Cornell Human Ecology Phone call?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

I got an email yesterday from an alumni from human ecology asking if I was around for a phone call. I had my phone call yesterday but does anyone know that the call might mean? good sign? got accepted?

2

It means nothing.

https://blogs.cornell.edu/admissions/2014/11/24/alumni-interviews/

(the numbers may be out of date but the part about contacts being non evaluative is true).

3

I find it hard to believe Cornell would waste the time of Alumni, who are professionals with jobs and busy lives, on meaningless interviews. It won’t push you over the top, but they do write up a report…so I think it means a little something.

4

one more thing. In the past people have posted that the interview is to “sell” the student on Cornell…if this is true they would not need to do this during the ED round, as we are already “sold”.

5

I’ve been doing CAAAN meetings for the past two decades. I’m just passing on what the university tells us.

The reality is that there aren’t enough volunteers to talk to every applicant. As such, they are non evaluative. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise. And the local chairs that assign the contacts only have the student’s name, contact information, and intended college/major. That’s it. There is no handpicking of who to contact.

The reports are very word limited and really unless applicant is totally inappropriate (which has only happened a couple of times in over 20 years for me), the meetings and reports will not move the needle.

For some students, the contact with their alumni volunteer is their only personal connection and the university values that, even for ED applicants. It also helps us keep connected with the university and current on what’s happening on campus.

6

I don’t think the colleges consider it “wasting time” of volunteer interviewers. D20 had a friend apply to Dartmouth last year who interviewed with 2 or 3 different local alumni members. They must have been on the fence because she interviewed with an AO afterward and was still rejected.

7

Thanks for the replies. It’s so hard to figure out if there is a deeper meaning behind the interviews. I guess we need to take them at face value and hope for the best. My school GC seems to think they carry some weight.