Congratulations on earning your Wake Forest interview. Let's make sure you're ready for it.

Wake Forest undergraduate admission · 2026-27 first-year applicants

Your Wake Forest interview

Wake Forest offers every first-year applicant an optional virtual interview: a 20-25 minute Zoom conversation that you request yourself after you apply, or a short recorded video instead. Applicants describe it as a relaxed, friendly chat about your classes, books, interests and why you want Wake.

Sources (5)

Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Interview Availability: Fall Update · Reddit: Interview Questions (2020) · Reddit: Interview questions (2026) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview 2020 Tips (2020)

WhoApplicants report a Wake Forest admissions officer or counselor; Wake does not offer regional alumni interviews Wake Forest · Reddit · College Confidential · Reddit

How longWake says 20-25 minutes; one applicant reports (2021) theirs ran twice as long Wake Forest · Wake Forest · Reddit

WhereZoom only, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time; no in-person interviews Wake Forest

When to requestWithin five days of submitting your application, and no later than Wednesday, November 18, 2026 Wake Forest · Wake Forest

4 more: instead of an interview, does it count, not offered one, who can't

Instead of an interviewA 2-3 minute video, due November 20, 2026 (ED I, EA) or January 5, 2027 (ED II, RD) Wake Forest · Wake Forest

Does it countWake calls it entirely optional; applicants report (2020) it is used evaluatively Wake Forest · College Confidential

Not offered oneWake admits a great number of students who do not interview; applicants report (2024) slots can fill up Wake Forest · Wake Forest · Reddit

Who can'tTransfer applicants and waitlisted Fall 2026 applicants Wake Forest

How you get an interview

Nobody invites you: you ask for one. You must submit your application first. Within 24 hours Wake emails you instructions for your personal status portal, and you request the interview there.

Five-day rule. You have five days after submitting to request an interview or send a video. The clock starts when Wake's receipt confirmation email arrives.
Hard deadline. The last day to request a virtual interview is Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Today is November 11, so if you want an interview, you need to submit your application and request within the next week. This applies to Regular Decision and Early Decision II applicants too.
Use the portal only. In 2020 Wake said it only confirms requests made through the formal request form, not by email or phone.
Check your email. Wake warns that school email addresses often miss its messages, so use a personal address.
Slots are limited. Applicants report that times depend on staff schedules and fill up, and that some Regular Decision applicants got emails saying spots were full (2024). Request early.
Accessibility. If you need help, contact Dawn Calhoun at admissions@wfu.edu or 336.758.5201 at least three working days ahead.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: A Few Administrative Notes · Wake Forest: Interview Availability: Fall Update · Wake Forest: Info for the Class of 2031 · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview: Who is the interviewer? (2018) · Reddit: Wake forest said interview spots were full…is this a soft rejection? (2024)

The video option

If you can't get or don't want a live interview, you can record a 2-3 minute video and upload it through your status portal. Wake wants it personal and selfie-style, not professionally filmed. Pick one of three prompts:

A world problem. What problem would you solve, and why?
Pro Humanitate. What the motto means to you and how you would put it into action as a student.
Something new. Something important to or about you that isn't already in your application.

Deadlines: November 20, 2026 for Early Decision I and Early Action; January 5, 2027 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision. One applicant reports (2024) doing the video after interview spots were full and being admitted Early Decision.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Info for the Class of 2031 · Reddit: Wake forest said interview spots were full…is this a soft rejection? (2024)

The day itself

Your interview is on Zoom, on a weekday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and generally lasts 20-25 minutes.

The feel. Applicants describe it as casual and low-stress, more a conversation than a formal Q&A, with lots of follow-up questions on what you say. Some interviewers share their own answers and look for common ground.
First question. A 2026 applicant says "Why Wake?" is always the first question.
Nerves are normal. Applicants report feeling nervous for the first few minutes and relaxing once they talked about things they love.
Not scripted. One applicant (2018) reports a standard list of questions, used to learn about character and academics or to follow up on parts of the written application.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Info for the Class of 2031 · Reddit: Interview Questions (2020) · Reddit: Interview questions (2026) · Reddit: Has anyone had a Wake Forest interview yet? (2018) · Reddit: If anyone had a wake forest interview lmk what it was like (2020) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview: Who is the interviewer? (2018) · Reddit: Admissions Interview (2023) · Reddit: International student from the UK (2021)

What they're looking for

Wake says the conversation explores your academic interests, intellectual curiosity, character, community, inclusion and open-mindedness. It also lists high school classes, books, talents and service work as typical topics.

Questions applicants report most often:

Why Wake? Asked in almost every report.
Books. What you're reading now, a book that sparked your curiosity, even your least favorite book from English class.
Current events. What news story or world issue you're following.
School and studies. Favorite and least favorite class, a class that challenged you, what you want to study and do.
You outside class. What you do for fun, your activities and why you do them, your hometown.
Something more. "Tell me something else about yourself" you haven't mentioned.

One applicant sums it up: they want to know about you, not just what you've done.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Info for the Class of 2031 · Reddit: Interview Questions (2020) · Reddit: Interview questions (2026) · Reddit: If anyone had a wake forest interview lmk what it was like (2020) · Reddit: I had my Wake Forest Interview Today AMA (2018) · Reddit: Wake Forest Interview Advice?! (2020) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview 2020 Tips (2020) · College Confidential: preparing for an interview help! (2017) · Reddit: Admissions Interview (2023) · Reddit: International student from the UK (2021)

How to prepare

Nail "Why Wake". Have specific, honest reasons ready. Research what Wake actually offers, from the motto Pro Humanitate to particular programs.
Have two or three books ready. Be able to say what each made you think. Books come up in nearly every report.
Follow the news a little. Pick one or two stories you genuinely care about and know why.
Reread your application. Applicants report follow-up questions on classes and activities from it.
Stories, not speeches. Show qualities through real examples instead of listing adjectives, and don't memorize answers. Listen and adapt when the interviewer digs deeper.
Save something for the end. Keep one interesting thing about yourself for the "anything else?" question.
Ask a good question back. Prepare a thoughtful question for the end. One applicant (2021) turned the book question back on the interviewer, who loved it.
Résumés. Reports disagree: one (2019) says Wake's site asked students not to bring one, while another (2020) suggests having it handy. Wake's current pages don't say, so don't count on handing one over.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: We Find You Engaging. · Reddit: Interview Questions (2020) · Reddit: Interview questions (2026) · Reddit: Wake Forest Interview Advice?! (2020) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview 2020 Tips (2020) · College Confidential: Interview at WFU (2019) · College Confidential: preparing for an interview help! (2017) · Reddit: Admissions Interview (2023) · Reddit: International student from the UK (2021)

How much it counts

Wake's own position is clear: the interview or video is entirely optional, not a requirement, and Wake admits a great number of students who never interview.

Still evaluative. Applicants report (2020) that, unlike some schools, Wake uses interviews as part of the admission decision. A 2019 report says Wake rated the interview "Important" in its Common Data Set.
Rarely decisive. A 2017 applicant says it rarely makes or breaks an application.
Shows who you are. Applicants see it as a way for admissions to meet you as a person and see your interest.

Sources: Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Interview Availability: Fall Update · Wake Forest: Interviews Archives · College Confidential Forums: Wake Forest Interview (2019) · Reddit: Do we NEED to do the admissions interview? (2023) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview 2020 Tips (2020) · College Confidential: preparing for an interview help! (2017)

Other parts of the process

Deadlines. Early Decision I (binding): November 15, rolling decisions. Early Action (non-binding, first-generation students only): November 15, decisions by January 15. Early Decision II (binding): January 1, decisions by February 15. Regular Decision: January 1, decisions around April 1.
Scholarships. Apply by November 15 to be considered automatically for most merit and talent scholarships.
What you send. Common App, $85 fee (waivers available), secondary school report, transcript and one recommendation from a counselor or teacher.
Testing and GPA. Test-optional since 2008, no minimum GPA, and holistic review. Wake does not admit by major.
Decisions. All decisions come through your status portal.

Sources: Wake Forest: Info for the Class of 2031 · Wake Forest: First-Year Students

Your interviewer

Gordon Ashcombe Fictional interviewer

Get a briefing on your own interviewer

Know who's interviewing you? Their LinkedIn profile is the best source.

Use a computer if you can. Open their LinkedIn profile in a web browser, click More (or ⋯) under their name, then Save to PDF.
On a phone: the LinkedIn app can't save a profile. Open linkedin.com in your phone's browser instead, switch to the desktop site, and use More → Save to PDF.
Upload the PDF here, or paste what you know about them (a bio, a profile page).

See the sample briefing

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Wake Forest; reads Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic applications; Wake alum (History, 2011) and first-generation college graduate

Gordon has worked in college admissions and counseling for about 15 years, and has been at Wake Forest since July 2019 (about 7 years). He reads roughly 1,400 applications a year, does about 250 interviews each cycle, and trains new counselors in how to interview. So he has heard every polished answer many times over. In his own words, he listens for curiosity and for how you treat the people around you, not polish. He was a high school college counselor for five years before Wake, so he likely knows what coached, memorized answers sound like. Your best plan is to be specific, honest and conversational: real examples, real books, real reasons for Wake.

Their path

Jun 2011 - Jul 2014: Admissions Counselor, Linwood College (Danville, VA), recruiting across southern Virginia and running campus visit days
2011: B.A. in History, Wake Forest; senior thesis on textile mill villages in the Piedmont (the hilly middle region of the Carolinas and Virginia)
2014: M.A. in Higher Education, Appalachian State, earned part-time while working
Aug 2014 - Jun 2019: Associate Director of College Counseling, Brookhaven Day School (Charlotte, NC); advised 45-60 seniors a year and ran a junior-year essay workshop
Jul 2019 - present: Wake Forest admissions, from Admissions Counselor up to Senior Assistant Director; leads outreach to rural and first-generation students in western NC and southwest Virginia
Volunteers as an elementary reading tutor (2020 - present) and at community college transfer advising nights (2021 - present)

What it means for your conversation

He says outright that he values curiosity and kindness over polish. A slightly messy but honest answer about something you love will likely land better than a smooth rehearsed one.
Because he coached seniors on essays for years, he may notice memorized or 'consultant-sounding' answers. Speak like yourself.
He reads applications too, so he may ask follow-up questions about things in your file. Reread your application tonight.
Being a first-generation graduate from a small town and working with rural students suggests he is likely to value where you come from, whatever it is. You don't need an impressive background; you need to explain your own context clearly.
His volunteering (reading tutoring, transfer advising) suggests he cares about service in everyday, local forms. Small, real ways you help people count; you don't need a big project.
As a Wake alum, he likely knows the school well, so vague praise ('great community, beautiful campus') won't stand out. Name specific things you'd actually use.

Questions they may lean toward

'Why Wake?' as the opening question, with follow-ups on whatever you name. Applicants report it is nearly always first, and as an alum he can easily probe whether you know what you're talking about.
How you treat others: a time you helped someone, worked through a disagreement, or included someone left out. He says he listens for 'how someone treats the people around them,' and Wake lists character, community and inclusion as topics.
Books and what they made you think or question. Books come up in almost every Wake report, and he tutors reading, so he likely enjoys this topic.
Your hometown, school and family context, including whether you'd be first in your family to go to college. He works with rural and first-generation students and grew up in a small town; applicants also report hometown questions.
A current event or issue you follow, and why it matters to you. A common Wake question that tests curiosity, which he says is what he looks for.
Follow-up questions on classes and activities from your application. He reads files and trains others in holistic review, which means looking at the whole person, not just grades.

Honest common ground

If you're from a small town, rural area, or would be first in your family to go to college, you can say so naturally; it's genuinely part of his story and his job.
If you're from North Carolina, Virginia or nearby, regional places may come up naturally; don't force it.
If you honestly follow Wake basketball or college sports, it's a light topic he lists as an interest; skip it if you don't.
If you really do love history or local history, it's shared ground; don't pretend if you don't.
Reading and helping younger kids learn (tutoring, mentoring, babysitting with homework) is real overlap if you've done it.

Questions to ask them

What surprised you most about Wake when you were a student, compared to how it looked from the outside? He's an alum, so he can give a personal answer, and it shows you want to know the real place.
What's a book you've read recently that you'd recommend? One applicant reported that turning the book question back on the interviewer went over well; it's natural and not resume-based.
What kinds of support do students who arrive without much family experience of college find most useful at Wake? Good if it actually applies to you; it fits his outreach work and is practical for you.
How do students actually use things like Faculty Fellows or living on campus for three years to connect with professors? Shows you've researched specific Wake features and lets him speak from experience.

Avoid

Don't recite his profile (thesis, mandolin, biscuits, trail running). It reads as researching him instead of being yourself; let him bring up personal things.
Don't fake interest in history, bluegrass or basketball to bond.
Don't give memorized speeches; he has heard thousands of interviews and coached students himself.
Don't use vague 'Why Wake' lines like 'small classes and pretty campus' without a specific example of what you'd do there.
Don't brag about achievements without showing why they matter to you or how they affected other people.
Don't plan to hand over a résumé; reports conflict and the current site doesn't ask for one.
Logistics: if you haven't requested a slot, you must submit and request through the status portal by Wednesday, November 18, 2026 (and within five days of your submission confirmation). Use a personal email, test Zoom, and note the time is Eastern.

A sample, to show what the briefing looks like: Gordon Ashcombe and their employers are invented.

Based on: The sample interviewer's profile (fictional) · Wake Forest: Interviews · Wake Forest: Interview Availability: Fall Update · Reddit: Interview Questions (2020) · Reddit: Interview questions (2026) · College Confidential: Wake Forest Interview 2020 Tips (2020)

All sources · 29 plus 12 applicant threads

Applicant threads are linked under each question.