<p>i'm having one soon...how much do they help if at all</p>
<p>Yeah I was wondering the same thing</p>
<p>Very much, it's the only chance you'll have of making an impression (albeit indirectly) on the admissions officer. Otherwise, you are just a couple pieces of paper filled with numbers and statistics to the admissions.</p>
<p>Except it actually doesn't. Just use it as an opportunity to ask questions about the university and to get a personal perspective on the Princeton experience.</p>
<p>How do you schedule one? If I apply ED, should I talk to whoever the alumni rep is before, or will they contact me first?</p>
<p>An alumnus will contact you after you submit your application.</p>
<p>Don't stress about it. I had mine at a Starbucks and it was they guy's first interview as well. My advice: bring a resume and offer it to him/her. Sometimes they will refuse it, stating that they don't want to talk about stats and things. Mine used it, and I think he was impressed that I had thought enough to bring it. We chatted about some of the things I had done, and then about Princeton. That was it. It's probably one of the easier parts of the admissions process. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>My interviewer told me that Princeton wanted him to make sure I didn't seem like a total psychopath ax-murderer, and other than that, the interview was for my benefit.<br>
It was completely different from another Ivy interview I had, where the interviewer's attitude was more along the lines of "tell me why you think you're worthy to walk the hallowed halls of this world-renowned institution of higher learning".<br>
The interviewer from Princeton didn't know anything about me, didn't have my application in front of him, didn't take notes, and didn't care about my scores and essays anyway. He wanted to answer my questions (not the other way around) and give me a more personal picture of the school than what you get from a viewbook.</p>
<p>99 times out of 100, the alumni interview just confirms what the AO already knows about you from your application. This can be a good thing -- when they're choosing among 6 or 7 people with very similar profiles, they go with the applicant in whom they feel the most confidence that he/she is a good use of the slot, and every bit of corroboration can help. That other 1 time out of the 100, the alumni interview can tell the office that despite an application that doesn't stand out, you're worth a closer look. Or, it can tell the office that despite your impressive application, you're arrogant, inarticulate, or otherwise off-putting.</p>
<p>In general, though, the alumni interviews are pretty relaxed and a great way to get any questions that you have about Princeton answered.</p>
<p>Is there any way to schedule an on-campus interview?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Are on-campus interviews offered?
No. We enjoy meeting applicants who attend our information sessions or who drop by our office, but we do not have a staff large enough to accommodate all the students who might like to have individual interviews. We believe that all the components of the application give us a good, full view of an applicant’s academic and personal strengths.
[/quote]
</p>