<p>I've read it numerous times on college websites: "Not having an interview will not hurt your application." or equivalent statements. Now, a good interview never hurts, but a bad one will. So what about not having an interview? I have not had the opportunity to have one; would it decrease my chances or hurt my profile?</p>
<p>My view is if you are offered one, take it. If you deny the interview, it could come off as you really not being interested in the school. That being said, if you are never offered one I think that they wont hold it against you.</p>
<p>Like NCBoy said, you should accept all offers for an interview. However, it is possible that you won’t be offered one because you can’t visit the campus (of those schools that offer on-campus interviews) or because there are no alumni interviewers in your area (though you could be offered a phone interview). You won’t be penalized if you are unable to have one, but you will if you decline an offer.</p>
<p>The interview purpose differs from school to school. For many, its purpose is almost entirely informational, while others are, at least to some extent, intented to evaluate the applicant. The basic rule is, as you said, that a bad interview will hurt while a good one is neutral, unless you reveal some noteworthy quality that went unmentioned in your app. But I think you have too general a perception of a bad interview. A bad interview is not one in which you stumble or spill coffee down your front. It’s one where you reveal negative personal qualities, a serious lie on your application, or reveal a lack of passion/interest/intelligence about your schoolwork and your extracurriculars.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for the help. The issue with where I live in Ohio is that the nearest colleges I’m applying to (other than in-state colleges) are all roughly 6 hours away by car, so on-campus interviews are out of the question for the most part. If I am offered an interview, I won’t be one to decline, but I was just concerned that not having had one would be a negative. </p>
<p>Any other opinions?</p>
<p>I never interviewed for the Ivy league school I currently attend… guess it didn’t hurt my chances.</p>
<p>
Or maybe it did, and you were just an excellent applicant in other aspects. Were you unable to, or just declined?</p>
<p>I think interviews should be taken when offered.</p>
<p>I toured three colleges this summer (Brown, Harvard, and Vanderbilt), and one (I can’t remember which, but I believe it was Brown.) addressed the topic of interviews. They said something like this. “We have alumni everywhere. If you live in America or really any other civilized part of the world, you will be offered an interview after your application is received. You need to do the interview. Keep in mind that if you reject an interview, we have thousands of other applicants that ARE willing to interview.”
They seemed to feel pretty strongly about it.</p>
<p>Wait. Do the selective colleges just offer interviews to everyone who applies, or those who are at least considered competitive for admission? I guess what I’m asking is if someone with a 1400/2400 SAT would be offered an interview, from, say, UPenn. Would it be an indication that you are at least in the running, so to speak?</p>
<p>I dont think - correct me if I am wrong anyone - that they look at your app at all before offering an interview. Once you submit your app, and there are interviewers in your area, you will be offered an interview.</p>
<p>My HYP alma mater does NOT pre-screen applicants before offering interviews – there’s not enough time from when applications arrive and when final write ups are due. We try to interview everyone – from the slam dunk 1-in-a-thousand applicants to the less than zero chance applicants.</p>
<p>Here’s my 100% honest advice: if you are socially off-putting (whatever that means to you) in a one-on-one situation, then decline interviews. I’m being frank.</p>
<p>Otherwise, try to make them.</p>
<p>OP, most college admission web pages clearly state the interview policy. You mentioned U Penn, here it is: [Penn</a> Admissions: Interviews](<a href=“http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/applying/interviews.php]Penn”>http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/applying/interviews.php) Please pay attention to who initiates the interview. Some colleges expect you to request one by a certain deadline.</p>
<p>I don’t think a 6-hour drive would be considered a hardship by the college if interviews are required or strongly encouraged, although I’d be very surprised if alumni interviews in your town/closer area are not available. Failing to avail yourself of the opportunity to interview when required or strongly encouraged can be interpreted as a negative showing of interest. </p>
<p>With that said, many colleges do not offer or expect interviews. Which brings me back to the beginning…check the website for all of the colleges to which you are applying.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>In response to my previous post: I was never offered one. I’d say I interviewed for about half the schools I applied to. Some of the schools I interviewed for I was accepted, some i was rejected, some I was waitlisted (and took myself off both lists because the school I decided I wanted to attend accepted me, so don’t know what the ultimate result would have been). Some of the schools I didn’t interview for accepted me, and some rejected me. </p>
<p>I think different schools place different emphasis on the interview…Brown seems to have a very formal process, and Harvard took it very seriously to get everyone interviewed. Other schools were more nonchalant about it.</p>