10 Real Rhodes Interview Questions: My Experience as a Finalist
I was a finalist for the Rhodes scholarship in 2022. In this post, I’m compiling some of the questions I was asked in my interview, to help you prepare for yours!
As you may know, the content of any given Rhodes interview can vary widely. You can expect interviewers to ask about the experiences on your resume, your personal interests, anything your recommenders wrote in their letters, political issues, ethical dilemmas: anything is on the table.
Here are some of the questions I was asked in my interview and social engagement. Note that I applied with a focus on criminal justice — that will be evident from some of the questions below.
What is your vision for the world, with respect to prison reform, in 100 years?
Do you consider yourself a prison abolitionist? Why or why not?
What would you say to someone who takes a diametrically opposed opinion to yours on criminal justice? How do you defend your stance?
What books have you been reading lately?
Journalists “unmasked” the author of that book — the author had wanted to stay anonymous but the journalists found her and published her name. Was that ethical?
What projects, academic or personal, have you been working on lately before Thanksgiving?
What was the coolest trick you can do in your sport?
What do you like to write poems about?
What’s your favorite restaurant in your hometown?
What is your biggest failure in your personal life?
If you want to learn more about my experience with the interview and social engagement, as well as my advice for making the most of it, check out my Rhodes Interview Guide. In my 28-page guide packed with information, you’ll find:
The unwritten rules for how to make the best impression at the social engagement
A breakdown of interview strategy, and how to prepare in a short amount of time
A full account of my own finalist weekend, from start to finish
150+ relevant and specific sample questions to use as you practice, including “gotcha” questions to prepare for
Check it out!