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Caitlin Joseph ’25—an International Studies major with a minor in Japanese—is a senior Tour Guide interviewer. Here, she shares her top tips for prospective students navigating that part of the application process. 

Did you interview when applying to colleges? If so, how did those interviews affect your understanding of the college?

I did an in-person interview with a ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½alum when I applied, and through talking to her, it emphasized how transformative college years can be. By that point, I had already toured ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½and knew I was going to apply. Having the time to get to know someone else’s ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½story and how my answers related to her experiences helped me to envision my future here. Particularly, I remember she talked about sitting around a TV for some reason, laughing with her friends, and I thought, ‘I wish I had a silly experience like that.’ 

How might a student prepare for an interview with Bryn Mawr? 

I would encourage prospective students to familiarize themselves with us online. has a lot of information on our academic and extracurricular offerings, as well as our cultural environment through traditions. Take some time to think about your journey as a student and person; think about yourself in relation to what you see about us online and what speaks to you. When you can demonstrate how your journey has led you to us, we take notice. Feel free to show us your personality through responses, even topical jokes. Interviews are a way for those reading your applications to get to know you outside of your records. So, the more sides of yourself you can show, the better. Also, we are always excited to answer questions about our community at the end of interviews. I would say the interview is a mix of formal and casual because we are trying to get to know you as a student and a person.

Are there any misconceptions students might have about the interview process?

Perhaps the types of questions we are going to ask—we don’t do tricks here, and as interviewers, we do our best to set up students for a successful interview. This process is not meant to be intimidating in any way, nevertheless, we have many students who begin quite nervous but typically warm up after the first couple of questions. Finding your footing as the interview progresses is completely normal. If anyone is confused or uncertain about the nature of a question, they are more than welcome to ask. We do not hold clarifying questions against students; in fact, it is not our role to hold anything against students at all. Our goal is to understand the kind of person and student you are in relation to Bryn Mawr, that is it. :)

"We don’t do tricks here, and as interviewers, we do our best to set up students for a successful interview."

What do you enjoy most about interviewing students?

As a senior, it is such a treat to talk to people who are excited to start the journey I have almost completed. Seeing how assured some are in what they want to pursue, and knowing they will change their minds again and again, is a full-circle moment for me. It is especially nostalgic to see high school seniors who have less concrete plans for the future, and know they will find their way. I think the best part is learning people’s stories and going down the rabbit hole of their interests for a time. It is so much fun to learn about and become absorbed in prospective students’ passions and enthusiasm.

Can you share a memorable or impressive student interview experience?

I have had the pleasure of interviewing so many wonderful students that it is honestly hard to choose. However, I will say one of our prospective McBride Scholars had such an incredible journey. McBride Scholars are students who, after taking time away from academics, have decided to attend college. I interviewed one Scholar who, after attending community college for a year, discovered a love for creative writing. In addition to becoming a prominent writing club member and earning awards, they were also introduced to different authors and perspectives. In addition to discussing our English major during our interview, I was excited to tell them about our new creative writing major, which was an independent study as of a few years ago. Being able to facilitate other people’s journeys in this role has been a deeply humbling and gratifying experience.

What are some green flags in an interview?

A student who has a sense of what they want to gain from their college experience and understands how ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½can help with that is definitely a green flag. Also, students who have questions at the end about Bryn Mawr, lets us know that they are more seriously interested. Try to answer every question fully – use more than a couple of sentences, but no need to force yourself to talk for ten minutes straight. Even if a question is not directly applicable to you, we would still like an answer that is perhaps tangentially related. For example, if we ask about extracurriculars but you have no time to participate in those because you are taking care of a sibling, we want to know about that. The basis of compassion, respect, and kindness shared by our student body is something we cherish deeply, and we are looking for people who share those attributes.

What are your top tips if a student is nervous for an interview?

Above all, trust yourself! You have made it to this point in your academic and life journey because of who you are and everything you have experienced.

1. Remind yourself it is just a ‘getting to know you’ chat.

2. Go for a walk or listen to music beforehand to take your mind off of things.

3. Schedule something for after the interview that you are looking forward to as a reward.

4. Try a five-minute online guided meditation; YouTube has a lot, and I find them helpful! 

5. Feel free to take a moment to consider the question before responding if you need it.

"The basis of compassion, respect, and kindness shared by our student body is something we cherish deeply, and we are looking for people who share those attributes."

What do you hope students take away from their interview experience?

For some, this may be their first time in a college interview or any interview. We try to make the process as approachable as possible, but nerves happen. It takes courage to go into any interview. Within that process, some students may find latent courage they were unaware they possessed before, which they can harness now in the future. Also, after seeing their futures through a ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½lens, students feel as enthused about applying to ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½as I was after my interview.