<p>I recently got a message from an alumni about scheduling an interview. I was happy at first, but then I noticed it said phone interview.. He says he is very busy and travels a lot.</p>
<p>I think phone interviews are awkward and bottom line, I don't want to do it.</p>
<p>How bad would it be if I told the alumni I wasn't comfortable with a phone interview and asked the admissions office for a one on one interview?</p>
<p>The style of interview is up to the alumni who contacted you. Please understand that we volunteer our time to conduct these meetings with applicants and the great majority of us have full-time jobs but still conduct these meetings because we love Cornell and want to remain involved.</p>
<p>That said....if you wish to try and schedule a face-to-face meeting, you'll have to speak with the alum who contacted you. The admissions office has no say in the assignment of alumni interviewers.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info,
after reading that I do feel bad choosing not to interview.</p>
<p>And there are advantages to phone conversations, I won't be as nervous for one.
:)</p>
<p>I guess the idea seemed pretty bizarre to me since I never heard of one, hopefully it will go well</p>
<p>A lot of your first-round job interviews will be a phone interview, so it is a skill you should be comfortable with. These Cornell contacts are pretty low-stress, so it would seem to be a great opportunity for you!</p>
<p>Agreed w/Cayuga... if you are planning to apply to jobs after college or anytime in your life, you will have to have a phone interview before an employer will sit down with you. </p>
<p>For phone interviews I literally keep a paper in front of me with points about myself I want to remember to say (even sometimes word for word sentences I think sound good) and a list of questions to remember to ask. Really phone interviews are easier than in person! At least you can have notes in front of you!</p>
<p>Speaking of denying interviews-- sorry for stealing your thread-- but would it affect me if I couldn't go to the interview? My person e-mailed me for a date but I couldn't go, so he suggested another date which I also couldn't go to... except I never told him I couldn't go the 2nd time, I just didn't respond. I heard they do a write-up on the interview (even though it is suppose to have no bearing on admissions) so would they put like, "person denied/ignored interview request" or something...</p>
<p>I think it's is definitely worse to ignore the interview. They do write some type of evaluation that is due February 22nd. </p>
<p>But to be honest I think:</p>
<p>Was unable to be interviewed.</p>
<p>sounds alot better than:</p>
<p>Stood me up for the interview or ignored request.</p>
<p>So tell the interviewer your reason and then suggest a few times you could go, also state your sorry and stuff, and sound as sincere as possible. I'm sure they'll understand.</p>
<p>Definitely don't ignore them. You might want to suggest a range of dates/times that you're free, and then just quickly apologize for any inconvenience. I had to reschedule my Dartmouth interview a couple of times (first she wanted to meet during the weekend of my senior trip, and then I came down with the flu and had to move the date again), but we ultimately found a time that worked for both of us.</p>
<p>I have been an Alumni Interviewer for Cornell for eight years. During that time I have had two candidates refuse an invitation for an interview. When that occurs, we complete our report stating the circumstances - for example "contacted candidate with invitation for interview. Candidate did not reply", or "Candidate did not wish to interview". The role of the alumnni interviewer is not to pass judgement on the academic merits of the applicant. They are not qualified to do that, and that is the role of the Admissions committee at Cornell. The alumni interviewer serves two purposes. First, to act as an Ambassador for Cornell and provide information about the school that the applicant might not know. Second, to find out more about the applicant that could help to enhance their application. Things that perhaps did not fit into the Common App or Essays, things that the applicant forget to mention etc. Finally, meeting with or speaking with an applicant helps the interviewer determine how interested the candidate is in Cornell. That enthusiam comes through and our role is to make sure that Cornell knows that this person is genuinely excited about Cornell. </p>
<p>I have two children who have attended/or are attending Cornell - both in Arts. One graduated this past May and the second is a sophomore. </p>
<p>Interviews are coordinated by the local Cornell Alumni Ambassador committee in your area. They receive the names of those applying to Cornell and assisgn them to alumni ambassador volunteers. These interviews are not coordinated or assigned by Ithaca.</p>
<p>I recommend you accept the invitation for a phone interview. (I myself prefer not to have phone interviews, however, if the interviewer has a busy schedule, has a lot of candidate assigned to them, or lives at a distance from the applicant, it may be the only option). If possible, obtain the email address of the interviewer and email a copy of your resume before the interview. Finally, it is always a good idea to follow-up after the interview with a email thank you. It is good etiquette and you would be surprised how many people forget to do this.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I applied to Cornell, and regarding interviews: is the alumnus supposed to contact me or am I supposed to somehow request an interview?</p>
<p>Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Finally, it is always a good idea to follow-up after the interview with a email thank you. It is good etiquette and you would be surprised how many people forget to do this.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Agreed. Our society seems to have lost its manners over the last ten years. Of 20+ applicants I have interviewed over the last two years, only two have ever sent a quick note of thanks.</p>
<p>
[quote]
is the alumnus supposed to contact me
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Depending on alumni availability in your area. It is not a function of your application status.</p>
<p>In our area the local Cornell Alumni ambassador coordinator (who is a volunteer) gets a list of all applicants in our area from Cornell and assigns them to the Cornell alumni interview volunteers in our area. </p>
<p>We receive an email from the coordinator with the student applicant's name, school they are applying to(Arts, Hotel, ILR, etc.) city/state, email address for contacting etc. It is our responsibility to contact the applicants who have been assigned to us. I graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences and have always been assigned students applying to A&S to interview.</p>
<p>The Cornell alumni ambassador who is assigned to you should contact you.</p>
<p>If for some reason you aren't contacted, that is NOT a sign that your application chances are low.</p>
<p>My daughter applied Early Decision six years ago and she was never contacted for an interview. They didn't have time to get to her. And she was accepted.</p>
<p>most of the interviews conducted are for students in AAP and hotel, since it is a requirement for their application to be reviewed.</p>
<p>Do we still need to send thank you email to the interviwer,
even though we expressed many thanks right after the interview ?</p>
<p>It's not required that you send a thank you e-mail, but you really should...it's common courtesy and I'm sure that interviewers appreciate the gesture.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Do we still need to send thank you email to the interviwer,
even though we expressed many thanks right after the interview ?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Would you send a thank you note to somebody who let you stay in their home even though you expressed thanks while you were with them?</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>I always send a little card that says thank you, rehashes one or two good moments of the interview (if appropriate to the degree of formality of the interview), and expresses appreciation for the person taking time out of their schedule to talk with me.
If I were an interviewer, I would be really grateful for a token of gratitude like that, I'm sure it makes them feel appreciated. It only takes five minutes!</p>
<p>isnt a firm handshake and a thank you at the end of an interview good enough? you guys are freaking me out with all this "it would be very nice to send an email saying thank you"....</p>
<p>
[quote]
isnt a firm handshake and a thank you at the end of an interview good enough? you guys are freaking me out with all this "it would be very nice to send an email saying thank you"....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As an interviewer? No.</p>
<p>I've had the concept of sending thank you notes pounded into my head since way before the college admission days. My newly found Southern hospitality has also reinforced the importance of such a note :)</p>
<p>For my Princeton interview, conducted by family friends (husband and wife), I sent them a thank you note.</p>
<p>For my recent medical school interview...where I spent an 8 hour day saying my pleases and thank yous...I sent a thank you note to my interviewers as well as the admissions office coordinator. </p>
<p>I didn't receive a thank you note or e-mail from either student I interviewed for Cornell. It bothered me because I had to rearrange my work schedule so that we could schedule a time to meet that worked for them. It takes 5 minutes to write out a quick note...so I suggest you do it.</p>