<p>I'm not going to lie to you, I don't exactly have stellar stats or awesome extracurriculars. </p>
<p>So I was wondering how much showing interest in washu is considered by the adcom. I'm applying ED but I don't know if I want to take time to visit if I absolutely know I'm going to be rejected. My dad visited washu with my elder brother and told me the interview was kind of unprofessional. Hence, I am wondering if it is definitely worth it to go for an interview, or am I probably going to be rejected anyways?</p>
<p>Bangladeshi Male
GPA UW: 3.95
GPA W: 4.3</p>
<p>ACT: 31</p>
<p>ECs:
Freshman
Freshmen football
Novice Debate
Sophmore
Assisted in production of two plays(Sophmore)
Junior
Cell Biology Science Olympiad Captain
Chess Club President
Missouri Math League
National Honor Society
Senior
Physics Club
FBLA
National Honor Society
Other clubs pending
Accolades:
Solved quite a few Alma college math challenges(Sophmore and Junior)
2nd place for biology at regional science olympiad
Gold Honor Roll all four years
Franklin Technology Business Certificate
Volunteer Work:
Junior
10 hours for Michigan Pennies for Leukemia Patients
96 hours as a Sunday School Teacher
Senior:
150 hours Bangladesh Clothing and Food drives
Hours as a Sunday School teacher pending</p>
<p>Job experience:
Freshman-Junior
Primary Assistant at a Travel Agency</p>
<p>Senior: I guess I'm in the process of mowing some people's lawns hehe</p>
<p>your stats are good enough to apply. If you are visiting, definitely do the interview - it in very low key, and informal, but it does "show interest". If you are not visiting, you can probably arrange for an alumni interview.</p>
<p>FHN_dent, by applying ED you are showing a school the highest level of interest possible. The reason schools like to see interest is because they want to determine how likely you are to attend if they accept you. The value of the interview for an ED candidate is less to show interest and more to give you another opportunity to "sell yourself". </p>
<p>As for your your stats, I think you have a decent shot at admission, particularly with your Bangladesh heritage and an ED application.</p>
<p>Most WUSTL on-campus interviews are done by current students. I very much doubt that (with maybe rare exceptions) they have any impact on admissions outcome. It is, however, an opportunity to get a better idea what the school is like from a student perspective.</p>
<p>Are you sure about college students doing admission interviews? That just doesn't sound right to me. D has interviewed at Rice, Wake Forest and WUSTL and the only people talking to her and other students for interviews were bona fide admissions officers, not undergraduate students. The only role I have ever seen undergraduate students have is to give tours or to be part of a general information session with admissions staff present. We have toured at 9 schools so far and have never seen undergraduate students perform interviews.They are not paid staff and are not qualified to evaluate other students.
D had a vice chancellor of admissions interview her so he was definitely not a student, and all of the other students being interviewed when we were there were not meeting with students, they were the real deal admissions officers.</p>
<p>Having an interview does help with Wash U. They called Ds school the same week that she interviewed to set up their on site visit and mentioned her by name to our college counselors and how much they enjoyed meeting her. I doubt a college student would be given that kind of responsibility. The area admissions rep came to our school this past week and was eagerly waiting to get to meet D and answer any questions she may have had since her visit.</p>
<p>hope4freeride - Son did admissions interviews at Rice as a junior and senior. It is often luck of the draw as to if you get a staff person or a student. Most off campus interviews for WashU are done by either alumni or parents.</p>
<p>I had 2 kids interview at WUSTL - both were interviewed by undergraduate students. I am pretty sure that upperclassmen who are doing the interviews are chosen carefully, and given a list of questions and guidelines. I don't think that interviews are given a lot of weight, unless the student makes some disastrous comment that raises red flags. If I remember correctly, WUSTL advertises its interview as an opportunity to get to know the school better. It also shows interest, which WUSTL seems to take into account.</p>
<p>
[quote]
They are not paid staff and are not qualified to evaluate other students.
[/quote]
I don't know about WUSTL specifically, but at some schools students can work for admissions office (and are paid for it). I agree that they are not qualified to evaluate prospective students, and I am sure they are not expected to do so.</p>
<p>I interviewed over the summer. You sign up for a time and they put everyone in a room and whichever interviewer frees up first comes and takes you. I recognized many of the interviewers as undergrad students who gave the tours. I happened to be taken by one of the few admissions counselors there. It really is luck of the draw.</p>
<p>Like nngmm said, interviews are not necessary for admission to WashU... I didn't do an interview at all and got in fine; on the other hand, other colleges asked me for interviews and i was glad i did them, just because it is a chance to ask questions about the college and it's really not a "high pressure" thing.</p>
<p>well, i'm a special case since I recieved a all-expenses paid trip to WashU for Discovery Weekend, but my (required) "scholarship" interview involved one student (a senior) a dean from the Medical School, and a professor, all African American. It was pretty weird, but not that bad...I guess. They were super cool and the questions were general (what do you like, what would you bring to WashU), and it was all good until they asked me where else I was applying (me-uhhhh, uhhhh, brown, maryland, case western, but I hated case western).</p>
<p>I went over the summer during Academic Exploration Day or something like that and got an interview. Most of the people were interviewed by students but I got some old guy who worked in undergrad admissions, something like 2nd executive VP of undergraduate admissions or something like that.</p>
<p>So, Princess, while you were on campus for Discovery Weekend did they tell you how the group had been selected travel grants? Had you been to campus before?</p>
<p>I went up for a college visit and had an interview. A senior interviewed me, and it was very relaxed and laid back, but I believe a lot of them are. At least I know Vanderbilt's alumni ones are. I think the purpose is not to see if you can interview, but to get to know you on a personal level. As far as importance... no idea. But I do know that mine went excellent, and definitely won't hurt me. </p>
<p>Also, how can you apply to a school ED if you've never visited? Not something I would do... you might not like the feel of it at all.</p>
<p>FHN_Dent, yes, you have a reasonable shot if you apply ED, but if you apply ED you really must visit yourself (not just listen to your dad and your brother's opinions.) It will not only show interest to admissions, but you can see if Wash U is really where you want to spend the next 4 years of your life. If it doesn't appeal to you, perhaps you may instead want to apply ED somewhere else. If "FHN" in your name stands for "Francis Howell North", a visit is hardly an hour's drive away and well worth it just to visit the campus and compare it to other schools you have seen.</p>
<p>Well to help dispel the mystery. I'm a student at WashU and I am on the Campus Interview Team that performs the interviews. We undergo extensive interview training to do so, the same training the Admissions Officers do. And to explain the low key nature of the interview, it's rather simple. The point of an interview is to get to the student on a personal level and learn things about them you can't find out on paper, and students are generally much more at ease when they're talking to another person their age informally. But don't let the informal nature fool you, we take them very seriously. The interview acts basically like letter of recommendation and the report will be put in the students application file. So certainly don't make the mistake of being irritable or condescending because you end up interviewing with a student instead of an AO, and many students do, because it will not go unnoticed. Hope all that helps!</p>
<p>yeah i just interviewed and was interviewed by an undergraduate, she was very nice and actually sent me a handwritten postcard a few weeks later, even mentioning a few things that we talked about. good folks at washu.</p>