<p>How important is the interview to admissions? My daughter has been trying and trying to arrange an interview with a local alum (who was supposed to contact her!), but has only received vague responses from him. I think he honestly wants to do interviews, but it is definitely not a priority to him. Don't interviews have to be completed by January 1st?</p>
<p>I don't know for sure, but usually only the applications need to be completed by January 1 at most schools unless she is applying Early Decision I or II. I would give the guy a chance to find a date to interview your daughter. He would know when interviews have to be completed by. If he doesn't find a time soon, you could call the admissions office and see if ther is another alum in your area. </p>
<p>My daughter had her interview on campus with a student interviewer. I think the interviews are important, but if you can't visit the school and there isn't an alum in your area, I don't think that would count against you.</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter. My daughter is a very happy Hamilton freshman enjoying her winter break home in the south!!</p>
<p>I don't see why she couldn't call and ask for a phone interview "just in case " the alumni interview didn't happen in time to be reviewed with her app. Handled correctly (which I have NO doubt it will be) it could be a substantive expression of interest.</p>
<p>Well, my usually prompt daughter has finally written her Why Hamilton? and the app is ready. Yeah!!! It will go out Tuesday. I will be happy to see it go. One of her top , if not THE top, choice and she finally gets around to it. (She finished her Why Rhodes? tonight and two ridiculous reach apps , also. We are on a roll. WooHoo.)</p>
<p>It's a great feeling to see those last applications leave the house; maybe more so for the parents ;-)</p>
<p>Those why easays are so much easier when you have spent time on the campus. My daughter had visited Hamilton twice- once with me, once visiting a friend for the weekend. She knew a good bit to write about and talk about the new science center which was not completed at the time. It's funny that most of her friends are recruited athletes, she is a dancer with an interest in science!!</p>
<p>Curmudgeon, our daughters are on the same timeline - she also just finished Hamilton and Rhodes. The "Why" essays weren't too bad - she was finally happy that I "forced" her to write notes about the visits we made the summer after sophomore year.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the advice on the interview - there's still a possibility the interview will happen, but apparently the local alum daughter was assigned has never done one before. Sigh.</p>
<p>Pokey - the pictures of the new science center look wonderful. Too bad my daughter (a prospective history major) would be spending as little time as possible there!</p>
<p>Even History majors will find comfort in the Science Center. There are great study rooms on each floor thay are very quiet. My daughter spent 3 days straight during exams in there. She will not be happy that I am sharing her "secret place" :-0</p>
<p>Is the interview recommended? Definitely. I would say anything that will beef up your application or show more interest and initiative is a good thing. I applied to Hamilton EDII back in the age of the dinosaurs and went in for an interview with an alumnus. Possible questions one should expect: "So what do you know about Hamilton?", "Why do you want to go to Hamilton?", and "What do you have to offer?" </p>
<p>Yes, the new Science Center is fabulous. They have the new O2 (new Cafe Opus) and the interior is just gorgeous. </p>
<p>But if your daughter or son has already visited Hamilton, I'm sure they know a lot about the school already, which is great. Good luck.</p>
<p>I'm a senior who just applied to hamilton ED II, and also ran into the problem with the interviews. But if you can make it up to the campus, the admissions office conducts them until the end of January. I'm going up there soon to do that soon, and I'll just have to hope they'll be able to consider it with the rest of my application. oh well.
good luck to all your sons/daughters who applied- this is the most stressful time of the year!</p>
<p>Daughter finally caught up with the alum and had her interview today. Apparently went well (all I have to go by is that she wasn't upset afterwards). Unfortunately it now turns out that her high school hasn't sent out her transcripts, even though they were requested in early November. Just one thing after another.</p>