Logistics
When will interviews take place?
We typically begin extending invitations to interview in October and continue through the admissions cycle into early March.
How many interviews do you expect each alumni interviewer to conduct?
We estimate alumni will conduct 3 - 5 interviews over the course of the entire admission season (October – March). Please let us know if you are willing to conduct additional interviews.
How will applicants and alumni be matched?
Interviews will be assigned based on geographical location, when possible, and based on the number of available alumni.
The Admissions Committee will identify applicants about whom they wish to know more. Then, the Office of Admissions will invite the applicant to participate in the interview program. If the applicant accepts, we will attempt to match the applicant with an alumnus in his or her geographic area. (In the event we do not have an alumnus in that area, or an alumnus is not available to conduct an in-person interview, we will match the applicant for a phone or Skype interview.)
We then notify the alumnus that they have been assigned a candidate to interview (or interview by phone or Skype) and forward that applicant’s contact information to the alumnus. We ask that the alumnus contact the applicant to set up an interview and to request that the applicant send a resume to the interviewer in advance of the interview.
Where should I conduct the interview?
The Committee prefers that interviews be conducted at your place of business. If that is not possible, another appropriate public venue, such as a café or coffee shop, would be a good alternative. Under no circumstances should interviews occur in a private home. In some cases, you may be asked to conduct a phone or Skype interview with an applicant from another geographic area.
What information will be provided to me about an my interviewee?
Your unique personal interaction with the applicant will serve as a source of additional information the Committee could not otherwise obtain. Therefore, the Committee has decided not to provide such numerical information as LSAT scores or GPA prior to the interview so as not to inadvertently influence the nature of your discussion or resulting evaluation. However, you should ask your interviewee to provide you with a resume in advance of the interview.
Are there specific questions I should ask?
Although we can provide you with a list of questions to use as a guideline if you would like one, in designing the program, the Committee decided it would be most helpful for you to conduct the interview in your own style in an effort to best learn about aspects of the applicant’s skills and personality. The resume, provided to you by the applicant in advance of the interview, should provide you with a starting point for questions. A successful interview should be a pleasant conversation between the interviewer and prospective student, which results in a more informed understanding of the candidate and a better appreciation of the university. Of course, certain questions regarding legally protected characteristics are obviously off-limits (such as those dealing with marital status, sexual orientation, etc.).
How should I evaluate my interviewee?
You should consider the applicant in relation to other Georgetown lawyers or law students with whom you are familiar. The evaluation form gives you the opportunity to comment on the applicant in narrative format and assign him/her a score of 1-5.
What happens when the interview is completed?
After the interview we ask that you complete an evaluation report so that we may proceed with our review of the application.
Will I be in contact with the applicant again after the interview?
There is a space on the evaluation report to indicate if you would be willing to contact your interviewee again if he or she is ultimately admitted. If so, you may be of help to the applicant in answering questions about Georgetown Law and to us as we attempt to enroll the very best possible class.
