How should I prepare for Columbia and Northwestern college interviews?

For Columbia College and Columbia Engineering, do not plan around an alumni interview: Columbia does not offer admissions interviews for first-year applicants. Put that preparation time into making your written application, especially the Columbia-specific short answers, sound personal and informed.

Northwestern may offer an optional alumni interview, depending on alumni availability. Not receiving one does not hurt an application, but if you are invited, treat it as a chance to add texture to what is already in your file. Be ready to explain a few interests, a meaningful activity or responsibility, what you hope to explore academically, and why Northwestern’s collaborative, interdisciplinary environment appeals to you.

For Northwestern, prepare a small set of flexible stories rather than memorized answers: one concrete moment that shows how you learn, one that shows how you contribute to a group, and one that reveals an interest you pursue outside class. Connect your academic interests to real Northwestern opportunities only when you can discuss them naturally; a specific course, student organization, research area, or cross-school possibility is more persuasive than a long list.

Keep Columbia and Northwestern distinct in your application materials by emphasizing different genuine reasons for each. Columbia responses can focus on the Core Curriculum, intellectual exchange across disciplines, and the opportunities of New York City when those fit your goals. In a Northwestern interview, emphasize how you would engage with its campus culture and academic flexibility. Prepare two or three thoughtful questions for the interviewer about their student experience, but avoid questions easily answered on the website.