Interviews

We want to know as much about you as possible in the admissions process. And not just what’s on your transcript. Wake Forest is a relational place. We want to hear from students who can tell us about their education and their self-education.

Only high school seniors who have applied to enter Wake Forest in Fall 2026 are eligible for a virtual interview or video submission.

Virtual interviews are available to all applicants: Early Decision, Early Action, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.

Please keep in mind that virtual interviews and video submissions are optional and not a required part of your application for admission.

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Wake Forest is a place that values intellectual curiosity, character, community, inclusion, and open-mindedness, and, in the course of every 20 to 25-minute virtual-interview conversation, we’re going to explore that. It will be in part a conversation about academics, asking you what makes you intellectually curious.

Please remember, the interview is optional. We make every effort to interview students, but we are unable to accommodate all requests, especially those made closer to the interview-request deadline; know that we invite, but by no means require, an interview in the admissions process.

Interviews will only be conducted Monday-Friday between the times of 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET.

Interview request deadlines

You must request a virtual interview within five days of submitting your application, and the last day to request one is November 18, 2025. This means that, if you submit your application between November 14 and November 18, you will have fewer than five days to request a virtual interview.

How to request an interview

You would submit your interview request through your status portal, which you’ll set up upon applying to Wake Forest and receiving emailed instructions from us.

How to prepare

So before you interview, think of things you want to make sure we know about you. This is your chance. Think about what you are most proud of, most energized by, most concerned about, most looking forward to about the future. Try to work those things into your interview responses. We always end our interviews with, “What have we forgotten to ask you that you need to tell me?” And happily, the response is usually, “Not a thing. You got it.”

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Note: Instructions for setting up your status portal will be emailed to you within 24 hours of receipt of your application.

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A great option to communicate your ideas, perspectives, and experiences is to answer one of our conceptually provocative prompts (below) in a two-to-three-minute video that you submit to us.

We want to see you speaking to the camera, answering the question posted below. This should not be a video compilation, and it should not be professionally filmed. A selfie video will do just fine!

Please choose ONE of the following prompts, and answer that prompt for your video submission.

Video submission deadlines

How to submit your video

You would submit your video submission through your status portal, which you’ll set up upon applying to Wake Forest and receiving emailed instructions from us.

How to prepare

As you prepare to record and submit your video, here’s some advice to consider:

• Be yourself. There’s no need to write, memorize, and deliver a speech. We want to hear how you’d share ideas in class.
• Don’t hire a photographer. This should be a selfie-style video that showcases your thoughts, not your videography skills. We don’t want to see video footage or picture montages.
• We want to see you! This should be a two-to-three-minute video of you talking to the camera where you share your thoughts. It’s a simple, yet powerful, way for Wake Forest Admissions to learn more about you.

Here are some basics to consider before recording your video:

• Wardrobe: If it’s okay to wear to school, it’s okay to wear in the video.
• Background: Check for any obvious distractions.
• Lighting: Try to sit with a window or lamp in front of you so that the light shines on your face. This helps with shadows.
• Audio: Check your audio levels on your recording device to make sure we can hear you.

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Note: Instructions for setting up your status portal will be emailed to you within 24 hours of receipt of your application.

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Why does Wake Forest offer virtual interviews and invite video submissions?

Plain and simple: we interview and invite video submissions because we want to know as much about you as possible in the admissions process.

Wake Forest is a place that values intellectual curiosity, character, community, inclusion, and open-mindedness, and, in the course of our virtual-interview conversations or our video-interview question, we’re going to explore that.

We want to hear from students who can speak about their intellectual interests.

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Who can interview or submit a video?

Only rising seniors who have applied for the Fall 2026 semester are eligible. Transfer applicants and waitlisted Fall 2025 applicants are not eligible.

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What takes place during a virtual interview?

After you submit your application, you may request a virtual interview. Interviews are generally 20-25 minutes long. We’ll ask you questions about your high school and classes, your academic interests, your most treasured books, your talents, your service work, what you think about, and what you are studying.

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How do I set up my status portal?

Instructions for setting up your status portal will be emailed to you within 24 hours of receipt of your application.

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To whom do I reach out to with accessibility questions?

Wake Forest’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions is dedicated to accessibility in your experiences. If you need assistance with accessibility or have accessibility questions, please contact Dawn Calhoun at admissions@wfu.edu or 336.758.5201 at least three working days in advance of your visit.