Seminary Interviews, Essays and Entrance Exams

The interview worries students more than any other part of applying. The schools that describe theirs say much the same thing: it's a conversation, not a test. Here is what each school's own site says, so you know what to expect. Dates are for students starting in fall 2027, and every one of them is also on Dates & deadlines.

What happens at the interview

MMY: "Just a good conversation and nothing tricky. Just be yourself!" They also learn some Torah with you and say there's no need to prepare anything. Interviews are mainly in December and early January in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and the UK. In other cities they happen during MMY's November visit, in December or January if possible, or by Zoom.
Midreshet Lindenbaum: they get to know you, hear about your goals for the year and learn some Torah together. They offer a few topics to choose from and say there's no need to prepare. Interviews are at your high school or on Zoom.
Midreshet Tehillah: representatives usually visit US and UK high schools in November and December, and interviews are in January or by Zoom or WhatsApp.
Michlalah's Machal program: interviews begin in mid-December.
Tomer Devorah arranges the interview through your high school. Tiferet, Migdal Oz and Havineini list an interview as the step after the application. Meorot Yerushalayim schedules a video interview with its co-director.
Beit Chana in Tzfat interviews in New York, or by Zoom for applicants outside the US and Canada.

Questions worth thinking about beforehand

Schools don't publish their interview questions. Lindenbaum says it wants to hear your goals for the year, and the same questions that help you choose a school will help you talk about it. These are our suggestions, not questions any school has said it asks:

Why do you want a year in Israel, and why this school?
What do you want to be better at by June: reading a text on your own, Hebrew, halacha, something else?
Which subjects or teachers at your high school did you connect with, and why?
How do you learn best: in class, with a chavruta (study partner) or in discussion?
What chesed (volunteering) have you done, and what would you like to try?
What do you want to ask them? Bring two or three questions from our questions to ask a seminary.

Entrance exams and written exercises

MMY asks every applicant to do a written exercise based in Chumash, and says you don't need to prepare for it. Most yeshiva high schools give it to their students; if your school isn't in regular touch with MMY, they email it to you. The window is Monday, December 14 to Thursday, December 24, 2026.
Michlalah's Machal program has an entrance exam on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, the day after its application deadline. Its apply page links two sample exams. It also says part of the exam covers Musagim (concepts), from a booklet its staff sent to high school principals.
Beit Chana's process includes a written test as well as the interview.

What to send with the application

The joint application at applytosem.org has to be filled out by the applicant herself, in her own name, and its deadline is Sunday, December 6, 2026. Schools ask for different papers alongside it or on their own forms:

MMY: your high school transcript (grade reports if you live outside the US and Canada) and medical forms, including immunizations.
Midreshet Moriah: a $100 application fee, a passport-style photo, your transcript, SAT or ACT scores (for US students) or GCSE scores (for British students), two letters of recommendation and an essay.
Tomer Devorah: two recommendations, a medical form, Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol transcripts, two photos and a $100 non-refundable application fee.
Yeshivat Drisha (its own form, not the joint application): a $50 fee, two recommendations and a high school transcript, due December 6.
She'arim: a passport photo and two written recommendation letters from a rabbi, rebbetzin or mentor.
Midreshet Darkaynu: a photo plus an essay or a short video.
Havineini: your high school sends the transcripts and the principal's confidential report directly to the school.

Few schools put their essay questions online, so look inside the form early and ask the office if anything is unclear. Give teachers a few weeks' notice for recommendation letters. The application tracker keeps each school's papers and deadlines in one place.

After the interview

MMY sends answers on Saturday night or early Sunday, February 20-21, 2027 (Israel time). Accepted students register and pay the non-refundable deposit by Thursday, February 25, 2027.
Midreshet Lindenbaum sends answers on Sunday, February 21, 2027, with a registration deadline of Thursday, February 25, 2027 (Israel time).

Schools change their steps and dates from year to year, so check each school's own page (linked below) before you rely on a date.

Questions and answers

Do I need to prepare for a seminary interview?

MMY and Midreshet Lindenbaum both say there's no need to prepare anything. Both learn some Torah with you at the interview, and Lindenbaum offers a few topics to choose from. It helps to have thought about why you want the year and what you hope to get out of it.

Are seminary interviews held on Zoom?

Often, when meeting in person isn't possible. MMY, Lindenbaum and Tehillah all mention Zoom (Tehillah also WhatsApp), Beit Chana interviews by Zoom outside the US and Canada, and Meorot Yerushalayim interviews by video.

Which seminaries have an entrance exam?

Of the schools we list, Michlalah's Machal program (an exam on December 2, 2026), MMY (a written Chumash exercise between December 14 and 24, 2026) and Beit Chana (a written test) say so on their own sites.

When do seminaries send acceptances?

MMY answers on February 20-21, 2027 and Midreshet Lindenbaum on February 21, 2027. Both ask accepted students to register by February 25, 2027.

Sources

Read on 30 October 2026. Open them to check a figure or see whether it has changed.

Seminary interviews, essays and entrance exams