<p>Just wondering if there were any alumni interviewers who could answer if they feel that the interview has any real weight on the application. Do the interviewers actually go to a committee meeting where they can give their input on specific applicants? Or, do they just submit a report to be included in the candidates file? I was wondering if they could really push for a candidate if they were impressed by them.</p>
<p>The interviewers file a report that’s included in the package – there is no pushing for any candidates beyond what is written. Given the extreme subjective nature of interviews, they carry the least weight in the overall evaluation – correctly in my opinion. Indeed, interviews are not required and many people are accepted without ever having one. That was my case.</p>
<p>95% of the time, the interviews go to confirm what is already in the rest of the package. Occasionally, they can shed light on a murky situation that can be useful to the file readers.</p>
<p>I did not matriculate to Brown but to another Ivy whom I interview for. I think the following example can help clarify (even though it wasn’t Brown). A few years ago, two seemingly excellent applicants from the nearby urban school district applied to my alma mater. Their files were very favorable save for the fact that the teacher recs, while supportive, were formulaic. This is not uncommon for schools where few if any applicants to top schools are common. This put both students on the fence in the eyes of some on the admissions committee. But following two independent alumni reports that confirmed the strengths of the students, the committee decided to offer both kids admission. Here was a case where the report nudged forward the committe who was favorably inclined, but not completely convinced.</p>
<p>But as you can imagine, scenarios like this aren’t commonplace.</p>