Admission Interviews and Recordings
2026-27 Admissions Guide
Glimpse, InitialView, and College Interviews
What families need to know, and how we recommend BCP students approach them.
More colleges are looking for ways to hear a student's real voice. With so much written material now shaped by AI and outside help, short videos and interviews have become one of the few parts of an application that can't be polished by someone else.
The Company
What is InitialView?
InitialView is an admissions interview company that has worked with colleges since 2009, mostly serving international applicants. Glimpse is its offering for students attending high school in the United States.
Its original product is a live, unscripted interview with a trained interviewer who asks follow-up questions to make sure students aren't reading prepared answers. The recording, which can include a writing sample, goes to the colleges the student chooses. InitialView does not rate or grade the interview; admissions officers review it themselves. It is a paid service and costs considerably more than Glimpse.
The Video
What is Glimpse?
Glimpse is a short, self-recorded video introduction. Students film it on their own device using Chrome on a computer or Android phone, or the InitialView app on an iPhone or iPad.
Glimpse is optional everywhere it's offered, and several colleges have said so in writing. Northwestern says students who skip it are at no disadvantage, UChicago says students will not be penalized, and Occidental says skipping won't put a student at a disadvantage.
Glimpse at a glance
60 to 90 sec
Short and to the point.
One take
Re-record as often as you like, but no editing software is allowed.
$22
Send to as many colleges as you like. Free with a fee waiver.
Locks on send
One video per college. A re-record opens December 15, but only for schools that haven't received one.
Send early
Within about a week of applying. Many colleges set their own video deadline.
Who Uses It
Colleges that accept Glimpse
Middlebury accepts a 90-second video or audio file as the alternative when no alumni interviewer is available. Brown accepts Glimpse as one of three submission routes. Duke does not permit editing software.
Colleges with their own video option (not Glimpse)
Some colleges have students record directly in their applicant portal. These are often one-and-done: Swarthmore, for example, assigns a random question, gives 30 seconds to prepare, allows up to two minutes to answer, and permits two attempts at most.
Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Wake Forest, UChicago
Run their own in-portal video responses.
Washington University in St. Louis
Accepts a 90-second video and, unusually, allows editing.
Claremont McKenna
Accepts an optional video response.
Denison
Lists an optional video submission without naming a platform.
Rya's Take
Should you send Glimpse to colleges that didn't ask for it?
Here's something I'm seeing more of this year. Because Glimpse is $22 for unlimited sends, and because InitialView can deliver to hundreds of institutions, some students are recording one video and sending it to every college on their list, whether or not that college asked for it.
My advice: don't send a Glimpse to a college unless you've confirmed they want it or will consider it.
A video that goes to a college without a process for reviewing it may simply never be watched, so it does nothing for you. Following a college's instructions is part of how you present yourself, and admissions readers notice when a student adds material the college didn't request. Readers are working through thousands of files, and respecting their process matters. There's also a practical problem: a video built to go everywhere tends to be generic, and a generic video doesn't help anywhere.
How to confirm: check the college's admissions website, look in your applicant portal after you apply, or email the admissions office and ask directly. If the answer is yes, record a video strong enough for the most selective school receiving it, and leave out any school-specific references.
And remember, your video should sound like the same person who wrote your essays. It's a chance to add a new dimension, not repeat your activities list.
Rya Carpenter
Founder, Balanced College Planning
Beyond Video
Colleges still offering admission interviews
Interviews come in two types. Evaluative interviews go into your file. Informational interviews are mainly for you to learn about the school. Interview windows vary widely and some summer windows have already closed, so check each college's site now.
Required or expected
- Georgetown: alumni interview for every first-year applicant, waived only if no interviewer is available in your region
- Yeshiva: required for all applicants
- Lake Forest: required for test-optional applicants
- Claremont McKenna: required for homeschool students
Alumni interviews after you apply
- Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton: evaluative, but limited by alumni availability
- Harvard: offered when the committee wants more information; you can't request one
- Washington and Lee: October 1 to January 15, U.S. students only
- Bowdoin: virtual alumni options open in mid-September
Tied to merit scholarships
- College of Wooster: required to be eligible for top merit scholarships
- University of Rochester: strongly recommended, especially for merit consideration
With admissions staff this fall
- American: on campus through October
- Carleton: attend an info session first; through mid-January
- Christopher Newport: on campus and virtual through February
- Reed: virtual through Dec 1 (ED) or Dec 10 (EA)
- Trinity College (CT): through the final application deadline
- University of San Diego: virtual with your counselor, any time
Also worth checking: Bentley, Denison, Dickinson, Hillsdale, Lehigh, Seton Hall, Southwestern, St. John's College, St. Olaf, Swarthmore, Virginia Military Institute, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Some colleges have moved away from interviews entirely. Brown ended alumni interviews in 2022 and Northwestern in October 2024. Northwestern's dean has cautioned that Glimpse shouldn't be seen as a replacement for those interviews.
For international applicants: InitialView interviews
These colleges direct or welcome international applicants to submit an InitialView interview:
At some colleges, the interview does not replace English proficiency testing requirements, so read each school's policy carefully.
Before you record or schedule
College video and interview policies change every year. Always confirm the requirement, deadline, and platform on each college's own admissions page. BCP students: talk with us before you record a Glimpse or send it anywhere, so it fits your overall application.
Book a consultation Contact usLast updated September 2026