<p>How important is the interview relative to the other parts of the Duke Application? The deadline for submitting the supplement is in about a week in order to be eligible for an interview. I'm applying to Pratt, so the essay I'm doing is required. I'm not sure if I should submit my supplement next week, as I would like to spend more time on it, and have it proofread as well (possibly by another duke alum). Would it be better to spend more time on my supplement instead of submitting a decent-o.k. supplement so I can get an interview?</p>
<p>During my interview, my interviewer explicitly told me that the interview actually makes very little difference in the actual decision process. However, he did say that it is a good way for applicants to be able to present information that they were unable to include in their application. If you think your stats are good enough already, then it is a might be smarter to write an excellent essay.</p>
<p>@ndblaze: My stats are decent-lower end of average by Duke’s standards (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/1423938-applying-rd-any-shot.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/1423938-applying-rd-any-shot.html</a>).
The common app essays, recs, and duke supplement are the only places where I can make a difference at this point. I feel that the interview might just be a regurgitation of my app since I was able to list all my ECs and interests in it. I have had questions about Duke, but I’ve also been able to find alumni at my workplace to answer those, so asking an alumni interviewer might be repetitive. Would you say the interview matters for borderline candidates?</p>
<p>@blackhippy, if you don’t want to submit your supplement yet to get the interview, you can submit your student portion of the common app instead. That way you can still have more time for your supplement, & have an alumni interview. Best of luck!</p>
<p>@LosAngelesMom: Unfortunately, I’m revising my CommonApp as well- my essays are with my english teacher at the moment. </p>
<p>Could an extra recommendation that elaborates on me beyond the classroom be more useful than an interview?</p>
<p>I’m not certain if one is weighed more heavily than the other. My D applied ED and did both. If I had to speculate, I would think the extra rec would be more beneficial, and both I believe are optional. The interview will have very little impact, but a great rec could be important to the reader of your app.</p>
<p>The rec’s from someone who’s known me for about 1.5-2 years, so I think I’ll forgo the interview in lieu of better essays (I’m not the best writer either).</p>
<p>Thanks for the input</p>
<p>The December 10 deadline is simply to be guaranteed an interview. If you submit later, you can still request an interview but it will be dependent on the demands on the local committee and their available schedule.</p>
<p>Also, the interview makes a difference for borderline candidates, but usually only in the negative direction.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend that you spend the extra time working on your app.</p>
<p>If I sort of know a Duke alum (as in a friend of a friend, never met met before really), could I request them to be my interviewer?</p>
<p>Also, could you elaborate on the borderline candidate part? I thought the interview generally had a neutral or slightly positive impact</p>
<p>The main purpose of interviews is PR. It makes alumni feel involved and makes applicants feel like they have a personal, local connection.</p>
<p>The interview evaluations however, are far too random to hold any significant value. What one interviewer considers the best applicant ever might bore/offend/irritate another. The AO simply cannot justify any weight for a two paragraph report from a thirty-minute conversation with someone who has five minutes of training.</p>
<p>However, if the applicant is clearly irresponsible (no show, offensive clothing, inappropriate language, backwards ideas, incoherent thought processes, etc.) then Duke has a reason to eliminate the candidate from further consideration. These are objective reasons for penalizing a candidate. There are few, if any, reasons for giving an advantage to a candidate that are not evident elsewhere in the application.</p>
<p>Ok, I’ll submit it later. I live next to a major city on the east coast and there’s a Duke alumni group for it, so I don’t think I’ll have a problem getting an interview after the 10th</p>
<p>My interview is in 2 days and I just thought of a question. We are scheduled to meet at a local Starbucks. How are we going to recognize each other? I don’t know how he looks and I don’t think he knows what I look like. Help please!</p>
<p>You’ll both be two people who look like they’re looking for someone. </p>
<p>It won’t be too hard. ;)</p>
<p>I submitted my application on December 1st, but I still have not been contacted for an interview. I live in a major metropolitan area…</p>
<p>wrong thread sorryyyy</p>
<p>Helloworld345: No need to worry. As others have already mentioned, the interview is not a major factor in admissions. Part of the reason is because it isn’t feasible to offer everyone who applies an interview simply due to the vast number of applicants that Duke receives every year. Therefore, just be patient and if you don’t get offered an interview (assuming you submitted your app by the interview cut-off date), you’re at no disadvantage! =)</p>
<p>Just think of it this way. An interview is an opportunity for them to say potential negative things about you over which you have no control, since you don’t know the questions or interviewer. I think it’s intended partly to sift out applicants, in addition to helping them make more informed decisions.
If your application is strong enough all around, then, as odd a question as this is, when why would you want an interview? It’s actually a pretty big risk when you think about it. You’re putting your faith in someone who you have never met before and hope that things align on your side. Sometimes, high school students think that everything should be homogeneous in terms of the application process, but every person is unique, right? So it makes sense that things go a little differently from one person to the other. Of course, for the most part, the best applicants have nothing to worry about, but if your speaking abilities aren’t that great or you have a brain freeze for 30 minutes, or are just generally nervous, well then that can negate some pretty spectacular things in your application.</p>
<p>As they say, sometimes less is more.</p>
<p>Sorry. Alumni interviewers are told that we are not to interview anyone who we know (even casually). So if you ask for a particular interviewer, then the regional admissions director will probably say no. I would not suggest doing so and taking whoever is assigned to you.</p>
I thought alumni interviews almost always help the applicant and support them unless they completely bombed it. at least thats what it says on many top tier school websites for interviews.