My kids had some interviews in homes, many in Starbucks and one in an office which required my kid to get on a train and go into Manhattan. (Not as long a commute as your kid had to make, but more time than he wanted to devote to a super reach school.) His first choice school that he got into was his least favorite interview. (Nothing wrong with the interviewer he just didn’t feel they connected particularly well.) His best interview was at a school that didn’t accept him - but an uber-reach so no problem.
In any event I’d report the interviewer - since your D is already in Princeton EA, I would consider doing it now rather than later. If she doesn’t get in to this school it will look less like sour grapes. You don’t need to complain, just have her say that it seemed very different from the other interviews she’s had - all the paperwork, such a short interview and that she was baffled by the last piece of paperwork which seemed intended for the interviewer to fill out. Did she ask the interviewer about it? - it’s possible he attached the wrong file by mistake.
Agree @Tperry1982 . Your experience sounds similar to my Duke interviewer experience. My Wife and I have only done it for 5 years but enjoy it immensely. We try to make it very comfortable for the candidates. It usually does not take long to put their nerves at ease. Unfortunately we had to sit out this year since our D is in the circuit.
@LaxDad77 - last year I was told I had to sit out the cycle because my D was applying. She got in SCEA in December (Class of 2018) and they changed their minds for RD because they needed interviewers. At that point, it was a done deal for her.
One has to wonder why someone so disinterested in interviewing, as the person in OP’s story seems to be, bothers to do it at all. Obviously he is not interested in conveying any love for his school, as Tperry1982 so nicely put it for her school. Perhaps he has a child who will be applying soon and thinks that this will earn points with admissions?
Agree @green678. I am not sure why you would volunteer your time if you did not enjoy it. I guess it’s possible he was just having a bad day. However, the whole situation just really gave my D a negative vibe. Fortunately my D does not take things very personally and has a much easier time putting things behind her than I do.
@Tperry1982 yes, Duke also told us that we could continue to interview RD if our daughter applied ED. However, I did not want my daughter to apply ED anywhere. I wanted her to have all her choices potential scholarships on the table to make the most educated decision. That is why she applied SCEA.
My cousin conducts interviews for Harvard, and this cousin does not have students fill out any paperwork. In fact, my cousin informed me that the interviewers only get the name of the student and no other information. The interviews don’t really seem to carry much weight in the admissions process, according to my cousin. Apparently only one or two students that this cousin has interviewed over the past 20 years has gotten in (I don’t know how many were interviewed over all).
Two things: Yale wins again and that interviewer files NOT sound like an attorney. Attorneys are not to be blamed for every uncaring and stupid act. No attorney I know would be so stupid as to go beyond the rules in that way. He may have been a lawyer, but he does not " sound" like one.
Definitely sounds like an attorney…having others do as much work as possible to he only has to do the part that only he can do. As an alumni interviewer, the output I create is a report. It sounds like he is gathering data for the report. But the other half of the job is selling the school. He is failing on that point…
I do have the student bring their resume, mostly because it helps them remember the ECs as we talk. They always did without me asking, until one kid didn’t, and then it was alot of “ummm…oh, yeah, I volunteered at the hospital…and ummmm”