<p>I just received an interview and was curious how much that factors in to the application..can i ruin my chances?</p>
<p>If you're really awful (show up in a t-shirt and shorts, tell your interviewer that you're applying to Columbia because your parents want you to go to an Ivy league school, never heard of the Core, etc. -- all interviewees I've had), it will hurt your chances. If you take the interview seriously, don't worry about it hurting your chances. It's not as important as your academics, ECs, essays, etc.</p>
<p>how much of a factor? nearly a non-factor.</p>
<p>Columbia2002 - My apartment roomate years ago went to Brown and did an alumni interview for an applicant. The applicant wanted to go to Brown, "because my whole family went to Penn...and I hate my family!"</p>
<p>If it's tongue-in-cheek like that, it'd be funny and perfectly okay. A sense of humor is good.</p>