Interview Tips

We value relationships and community, and our goal is to create an interview environment where you will feel comfortable talking with us about you, your college search, and your potential fit with Hamilton.

It is more of a discussion than an interview. There won’t be any scripted questions or Hamilton College trivia. The conversation should be free-flowing in nature, and a two-way exchange. This is an opportunity for you to share your passions and why you believe Hamilton would be a good place for you to achieve your goals.
Prepare and Practice. Self-reflect on how you spend your time. Think about your classes and activities and practice how you would explain this to someone new you meet. Also, you might want to do some research about and be prepared to discuss why you are interested in Hamilton. Though we understand you might still be exploring your colleges, and an interview with us may be part of that exploration (we welcome your questions too), we assume anyone who has scheduled an interview has a genuine interest in the College.
Start with a confident handshake and eye contact. Your heart may be beating a mile a minute, but if you start the interview with direct eye contact, your nervousness will be less visible to your interviewer. And it may give you a confidence boost to help those feelings of nervousness dissolve.
Dress for success? Not a requirement. Though a suit is not required (or expected!), gym attire may not be the best choice either. While we appreciate when students dress up for interviews, we also want you to be comfortable. If you feel like you’re representing your best self, that’s good enough for us.
Participating in a video interview? Choose a well-lit location that is quiet and free from distractions, if possible. If you have a set of headphones or earbuds, we suggest wearing them – it makes it easier for you to hear us, prevents audio feedback, and cuts down on background noise.
There’s more than one way to have a great interview. You don’t have to have the most gregarious or out-going personality to leave a positive impression. We value substance and authenticity in an interview setting. It takes all types of students from different backgrounds and with different strengths to build a vibrant and diverse community such as ours, and the interview is a great way to demonstrate how you would contribute to Hamilton.
Make your application come alive: It’s not hard to find out what classes you’re taking and what extracurricular activities you're involved in. We will see all of that in your application. What we really want to find out is the why? Tell us about the things you care about and why; let us know how you spend your time (and keep in mind that babysitting little brothers or sisters, caring for grandparents, and working at a job is as important to us as service organizations/trips, clubs and sports, and leadership activities); give your interviewer some insight that they wouldn’t get from reading your resume or transcript.
Help us help you! As much as we want to learn about you, you can take this opportunity to learn about us as well. Feel free to ask your interviewer any Hamilton-related questions. If we don’t know the answer, we will try to find out or connect you with someone who does!

Interviews

Personal interviews are strongly encouraged, to help the admission committee learn about strengths and interests that may not be obvious to us in reading your application, and to give you a chance to ask questions and learn more about Hamilton in a personal setting.

Schedule Interview