I know they said it’s “optional” but I think I’m screwed
There is an earlier application deadline to get priority for interviews - sometime in mid December. Did you submit your application by the earlier date, and did you request an interview?
I didn’t. Although I was interested in Rice since March, I lost the courage to continue the application after getting a scope of how competitive it is compared to my god awful stats. Over the break, I regained the courage and finished my application sometime around Christmas. I think around that time my portal wasn’t working and I couldn’t request an interview. I had to wait until the last day to do request it. This is for out of state if that makes a difference.
Until recently, a student couldn’t even request an interview unless they submitted by early December. It looks like this year Rice made the date a bit later (December 16) for the “priority consideration for interview matching”. I was surprised to see that students could still request interviews if they got their application in by January 1, and made the request by January 3.
I don’t know anything about the matching process, but if you requested on the last day, it could just be lack of availability of alumni to do the volume of interviews requested, especially given the new more flexible interview request timeline.
You won’t be rejected/ waitlisted just because you didn’t get an interview.
As @Arnkim said, elite schools don’t hold it against qualified applicants if an interview can’t be arranged due to logistics. Interviews doesn’t influence admissions as much as students assume.
Yeah but the thing is I’m NOT some stellar student. I was hoping an interview would help out 
Please don’t worry so much.Not having an interview will not affect your chances at all.