@kath00 That must be so exciting to have your child apply to your alma mater! I hope to be in your shoes eventually…you know, after I successfully navigate the storm on the horizon that is residency. 
Our admissions website gives a good overview of the whole interview process here http://admission.stanford.edu/application/freshman/interviews.html , but I can elaborate on a few points for those who may be interested.
-Attire? The interview website notes, “Please dress comfortably for your interview. You are welcome to dress in typical high school attire.” In other words, there is no dress code for the interview. Which is quite reflective, really, of Stanford’s relaxed campus culture, where the entire spectrum of formality in attire is represented in every classroom. We were all informed of this, and should not let an applicant’s attire influence our report. In the unlikely circumstance that an interviewer takes issue with the applicant’s dress in the report, the Office would probably remind them that there is no dress code, and the applicant’s final decision will not be affected by this particular comment.
(The following paragraphs are my personal opinions, and are not necessarily representative of Stanford’s.) In general, an alumni interview should be at least 100x less stressful than a medical school interview; if it’s not, somebody’s probably doing something wrong. Especially as a recent alumnus, I truly wouldn’t care what an applicant chooses to wear, so long as it’s appropriate for the setting–meaning don’t show up shirtless if we’re in a public library. I’d personally view anything from sweaty, stinky gym clothes all the way up to a starched and pressed dress shirt and slacks as perfectly appropriate; if they’re any more formal (tie, blazer, full suit, or even black/white tie), I might have a chuckle, but I wouldn’t let it affect my report either way.
Some common sense does apply. We’re aware that applicants usually Google/Facebook stalk their interviews prior to the meeting. If you do so happen to find out how long ago your interviewer graduated, you could choose to take that into account when deciding what to wear. For example, you might choose to dress up more if interviewed by an older physician in Boston than you would if interviewed by a young surf instructor in San Diego. Again, it’s not required, but you might choose to do so anyway.
General interview advice does apply as well to the alumni interview: Wear what you feel comfortable in–both in terms of physically comfy clothes, and clothes which you feel flatter you–and it will reflect in the way you carry yourself. If you’re unaccustomed to wearing a suit, constantly tugging at your tie because you tied it too short and too tight, forget to unbutton the jacket when you sit down (for men), etc., that will also be apparent. Although the lack of a dress code prevents this from directly affecting your report, it may indirectly do so if your discomfort negatively affects your interviewing skills. Thank you letter are absolutely not required, but obviously a nice and customary formality following any interview. For the alumni interview, they would probably not affect your report, so only send them if you want to and not because you’re trying to impress your interviewer. Since you probably will not have access to your interviewer’s address (please don’t stalk us), a thank you email is fine instead of a snail mailed card. If you don’t have access to their email because they contacted you by phone/text to setup the interview time, then don’t sweat it and you don’t need to send a thank you letter at all.
-What to bring? You’ll note in the website above that applicants are expressly told that “Applicants are encouraged to bring only themselves to the interview. Please do not bring resumes, transcripts, test scores or other supplementary materials to share with interviewers.” We are actually asked to, should an applicant hand us a resume or similar document, simply set it aside and return it to them at the end of the interview. The Office doesn’t need interviewers like me to tell them about the applicant’s GPA and test scores since, you know, that’s what the Common App/Coalition App they have on file is for.
(This paragraph is my personal opinion, not necessarily representative of Stanford’s.) Me personally, I couldn’t care less if they have a 1.5 or a 4.5 GPA. It’s not my place to judge, and it’s not what I care about. So I’d prefer it if such numbers didn’t come up in the interview, even if only verbally.
-Where are interviews offered? Everywhere in the US, except California, plus lots of of other countries; refer to site above for complete list. The plan is to start phasing in California interviews in select locations starting very soon, and gradually expand it to eventually cover the entire state. However, for this current cycle, there are no interviews being offered in California.
-Who is offered an interview? You cannot request an interview. They are randomly assigned to you based on your zip code. The Office sends the relevant info to our local OVAL chapters, and the assignments are made based on how many interviews are being offered during that period (either the REA or RD period). The number of interviews is simply determined the number of alumni available x the number of interviews each alumnus/a offered to do. If there are more applicants than available interviews, who is offered an interview is determined completely randomly. The Office has been tracking data, and you can see on their website that they assure everyone that applicants are not at a disadvantage if they do not have the chance to complete an interview; in fact, they also state that an applicant can turn down an interview offer and not be at a disadvantage.
(This paragraph is my personal opinion, not necessarily representative of Stanford’s.) I have no idea why you would want to turn down an interview offer, unless it’s truly for scheduling/out-of-town/family emergency type reasons. It’s a great way for students, especially those without a connection to recent graduates, to learn about whether or not a school that they very well might be committing four years of their life to–and in many cases, a lot of their parents’ money–would actually be a good fit for them. If nothing else, it’s a great way to practice their interviewing skills, which just about everyone will need to start developing sooner or later. I see some students strategize online about turning them down, thinking they can only hurt their chances without helping them. In response to that, I would point to a quote from our Dean of Admissions, Richard Shaw, which can be found on the Stanford Daily: http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/05/27/admission-students-reflect-on-pilot-interview-program/
“‘I think, frankly, interviews can go either way, but again, it’s just a factor among many,’ he added. ‘I think to the extent that it hurts or helps a student’s chances for Stanford, it’s probably more generally neutral than it is one way or the other.’ Shaw also asserted that the admission rate among the interviewees was in line with the overall admission rate.”
