, as interns, to get to know you better and for you to get to know Richmond better through an exchange of information! As interns and representatives of the university, we love learning more about your academic and extracurricular interests and achievements in high school as well as learning more about what you’re looking for in a college experience. We also love to share with you more about what attracted us to the University of Richmond, our academic majors and interests, as well as the university community here at Richmond that has made each of our college experiences so amazing.

In these informational interviews, you should know that you’re interviewing us, as Richmond students, as much as we’re interviewing you! We encourage you to ask us questions on any topic, from questions about specific majors to what activities happen on and off campus on weekends! The interviews are really a great way to share with us more about yourself and your passions while learning more about what Richmond may have to offer you in your areas of interest. I should also mention that these informational interviews are reserved for rising seniors and seniors only (sorry underclassmen!).

If you’re interested in participating in an informational interview and you’re planning a visit to the University of Richmond soon, call the Office of Admission at (800) 700-1662 to schedule an appointment. Most interviews occur before information sessions (in both the morning and afternoon) or after the student-led campus tours. You have the option to choose when you’d like to have your interview, but be aware that due to a limited number of interns, we can only offer three interview spots per time period. These spots do fill up in advance so plan ahead and schedule yours as soon as you can! Now, even if you’re not going to be visiting campus anytime soon, you can still participate in an informational interview with an alumnus in your area! Go to the alumni interview website to look up the major cities and locations where alumni host informational interviews. The link also provides information on when these specific interviews are offered. Contact the Office of Admission to schedule an alumni interview in your area!

We’re so glad that you’re looking more in depth at what the University of Richmond is and what it can offer you through its high academic standards, vibrant student life, and unparalleled leadership opportunities and resources on campus and in our community. As an intern, conducting informational interviews with students like you has been a highlight of my intern experience (even my college career!) as I’ve loved getting to know y’all and talking more about the role the University of Richmond has played in my life. As we are quickly approaching this next school year, we hope to hear from or meet y’all soon! Feel free to contact me (anna.weichel@richmond.edu) or the Office of Admission staff if you have any questions about anything. Best of luck to all of you in the college search and application process!

🙂 Anna Weichel