how important is interview

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>My D is applying to Columbia and I wondered how important is an interview? Are you supposed to call and arrange it, or do they call you if they like your application?
Mbe</p>

2

<p>You're not supposed to call them about it, they'll call you. And I believe it's only an alumni interview unless you're legacy.</p>

3

<p>Your academic record is #1. Everything else is secondary. The interview is one of a number of factors -- along with letters, essays, ECs -- that they look at to decide who you are and why you want to go to Columbia and whether you'd be a good fit at Columbia.</p>

<p>You will get a call from an alumni interviewer. There is nothing for your kid to do. If she doesn't get called for an interview (about 1/3 of the applicants), it means nothing. Lots of kids won't get interviewed in areas where there aren't too many alums, or in areas where hundreds of kids apply.</p>

4

<p>an alum I met told me that as soon as you submit your application, your name goes on a list which they choose from to arrange interviews</p>

5

<p>That's correct. Choose isn't based grades or anything else. It is based on matching up an interviewer and student who live near each other.</p>

6

<p>"You're not supposed to call them about it, they'll call you. And I believe it's only an alumni interview unless you're legacy."</p>

<p>Can you please explain this? I would be a legacy when or if I apply. And correct me if I'm incorrect, but doesn't a legacy mean that one of your parents went to Columbia(my father)? I'm sort of confused on how the term is used.</p>

<p>Also, are you saying that in areas where there aren't as many applicants, you have a more likely chance of being interviewed? For example, would an applicant from Montana have more of a chance of being interviewed than that of an applicant from California?</p>

7

<p>If one of your parents went to CC/SEAS, you get an interview with the admissions office. That what you want to know?</p>

8

<p>You mean that if my father went to Columbia(which he did), I am obligated to go to an interview with my father(or someone else)? Why is that? Is it that they give preference to legacy's but must interview to assure that they don't give too much preference for an underqualified applicant that is a legacy? But why would they so boldly reveal their preference to legacy's? And what is an interview supposed to determine anyway? And who conducts the interview?</p>

<p>"You only get an on-campus interview with an adcom if your parent went to CC or SEAS. If your parents attended other Columbia schools, you can't interview on campus." </p>

<p>Being able to interview and requiring an interview are two different things. And is it that they trust Columbia alumni to not go to the school for an interview and blow it up or something? Who is an adcom?</p>

9

<p>No no, if you want, you can come to NY (from wherever you are) and interview with an admissions officer. This process is mainly a courtesy to keep good terms with the alumni. Why is this so difficult to grasp?</p>

10

<p>There are just so many aspects to the interview. It isn't hard to grasp, I just wanted to know all of the different aspects. For example, this thread is titled, "how important is interview". Now how would one know what type of interview you have? Who are you interviewing with? Are they evaluating you and your characteristics based on a judgment process during the interview? What, they rate your personality from one to ten? How would one seriously have the authority to interview in such a subjective way? Is the interview for you to learn more about the college or the college to learn more about you?
I understand now that if you are a legacy then you go to the campus and interview with an admissions officer. If you are a regular guy then you interview with someone like my dad(an alumni in the state). </p>

<p>As for the alumni aspect of it all...well that sounds totally different. Like they want to show you around the college because they want alumni to keep donating, as if they aren't even interested in the student. Also, why are you so contentious with me? As you can see, I don't know much about the admissions process, so why must you continue asking questions and making rude statements(i.e. Is this so hard to grasp, if you don't have A's, you should be "worried", of course you must have predominately A's.) You seem to know a lot about Columbia, so I don't want to get on your badside or whatever. Maybe you think I should just leave and come back when I am a junior or senior in high school(which is probably true/a good idea, but it would still be nice to be informed ahead of time).</p>

11

<p>You mean that if my father went to Columbia(which he did), I am obligated to go to an interview with my father(or someone else)?</p>

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<p>Is it that they give preference to legacy's but must interview to assure that they don't give too much preference for an underqualified applicant that is a legacy?</p>

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<p>Who are you interviewing with?</p>

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<p>Are they evaluating you and your characteristics based on a judgment process during the interview?</p>

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<p>How would one seriously have the authority to interview in such a subjective way?</p>

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<p>As for the alumni aspect of it all...well that sounds totally different. </p>

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<p>Like they want to show you around the college because they want alumni to keep donating, as if they aren't even interested in the student.</p>

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<p>As you can see, I don't know much about the admissions process, so why must you continue asking questions and making rude statements(i.e. Is this so hard to grasp, if you don't have A's, you should be "worried", of course you must have predominately A's.)</p>

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12

<p>(Well that was an obnoxious and unnecessary reply. I’m just kidding. Thanks.) </p>

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<p>(Yes, I understand that if you are a legacy then you are allowed to go to the college and interview with an admissions officer. If you aren’t a legacy then you interview with an alumni in your state. That is only if you are in the 1/3 picked.) </p>

<p>And is it that they trust Columbia alumni to not go to the school for an interview and blow it up or something?</p>

<p>(I mean that they aren’t allowing other applicants to go to the campus and interview with an admissions officer. Are they doing that because they can’t really trust a random applicant to come to the campus, but they trust an alumnus? It is a stupid comment by me, but whatever.) </p>

<p>How would one seriously have the authority to interview in such a subjective way?</p>

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<p>(Oh, I see…No matter what, if you’re a legacy, you’ll either be accepted or deferred and then rejected. And legacy's are liked.) </p>

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<p>(No, I understand that. The like it or not was unnecessary too. Still kidding. Thank you for the answers, although I knew most of them, some I was hazy about.)</p>

13

<p>(Yes, I understand that if you are a legacy then you are allowed to go to the college and interview with an admissions officer. If you aren’t a legacy then you interview with an alumni in your state. That is only if you are in the 1/3 picked.) </p>

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<p>And is it that they trust Columbia alumni to not go to the school for an interview and blow it up or something?</p>

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<p>How would one seriously have the authority to interview in such a subjective way?</p>

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<p>(Yes, but to me, this seems like the most subjective of all of the process. And the get used to it was harsh.) </p>

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