An Ivy School alumni emailed my child to schedule an interview and invited him to his home. Is this appropriate? We were very uncomfortable with this request and now my son has lost interest in this school that he was raving about four months ago.
He asked to be assigned to another alumni closer to home since this man lived over 30 miles from our home, but he hasn’t heard back from anyone yet. Should I contact the recruiter to let him know of my son’s experience? Are alumni trained or given a primer of dos or don’ts?
It is very common for an alumni interviewer to invite an applicant to their home. My interviewer for Georgetown held the interview in the lobby of her condo. I’m surprised you felt uncomfortable going to this person’s house, that doesn’t strike me as unreasonable. If you want a different interviewer you might get one, but I would say follow their lead about the location since you depend on them for a good interview report.
Thank you for your reply. To me, the lobby of a condo is very different from going to someone’s private home alone in a town 45 minutes away. Recently a California private college sent my son an email with an alumni interview protocol and it said to meet in a public place like a coffee shop or book store. I think a neutral location is best.
Trained and screened. Yes. I can think of only one instance in decades that caused me concern (not a safety issue, just rude to a student) and the individual was pulled from duty permanently.
Most alumni do this because it’s a way to give back to the institution. But having said that, after 30 years of doing interviews in my home (often with my husband and children present in the house), we’ve all been asked to do future interviews at public locations for safety reasons. These days, I guess you can’t be too careful.
One thought - more often than not the students are more of a problem than the interviewer - especially if it’s a top ranked school. So word to the wise, recognize the interviewer is forgoing time for work and family obligations to do the interview and is not paid. I’ve had a number of students and parents call and treat me like the “hired help” and/or make demands and it hasn’t gone well. Or students who think my job is to explain why they should go to my college.
Show up prepared to discuss why you feel you’re a fit, what is unique about you, what you are passionate about. Ask questions - but it will send flags if you’re asking about things that can be found by spending a few minutes on the website. Then say “thank you” when the process is over. A little courtesy goes a very long way.
Also - when parents call to set up their student’s interview, I almost always decline. (Happens more often than you think). And if the 45 minute drive is a problem, recognize that I make special note of those cases. It shows the student was motivated and went the extra mile. My farthest interviews? Two students (not the same year though) who traveled three hours for their interview. Both were memorable and received acceptances when March letters were mailed.