<p>"Know that interviews (admissions/alumni) don't count that much, but you have to take them to demonstrate interest."</p>
<p>I think that with such an overabundance of outstanding students applying to top colleges, interviews count far more than many people think. From what I've seen as an Ivy alum interviewer, excellent interviews will not cause a candidate to get in if the candidate is relatively ordinary (Keep in mind that for schools like Ivies, an ordinary applicant would be what most colleges would call an outstanding applicant). </p>
<p>Bad or mediocre interviews, however, can keep out a candidate who is being seriously considered by adcoms. "Mediocre" includes candidates who may be so burned out after applying to 20 colleges, that once they get to their 21st interview, they are just going through the motions. If that 21st college happens to be their first choice, they may have shot themselves in the foot. </p>
<p>Having a bad interview can mean having appalingly horrendous manners (such as the student who sat there with snot literally dripping into his mouth throughout the interview) or being caught in lies or misrepresentations during the interview.</p>