How big of a factor do/can they play in my chances of admission and what should I expect to be asked?
Should I do what most college admission advisors tell us to do: ask only the questions that can’t be found on the college website?
<p>Eh, they don't play big enough a factor. I wish they were a bigger deal, it's really the college's only chance to see you as a living and breathing fleshy being... but they take into accoutn the fact that many of the alum interviewers are not very properly trained and some may be slightly discriminative or rude or hard to get along with. So no, it doesn't count for much. It's still fun to go to though.</p>
<p>will the alumni report the interview to the college with his/her impressions?</p>
<p>how extensive will the reports be?</p>
<p>its also the last thing adcoms see when the look at your app... by then, they have made up their mind... unless your right on the line, its not a big difference</p>
<p>I don't know that it's necessarily the "last thing"... but yes, there is a report. I know that a good report could be one of the factors that get you into the "competitive" pile at mit ... if you look at the e-3 card they use during the selection process, there is an "interview report" checkbox under the competitive section.</p>
<p>depends what school... apparetly MIT takes their interviews pretty strongly.....</p>
<p>Well... actually the MIT thing works like this: the fact that you DID GO THROUGH with an interview puts you nto the competitive pile, not as much how WELL your interview went.</p>
<p>unless, of course, your interview has been waived :)</p>
<p>In the 'competitive' and 'not competitive' categories, each has an "interview report" checkbox. This would seem to suggest that if your interviewer really hated you and thought you were the complete opposite of the type of person that belonged at MIT, the report could have some weight?</p>
<p>Hm... unless your personality can knock someone flat onto the floor (in a good OR bad way), your interview probably wouldn't make a huge mark on your application. Most of us fall somewhere in between and manage to keep our EC's conscious. ;)</p>
<p>uh... pebbles... im looking at the MIT application and apparently how well the interview went CAN help you as well... its an exchange of information... thats what my interviewer told me. She said that the interview can push you in if you are on the border..... or it can push you out if u are on the border (if you lack the qualities that MIT is seeking).</p>
<p>but... heres an interesting stat. 22% of applicants who had interviews last year were accepted.... compared to 9% of applicants who didnt have interviews that were accepted.</p>
<p>Well of course your EC would tell you that, it's her job to. I personally think interviews SHOULD count a lot, but the reality is that, they really dont. I know people who've had awesome interviews and been rejected and people who have had nearly senile interviewers, couldn't manage to keep a conversation going, and then gotten in.</p>
<p>Yea, that's exactly what I said... it matters most IF you've had the interview or not, not so much how well it went. Why you would willingly pass up the chance to speak to an alumnus of the school of your dreams, is beyond me.</p>
<p>if your interviewer is "senile".... you gotta make the conversation go on. I guess thats where being "social" is important eh?</p>
<p>that's my point. People who've had terrible interviews like that have gotten in...</p>
<p>Just wondering... when everyone says not to ask questions that can be answered from the viewbook, what do you guys think of? Questions particularly about your intended interest/major? Questions about clubs or sports teams?</p>