<p>Hope this isnt going to be full of pretension, but did want to say as a Harvard alumna interviewer for many years that I agree with Xiggi that such interviews are largely a way of keeping the volunteers connected to the alma mater. I no longer interview because it was so very discouraging to meet so many incredible candidates who didnt get in. (The only one of my applicants who got in over a 12 year period was basically a BWRK with great test scores - except for one 3 on an AP - whose essay was a fairly standard account of a service trip to Africa and the impact on him of a close friends illness). Anyway, back to the subject, I do want to say that I disagree that the interviews fail spectacularly in making the applicants feel better towards the schools. Here, I agree with Soozievt that they can be enjoyable for the kids. All the students I interviewed concluded by saying how much theyd enjoyed our hour together they werent being polite, theyd been nervous/scared/worried when they came in but, had visibly relaxed and opened up as we started talking. Come on, what 17/18 year old isnt going to enjoy an hour of full-on attention from an adult who is genuinely curious about hearing of their plans/hopes/dreams/concerns/school/friends etc.? I think most individuals would relish an hour of talking about themselves to a sympathetic listener. So although I hated knowing that so few of the students would get in, I felt good knowing that theyd had a good experience which had given them a bit of confidence in themselves and at the very least, useful practice, for the next interview.</p>