<p>For schools like Harvard and Yale, I've heard things from "interviews don't matter at all" to "interviews are just as important as your essays/GPA."</p>
<p>Which is true?</p>
<p>Also, are interviews automatically given & required for those schools? If you get an interview, is it a "good"-at-least-you-didn't-get-rejected-yet sign, or is it just everyone-automatically-gets-an-interview policy?</p>
<p>Is there anything else you can do to tip the scales in your favour if those schools are big reaches?</p>
<p>I've heard that interviews at those colleges aren't that huge; they're done by alumni, probably so that they feel that they have some say in the admissions process, but that doesn't mean that the college has to listen to them. it's still the college's admissions office making the decision.</p>
<p>the only time those interview can actually help is if the adcom didn't like you on your app, but the interviewer loved you. then the adcom will probably go back and reread.</p>
<p>you should read the interview-granting policies on those colleges' websites. do some of your own research. most of the ivy league will send your name to the alumni association, and if there's an alumni in your area, you'll have an interview.</p>
<p>interviews are more about information. If you have any questions about the school, you ask the interviewer. Interviews are a very very small part if even at all to the admissions process.</p>
<p>"For schools like Harvard and Yale, I've heard things from 'interviews don't matter at all' to 'interviews are just as important as your essays/GPA.'"</p>
<p>I interview for one of them. NO WAY are they as important as GPA and essays. They are the slimmest portion of your file. Period. Whoever told you otherwise is just plain wrong.</p>
<p>"Also, are interviews automatically given & required for those schools?" </p>
<p>No and No.</p>
<p>"If you get an interview, is it a "good"-at-least-you-didn't-get-rejected-yet sign, or is it just everyone-automatically-gets-an-interview policy?"</p>
<p>For my college, as soon as the admissions office verifies your file is complete, your contact info is forwarded to the alumni network. You could be a shoo-in or a complete fantasy no-chance applicant. Your name is still forwarded.</p>
<p>"Is there anything else you can do to tip the scales in your favour if those schools are big reaches?"</p>
<p>It's your time to convey info to the file readers that otherwise isn't in your app. Do your best to use the opportunity.</p>
<p>My cynical view. Alumni interviews are designed so that high school seniors don't apply to tons of top colleges because it takes time and effort to set up these interviews.</p>
<p>I had an alumni interview and it was a complete joke. It was just a 10 minute conversation where he asked me about my academic interests and I could ask some questions. Don't stress about it at all.</p>
<p>Columbia Student wrote: "My cynical view. Alumni interviews are designed so that high school seniors don't apply to tons of top colleges because it takes time and effort to set up these interviews."</p>
<p>Well -- given that volunteer alumni take time away from their families/jobs to meet w/HS students, you might want to give them some slack, no? Are you entitled to an interview? Nope.</p>
<p>Pengiuns wrote: "I had an alumni interview and it was a complete joke. It was just a 10 minute conversation where he asked me about my academic interests and I could ask some questions. Don't stress about it at all." I feel very badly for the school. This interviewer is a terrible example and you should frankly contact the area coordinator. This is NOT how it's supposed to be. Good luck to you and don't let that slacker turn you away from what likely, is a wonderful college.</p>
<p>according to an article in the NY Times
[quote]
For the college, first and foremost, alumni play an essential role in helping recruit undergraduates from different parts of the country, both by promoting the institution and by urging applicants, once they're accepted, to enroll in their alma mater. In another not insignificant benefit, the process keeps graduates connected to the institution -- and the more active alumni are, the more likely they are to donate their dollars as well as their time.</p>
<p>But admissions officers say that the off-campus interview, like its on-campus counterpart, is not a major factor in their decision. ''Most alumni interview write-ups are similar to most teacher recommendations,'' said Lawrence A. Griffith, who has been an admissions officer at three institutions. ''They say little that is helpful to the admissions committee.''</p>
<p>In recent years, to keep applicants from getting anxious and alumni from getting angry, colleges and universities have emphasized that the interviews are ''informational and not evaluative.'' Cornell now calls them contact sessions rather than interviews. Alumni are no longer interviewers; they are ambassadors. But colleges and universities also want to make sure that applicants continue to sign up for the contact sessions and that alumni stay engaged with their alma mater, so the messages they send are mixed. While stressing sotto voce that the meeting will not make or break a candidate, they still ask alumni to assess each student.</p>
<p>It's a delicate balancing act, and it works. Despite the disclaimers, many alumni remain convinced that admissions professionals give their assessments serious consideration, especially when the alumnus is known to staff members. Applicants seem to take the interviews seriously as well, for much the same reason that millions of Americans continue to buy lottery tickets: there's always a chance.</p>
<p>mikemac: My alma mater doesn't hide the fact that our interview writeups are the slimmest portion to be considered. I don't doubt that -- after all, it's only a 1 hr encounter where the student has brushed up and is trying to project the best picture possible. My assumption is that whatever I write just goes to confirm what is in the rest of the students' files.</p>
<p>However, the interviews can (and are) useful in some unique circumstances. 1) the student makes a very poor impression -- bad or inappropriate social skills (PM Northstarmom and she'll tell you a doozey), rotten attitude (yep -- the hubris of some applicants is remarkable), or other red flags (a fellow alum reported the blatant racist views of one applicant -- who was rejected).</p>
<p>2) they can provide a glimmer of objectivity in a file that may be lacking depth. Last year, two applicants from a solid urban HS in my district applied and seemed to look good (based on metrics and personal statements). However, their teacher recs, while supportive and enthusiastic, were actually rather bland and formulaic -- they really didn't give any MEAT for the file readers to push them to an ADMIT decision, although they were leaning that way. Each student rec'd very positive notes from alumni interviewers who found them to be stellar applicants. These writeups pushed the committee over any hesitation and they went with their gut and offered admits to both.</p>