Webcam Interviews Disconnect Imposters

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Webcam interviews also let schools record and store images for later use. Alison Merzel, admissions director at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, another MBA program that officially started using Webcams this year, is impressed with the screening potential. "You can capture an image and compare it with their GMAT or TOEFL image; it gives you the option of having identification," she says.

VoIP Makes It Easy

Although Webcams have been around for years, the proliferation of VoIP technologies like Skype (EBAY) (BusinessWeek.com, 11/29/07) or Yahoo! Messenger (YHOO) means that MBA admissions offices can now see them as a feasible, low-cost option.

Mandy Stowers, a first-year MBA student at Ohio State who conducts admissions interviews, says she hasn't received any negative feedback on their new Skype-based offering because of the applicants' familiarity with the program. Stowers predicts that more than half of this year's international students will choose Webcam interviews conducted over Skype rather than speaking via telephone and says that many candidates already had Skype IDs and simply had to log in. "It's been pretty positive—we've had people who scheduled phone interviews actually switch to Skype interviews."

Georgia's Cooper said the school has started using Cisco's (CSCO) WebEx technology, which has the capability for one-on-one interviews. With WebEx, an applicant can log in and schedule a date and time while having technical support readily available, says Cooper. And even though the service is costlier than just signing up for Skype, Cooper says the investment is worth it. "We wanted to find reliable alternatives, and I believe more schools will be moving in that direction."

Smile, You're on Camera

The adoption of Webcams for admissions interviews is changing the rules in more subtle ways as well. For instance, with this technology an applicant can't interview for business school in his or her nightclothes. On the other hand, it's a little more forgiving than an in-person chat. For his Webcam interview with Penn State, Ross Cain combined his everyday shorts with a suit and shirt because he knew his interviewer wouldn't see below his computer desk. "I was kind of like the ESPN sportscasters," he recalls.

And exactly how you handle yourself during the interview is also a bit jarring. During a Webcam interview in December, Xiaoyu Zhang, a Penn State applicant from Shanghai, had a hard time deciding on how best to make eye contact with Smeal's Marcinkevage. Zhang had to look at the Webcam above the monitor, instead of into Marcinkevage's eyes on the computer screen. But other than a few mishaps, Zhang says the Webcam was worth it. "Via phone you can only convey 7% of the whole message—I can't use my hands, I can't smile." He's surprised more schools don't provide the option.

Another factor with Webcams: They give a glimpse into applicants' homes and work environments. So interviewees and interviewers have to think about set design. "I think you could do two things: take it in a very professional direction and draw the attention away from the background so all the attention is on you, or you could use the background to develop a sense of who you are," recommends Marcinkevage. (She's also had to modify her own interviewing space. Since starting the process in November, she's removed unkempt-looking binders from a shelf and found a new spot for her purse—both of which could be seen through the camera lens.)

But even though most admissions officials encourage in-person conversations that take place on campus, both applicants and interviewers are pleased with the Webcam. After the first year of conducting Webcam interviews, Merzel says Ohio State hopes to continue taking advantage of emerging video capabilities. "There's limitations, it's still not perfect," she says. "But we will move toward [using Webcams] as technology improves."

Dizik is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com.