<p>We do college interviews, but never at home. The home environment can be too intimate, too ostentatious, too personal…too something. Does the student need to see how much you have? Or, how little you have? How clean? How dirty? Or, whatever impression they get from being in your home. </p>
<p>Why do they need to be in your home at all? Why not take that element out of the mix and have the interview in a neutral location?</p>
<p>
I don’t think Japanese takeout (sushi or chirashi) has much of a smell, Gourmetmom 
But judging from your screenname, can we meet at your house? </p>
<p>All kidding aside, how can we really know how many 17-18 yr olds are/are not comfortable going to someone’s home? The interview process is for many of these kids, angst-ridden, regardless of the location. Sometimes a home feels more relaxed than a professional office where they have to wait in a waiting room or something. </p>
<p>Each option has its advantages and disadvantages for both the applicant and the interviewer. Best solution seems to be to find the one that maximizes the comfort/convenience factor for all involved.</p>
<p>I had a job interview once in a company’s parking lot. It wasn’t ideal, but I had to adjust. Reasons have been given for having the interview in a home. I suspect usually they are in a public place, but I just don’t see the big deal if it has to be in the home for some reason.</p>
<p>My daughter enjoyed all of her in home interviews, she was perfectly comfortable. On the other hand, she didn’t like one interview at a local coffee shop because it was too noisy.</p>
<p>MOWC - </p>
<p>You said they are comfortable; I never said that they are uncomfortable, so I can’t explain to you precisely why they would be uncomfortable. </p>
<p>I would imagine that some students would be comfortable, a few uncomfortable and most neutral. I propose that there is no good reason that they need to see, be in, or be subjected to an interviewer’s intimate, home environment when there are many alternatives which are better suited to the majority of students.</p>
<p>I would argue most kids are perfectly comfortable with home interviews, it’s more low key and not as intimidating.</p>
<p>My daughter had her Cornell interview at her school on a Sat organized by the local alumni organization. They must had hundreds of kids, every kid was allotted half an hour. It was like an assembly line. Whereas her Yale interview was at her high school alum’s house on a weekend morning. She was there for over an hour, he gave a lot of good advice, which left her with a very good impression of Yale.</p>
<p>jym626 -</p>
<p>My house smells of Chinese takeout tonight - not so great! </p>
<p>You’re completely correct that these interviews are angst-ridden and I do think that the home environment adds an unneeded dimension for certain parents and students - a dimension that can be particularly uncomfortable for some people in some situations. </p>
<p>I’m impressed with interviewers who have the sensitivity and foresight to anticipate that some students or their parents may not want to meet in the interviewer’s home, and they plan the interview in a neutral location, sparing the student the angst of having to deal with the interviewer’s choice of venue.</p>
<p>^^ Chinese sounds good to me! DH is at a dinner meeting- I am sitting here with a bowl of cereal :(</p>
<p>The last interview I did was at a Starbucks near my office. It was small, but fortunately not too crowded. I scoped out 2 comfortable seats in a corner and fielded a few calls from the applicant who missed her turn and needed directions back. A young guy sat down in the seat next to where I’d “set up shop” as it were. I mentioned to him that I was about to interview an applicant, and he kindly moved to a different seat so he wasnt sitting right in the little cove of seats. Still he, and others, were sitting nearby, and music was playing loudly in the background. As far as I was concerned, it was fine, and the interview went fine, but I can see the advantages and disadvantages of a public vs quieter place. My office was nearby, but my secretary was gone and I dont know who else was there after hours. Don’t think that would have been any more appropriate or comfortable for an applicant. The location we chose was about equidistant from her home and mine, which is what the school recommends.</p>
<p>As I mentioned upthread many pages back, we changed the dates and times I’d suggested to meet the applicant’s need. If, for sake of pure example, she’d have requested we meet at a location that required a lot of driving for me in the wrong direction during rush hour, I might have proposed another location that was another compromise. Does this seem reasonable? I think so, and I think it is what most inteviewers are saying. If, however, for some reason, I HAD to go home (let out a dog or something) I’d have suggested a coffeeshop that was a reasonable distance for her and me. Its all about, IMO, what is reasonable.</p>
<p>
Apparently it could if the interview takes place in a business office ;)</p>
<p>Legendofmax and shoes? Back story, please!</p>
<p>JYM626 -</p>
<p>You’re clearly doing everything you can to accommodate the applicant, yet maintain a reasonable amount of sanity for yourself. </p>
<p>My daughter had a recent interview that was scheduled for mid-morning on a Sunday at a Starbucks about 20 miles away. She was there on time - all gussied up and such - cooled her heels for about 40 minutes before she called the interviewer. The interviewer “forgot,” the meeting, so they agreed on another time later in the week. My daughter commented that the woman sounded young - when they met later it was obvious that she was mid-twenties and had been out the night before - it certainly broke the ice and my daughter had no anxiety about the school, although we wondered about how well its top 20 status had been represented.</p>
<p>
591 posts and gourmetmom nails the summary of the thread!</p>
<p>Thats funny (inconvenient but entertaining) about your dau and her interviewer. Hope it went well!</p>
<p>Hard to keep up here. </p>
<p>Three things (I gotta type fast as any minute I have five strange students coming to spend the entire weekend at my house and I have never met them before…ironically)…</p>
<p>!. Long Prime:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>First, I never said the interview is a very significant piece of the admissions process but it still is a piece that is considered. I am sure it counts for a small percentage of the whole package but nonetheless it could support the package, or raise questions, and so on. If the interview doesn’t gel with anything in the package, it may be discounted. But it can actually help a candidate, I believe. </p>
<p>Secondly, I fully explain to each candidate that I interview that I have no say as to whether they are admitted. I explain that the interview is a chance for the university to get a personal view of the applicant. As well, I am willing to pass on anything they may wish the admissions committee to know. </p>
<p>As far as how the student will feel if denied…I imagine it will be as he/she would feel interview or no interview. It sucks. LOL. Honestly, I also explain to them that due to the very low acceptance rate, that the university time and again, turns away very qualified candidates and so that realistically they need to be aware of that possible outcome. I explain that every year, I meet many truly wonderful candidates whom I interview and am always disappointed to learn that more of them are denied than accepted. That is the reality and I share it. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I can’t understand all the emphasis in this discussion about “Ivy.” I realize the OP did mention an Ivy alum interview but from the get go, my initial thought was (still is), what’s the difference in this issue if the school is Ivy or not. My posts have nothing to do with Ivy as it is irrelevant in my opinion. For that matter, my undergrad alma mater is not an Ivy but is a very selective university. I did go to an Ivy for grad school but what’s the difference. I don’t see how Ivy has to do with any of this. </p></li>
<li><p>Gourmetmom, MANY of the members on this thread who conduct alum interviews have said all along that we are willing to accommodate requests that a candidate may make! I sure am. I try to discuss what works with their schedule. If they want another meeting place, I’d see what we can mutually agree upon (nobody has asked me about the meeting place, however). So, I try to make things work out as best is possible for all concerned. But as a rule of thumb, I’ve been doing interviews at my house. I don’t think I have to change this for ALL students (who come across as perfectly OK with it) for the rare person who might not like it. That person can ask about another venue. It would be fine. I always try to work things out in a mutual way with the candidate. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>By the way, someone brought up that if you have the student to your home, it may give an impression of being ostentatious and showy. For me, I am laughing, to be honest. My home is not that sort, in my opinion. In fact, I often am apologizing to the candidate that it is messy. I live in a casual community. Kids come in and as a rule, everyone takes their shoes off inside in Vermont. They sit on my sofa and we chat and I try to make it very casual, like a conversation.</p>
<p>Speaking for my son’s the most uncomfortable place was interviewing at an office. They were fine with either Starbucks or homes. (And the homes have not been ostentatious despite the Ivy/MIT credentials.)</p>
<p>“By the way, someone brought up that if you have the student to your home, it may give an impression of being ostentatious and showy. For me, I am laughing, to be honest. My home is not that sort, in my opinion. In fact, I often am apologizing to the candidate that it is messy.”</p>
<p>The same is true of my home. Judging by the addresses of many of the students whom I interviewed, I think that many had far better homes than I do.</p>
<p>
When I was in HS I had 4-5 college interviews all in homes … and your concerns were far from my experience … my in-home college interviews, all held in a living room or family room, did not overly expose me to their personal life … and for me were a ton more comfortable than the interviews I had in other locations (for scholarships and ROTC) … hanging in a living room was more comfortable and more egalitarian than meeting in an office in a suit across a desk and knowing no office protocal. As a relatively young grad (30 or so) I interviewed about 20-25 kids for Cornell … all at home … and I never had anyone ask for a change of venue. Just one person’s experience.</p>
<p>Of all the students who have posted on this thread, not a single one, absent the M/F aspect, has said he or she is uncomfortable interviewing in someone’s home, and a number of them said they are more comfortable interviewing in someone’s home. I know when my kids had in-home interviews, they were within a mile or two of our house, whereas their office or public-place interviews were 10+ miles away and required significant travel time and expense (for parking or the train). Not a single kid has said “Ooh, I was intimidated by the house” or “It smelled awful.” (There was a report by a parent of an allergy problem, which should have been dealt with by the interviewer in advance.) It’s parents who have a problem with this concept – why, exactly, I can’t tell – not kids.</p>
<p>To clarify my position: I certainly had no problem with the circumstances of the house at which my S had his interview (I didn’t care what it looked or smelled like), except that it was in an isolated location. I also had a problem with the fact that the gentleman in question was single, and would most probably be alone with my S (which he was). By the way, my husband had the same concerns. All three of us did. I don’t have daughters, but if I did I’m wondering: would my husband and I let her drive at age 17 to a male interviewer’s home not knowing whether or not there would be anyone else present? No. We would not ALLOW her to. We would have encouraged her to request a change of venue, and as our daughter, she probably would have been more comfortable with that herself. What I have learned from this thread is that because of this, as you stated and Hunt implied early on, she would not belong at Yale. Not only that, but I learned it would mean that she was not ready to attend college of any sort.</p>
<p>Do I think that parents who would let their children go to those interviews ares bad parents? No. I never said that, and I don’t think that. Do most people here think I am a bad parent because of my views and have seemed to have had no problem expressing that opinion? Yes.</p>
<p>Mummom, you would consider my house isolated too. I live in the country. All the houses are isolated, except ones right in the village. Kids have traveled as much as 50 miles to my house for an interview. No kids in this region worry about the house being isolated. That is the norm in these here parts. </p>
<p>I don’t think that your desire for a daughter to not interview in a home implies she is not ready to attend college. However, you can’t keep “protecting” her in this way in college because inevitably she will be in the presence of strangers and in riskier situations than an interview (which just is not risky in my opinion). So, like it or not, she (your imaginary daughter) will be in situations where they mix with strangers one on one. As I said, I know my girls have been with strangers overseas, in their homes, and so on. I am not into stepping into huge risks but I certainly would not shield my kid from something with a very very low risk. And then, once 18 and in college, you really can’t control these situations for these young adults. Just sayin’.</p>
<p>SV: I’m curious, what qualifies you to give me parenting advice? Have I given anyone here parenting advice? I have raised a 24 year old son as well as a college freshman. They are both amazing kids–not as amazing as yours, certainly, but pretty darn great (in my perfectly objective opinion :)).</p>