<p>Ok, so I checked my email today and I received a mail from an alum that lives near me. He said he'd be happy to interview me. I thought we only got an interview if we applied before Dec 10th? Guess not. I applied the day the application was due (Jan 2nd). Anyway, do you guys think I should take his offer on the interview? I don't really want to speak to the guy (1 because he is from Trinity and 2 because I am too bogged down in college apps/midterms/school work right now).</p>
<p>Anyways, tell me if you guys think it's better for me to take up the offer or not.</p>
<p>If you have any desire to potentially go to Duke, then take the interview. What do you have to lose? It’s a chance to learn more about the university and also hone your interview skills, which is helpful for the future. If you decline the interview, the alumnus reports this to the admissions committee with “unable to interview - applicant denied request.” Do you think the admissions committee looks favorably on applicants that don’t want to learn more about Duke? No, they don’t. (Same with those that don’t reply to requests at all; that’s even worse). While not being offered an interview at all won’t hurt you, declining one definitely can. It’s usually a relaxed conversation anyways - nothing to worry about it. You must have an hour or two available in the next month and a half.</p>
<p>Agree with Bluedog; that said, alumni interviews are notoriously variable in terms of their usefulness- interviewers are not vetted by the school (its more of an alumni-relations thing than an education for applicants) and may be more-or-less up to date with the place. Also, a lack-luster alum may turn you off to a good school. Still, you do want to come across as being interested.</p>
<p>Yeah, I just got an email from someone in my area when I didn’t even request for one. I thought interviews for Duke were optional and you had to request for them before a certain date? I’m not very fond of interviews either…</p>
<p>Better start practicing then, cause you will have do interviews from here on out, unless you don’t really plan on having a productive future. And unlike this one, the future ones most likely won’t be optional and the stakes will be much higher. </p>
<p>As for requesting interviews, all applicants are automatically considered for an interview if possible.</p>
<p>For a school like Duke where the interview is optional it is okay not to do an interview and submit the common app after Dec 10. However, once you have been offered an interview you honestly MUST accept the invitation if you have any interest in going to the school. Interviewers and schools will not think highly of someone who rejects their opportunity to depict themselves as a prospective student. I do not know how much weight the interview really holds in the process. All I know is that you should take the interview if you want to get accepted.</p>
<p>Any recommendations for my S who would like an interview but hasn’t been offered one yet? I paid the application fee before the 12/10 deadline and he submitted his application on 12/31. Should he make contact with someone?</p>
<p>^No, there’s nothing to do but wait. Interview evaluations are not due until mid-february and most likely the admissions office is busy sorting through new applications right now and most alumni are just coming off the holidays. If your S is not offered an interview then it doesn’t count against him. </p>
<p>What others have referred to above is only for those offered an interview. All interviewers, once assigned an applicant must provide a final disposition regarding the outcome of their contact or their attempts at contact. Thus, they are required to differentiate between success (with accompanying evaluation), failure due to unavoidable timing conflicts, failure due to lack of interest, etc. In the latter case, the alumni are also asked to try to determine whether the applicant is still interested in applying to Duke. This shows the perspective with which the admissions office views declined interviews.</p>
<p>I am unaware about Duke in particular, but if assuming that most college interviews are the same you can really compare it to a friendly talk with one of the teachers you like. There shouldn’t be any pressure and you should really just be yourself. The interviewer might puzzle you with a few questions like “List 3 adjectives that describe you the best” and “Name 3 of your worst qualities,” but just stay true and keep your cool.
Good luck.</p>
<p>Do it! It’s honestly not that difficult. My interview was super easygoing; it depends on the alum you get I suppose, but some of the questions he asked were: </p>
<p>1) You noted that you wanted to major in FIELD OF STUDY, why?
2) Why do you want to go to Duke? (obvious)
3) What books are you reading right now?
4) What do you want to be when you grow up?
5) Do you have any questions for me? </p>
<p>You really have to **** up big time in order to mess up the interview. It was easy for me. I suppose it depends on your interviewer. Good Luck!</p>
<p>To make it progress much more easier have a list of well-thought out questions regarding the school, its programs, and the student population. Interviews go well when the interviewer is asked thought provoking questions…</p>
<p>I’m a Duke alumni interviewer and have the following advice:</p>
<p>The alumni interview is counted along with the teacher/counselor recommendations. An average score from all of the recommendations and alumni interview is used as one of 6 parts of the application (the other main parts being: Quality of academic program, achievement in school, essays, ECs and standardized testing).</p>
<p>Note that the interview/recommendations portion of the rating is given equal rating as the other 5 categories. Although the alumni interview has probably less weight applied to it as compared to the teacher/counselor recommendation, it will still be important.</p>
<p>For this reason I suggest that you take the interview, it can only help you. In fact declining the interview serves as a big warning flag to the admissions committee that Duke is not high on your list.</p>
<p>^ I wasn’t aware that the alumni interview counted for anything at all. </p>
<p>The admissions office explicitly states that not doing an interview (for whatever reason, many times not being offered one) cannot hurt you. If that’s the case, and what you said above is also true, then there must be some formula to disregard the alumni interview score in case the applicant didn’t have one so that it makes no impact on final outcome. In that case, it would actually be advantageous to not do an interview because not doing one will never hurt you but doing one badly can hurt your application.</p>
<p>Your logic makes sense. But honestly, I think it would be very hard to **** up the interview. Unless you did absolutely no research going in, I think it could only help you.</p>
<p>This is way off. I’m a Duke alumnus, former University employee, alumni interviewer myself, and have helped coordinate alumni interviews before.</p>
<p>Interviews are optional. Students are NOT penalized for declining an interview and interviews are NOT factored into/considered in a student’s decision in any form of the manner this poster suggests.</p>
<p>Interviews are meant to be informational - and allow prospective students to connect with an alumnus/a in their area and ask questions. Not all students who want interviews are able to be accommodated (for example – some parts of the US or the world don’t have a sufficient alumni base to accommodate) and they are NOT required. </p>
<p>SGopal - log onto the AAAC website and review the interview ppt. You’ll see what I’m talking about. If you have further questions - since it seems you are misinformed about Duke interviews - email or call Carole Levine.</p>
<p>My alumni interviewer contacted me a week ago, but I’m a super busy person, and I could not attend the two dates he provided for me. I then sent him my detailed weekly schedule through e-mail, and he replied saying that he would soon contact me concerning his schedule. It’s been almost two weeks and I have gotten no reply back. I sent him another e-mail yesterday asking him if it’s better to talk through the phone. </p>
<p>What if you request an interview, your alumni interviewer responds, but does not continue contact with you? Do you call your interviewer and bug him/her about it? I don’t want to seem annoying and give off a bad impression…</p>
<p>I would see if he answers in the near future… keep in mind your interviewer might also be a very busy man… If he does not contact you I would make sure you let the admissions office at Duke know so that they can keep that in mind and not think your blowing them off.</p>