With a wisp of relief, a sigh of relaxation, and a great deal of pride, DU finished the groundbreaking round of the Hyde interviews.

The interviews augment the application process by allowing the admissions staff to glean a more complete picture of applicants.

A total of 1,263 students from 23 cities were interviewed Jan. 4-10.

This year, only the early acceptance applicants were asked to the sometimes-stressful interview.

However, in two years, the DU admission office plans for all applicants to participate in the interviews. This means that DU will interview as many as 6,000 students a year.

Nearly 300 faculty, staff and alumni directed the interviews. Usually, three DU personnel sat in the interviews and asked questions.

Examples of queries were: “Outside of your family who do you admirer most?” “Which is most important to you: Keeping promises or telling the truth?” and “How do you expect to contribute to DU?”

The admissions office felt the interviews were useful and successful. Cezar Mesquita, assistant director of admission, said that the interviews allow DU to “establish another level of contact with the students.”

He felt that the interviews helped the admission office understand the intangible dimensions of students, such as: “motivation for learning, honesty and integrity, community minded citizenship, and openness to differences.”

Also, Mesquita said that the greater involvement of faculty and staff provided a more succinct interpretation of a “student’s overall caliber” as well as extended DU’s opportunity to show its own educational caliber.

This was reflected in the rates of accepted early applicant to attend DU.

Last year, 39 percent of early applicant students accepted by DU chose to attend. This year the number rose to 45 percent.

The admissions office feels that this improvement is largely due to the personal contact established during the interviewing process.

The intention of the Hyde interviews is not to subject applicants to an ordeal, Mesquita said. Rather, the interviews serve as a way to connect with the students in a relaxed environment.

This connection allows the admission office to gain a better understanding of the prospective students, and for the students to gain an understanding of DU.

In the end, the rigor turns into revelation, as the Hyde interviews provide a win-win situation for student and school, Mesquita said.