<p>Still planning our MN/WI college visits for May. So we just look around on each college's website to hopefully find the correct person to contact to make an appointment for a tour? Some of the website forms have asked if DD wants an interview, giving the impression an interview is needed to determine need for financial aid. If she's visiting schools for the first time and hasn't applied to any, does she need an interview, or just a tour? Then again, with the cost of plane tickets, I'm hoping to visit just once, so maybe should get an interview out of the way...? </p>
<p>well for tours, you just call the admissions office and ask them for a specific time and day for a tour. sometimes, they only give tours at certain hours on weekdays or certain days of the weeks and maybe not even weekends. i think they are pretty reasonable with that stuff though.</p>
<p>as for an interview, i don't think that them asking on a form means that it's necessary, but maybe they just want to give you an option early on. if she really feels she wants the interview then go for it. you can schedule it after or before your tour and work it in so you can get it out of the way. you might also want to ask if they give alumni interviews or any interview where someone in your area may be able to meet with you. many schools have that and it would definitely save you some travel money, especially if you dont really want to go back to the school just for 30 minute of conversation.</p>
<p>the advice i've read from others on this site is to go to the school you want the least and then work your way to the one you want the most. that way you sort of prepare yourself to shine by the last interview, since it is the one you want the most.</p>
<p>We live in the midwest and flew to the west coast to visit some small colleges. We went in the spring of his junior year. We knew we would only make the trip once. He did have interviews at 2 of the 4 schools we visited. (Two of the schools did not offer interviews for juniors.) However, these were not high pressure interviews or anything. He spent about 15-20 minutes alone with an admissions person and then I was invited in to ask and questions I had and to hear anything the admissions person wanted to tell us. At all the schools we visited, none required an interview. </p>
<p>He ended up applying to 3 of the 4. One of the schools where he had not interviewed had a regional rep who conducted interviews in Chicago. We drove there for the day (cheaper than flying out west again) and he interviewed then. He was admitted to all 3 schools and received merit offers from all.</p>
<p>If the school allows juniors to interview, then I would recommend your daughter go ahead and interview and not to really sweat it. The interview will be low key and will looking to interest your daughter in applying to the college as much they are using it to learn more about her. If they don't interview juniors, then take advantage of either regional representatives or alumni interviewers in your area. She really has nothing to lose by interviewing and everything to gain.</p>