ahhh I had no idea you'd have to do interviews if you wanted to get into a university. what's the interview like, and if I live outside of the country will I still have to do an interview?

If there’s an alum in your area, then yes. Not all schools require an interview, though! Many do, but in some cases it’s purely optional. In most cases the alum will contact you about setting something up.

The interviews really aren’t that scary; they’re not interrogations or tests or anything like that. It’s more of a conversation - you sit down with an alum from the school and talk about yourself/your interests/whatever. The whole point is for the school to get an idea of who you are as a person. You don’t get points off for giving a wrong answer, or anything! 

And wanna know a secret? The interviews really don’t count for that much. They’re mainly a way to let alumni stay involved in the school. Obviously you want to do well, but your application is WAAAAAAAAY more important. 



I'm a freshman and I want to get into columbia but my high school doesn't have AP courses. should I consider switching to a school that does?

You can switch if you feel like you’re not being challenged, or like you’re missing out on a good preparation for college. That being said, college admissions officers know your school’s curriculum, and they will know that you’re coming from a high school with no APs. Not taking any AP classes won’t damage your application if taking AP classes wasn’t a possibility.