<p>What time of year do people typically do their college interviews? It seems like the summer would be the easiest time, but I'm going to be visiting schools for the first time then, and I don't think I'd have enough time to prepare for the interview. Also, I'm currently considering about 17 schools, but I know I don't want to apply to all of them, so I don't want to do an interview for a school I'm not going to end up applying to.</p>
<p>One more question. For schools where an interview is optional, would it be better for me to accept that option for all schools, or only my higher up/more selective ones, or what? Thanks.</p>
<p>If you are going to go through the expense of visiting a school, especially if it is far away from home, I would recommend that you schedule an interview. When DD visited schools last summer, she commented that part of her decision-making process involved the interview. Don't forget that the interview gives you an opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for that school's admissions process.</p>
<p>To answer your question, summer and spring break are typically a good times to visit (we did both). In regards to whether to interview at "interview optional" schools, I would say that it is worth your while to schedule an interview.</p>
<p>One more thing: I would schedule the interviews way in advance. Some schools have limited slots for both interviews and campus visits.</p>
<p>Many college interviews are scheduled after you have applied. They are usually done by alums. Most of schools my D applied did not do campus interviews.</p>