The Finalist Experience (by invitation)

Application Deadlines

After reviewing your application and video statement, and verifying that you remain competitive for admission to the Stanford graduate degree program, KHS will select up to 180 finalists who will be invited to participate in the Finalist Experience. The Finalist Experience consists of an online individual interview and Immersion Weekend. This part of the process is by invitation only.

Online Individual Interview

This part of the process is by invitation only. You will participate in a virtual individual interview in mid-February. Your individual interview will last 20-25 minutes, and will be recorded on Zoom. The individual interview will be facilitated by a neutral/impartial member of the KHS community and the recording will be evaluated by the scholar selection committee (not your facilitator).

The objective of the individual behavioral interview is for you to provide evidence and insights from actual experiences rather than from hypothetical situations. The facilitators will ask behavioral questions based on the three primary evaluation criteria for Knight-Hennessy Scholars. For example, a facilitator might say “Tell me about a time when…”. The facilitators will only ask follow-up questions if you did not fully answer a question, so ensure you give your full answer in your response.

All finalists will be asked the same set of questions. Each question will be an opportunity for you to tell the scholar selection committee a personal story or experience that best demonstrates one or more of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars evaluation criteria: independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and civic mindset. The best preparation is simply to know yourself, including your individual stories, experiences, and aspirations that led you to apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars. 

Immersion Weekend

Immersion Weekend is an opportunity for you to visit Stanford University, to learn more about Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS), Stanford University, other scholars, and yourself. It is also a chance for us to learn more about you and interview you. By meeting you in an interactive setting, you can convey attributes that may not come across in the online application. Knight-Hennessy Scholars will cover travel expenses within the university guidelines, including lodging at Stanford, airfare, and meals on-campus.

Immersion Weekend for the 2027 cohort will take place on March 5-6, 2027. You must attend this event if you wish to be selected as a Knight-Hennessy scholar. Candidates are asked to be available to participate in Immersion Weekend activities for the full day on March 5 and 6. Consult the Evaluation Processes page for a full view of the evaluation timeline. 

During your visit, you will participate in group activities, including one evaluative group interview. Our goal is to comprehensively preview your life as a graduate student at Stanford. Immersion Weekend is a highlight of the year for both the Knight-Hennessy Scholars community and our finalists. If you are selected as a finalist, we are confident that you too will consider it a highlight of your application experience. 

Events have typically included:

  • Faculty presentations
  • Group activities
  • Group interview
  • Social events

Frequently Asked Questions About The Finalist Experience

Barring unforeseen circumstances and/or immediate family obligations, you must attend Immersion Weekend to be considered for selection to Knight-Hennessy Scholars. 

If you are selected as a finalist, we will work with you to coordinate a visa invitation letter as necessary. We cannot provide letters of invitation before finalists are selected. 

Your Stanford degree program(s) conducts its own distinct review and communicates its admission decision to you on its own distinct timeline. Depending on the program(s), you may receive your Stanford admission decision as early as December or as late as March. Some Knight-Hennessy Scholars finalists will have already been offered admission to their Stanford program, while others will still be waiting for a decision from their program.

No, Knight-Hennessy Scholars interviews take place only during designated time periods for finalists.