<p>Pomona College states that an interview is highly recommended. Thus, we requested an alumni interview outside of the US. Unfortunately, we received an email that Pomona College was unable to match an alumni in our country. Since it is highly recommended, should I fly my daughter to Pomona College for an interview?</p>
<p>No. I haven’t looked lately, but they used to say an interview is important for students in So Cal who live close enough to drive to the campus for an interview. They will understand that your daughter lives out of the country and will not expect her to make a trip just for an interview.</p>
<p>So I went and looked at the Pomona website. I still think since you requested an interview and they could not provide it, it won’t affect her application. The general consensus on CC is that interviews really don’t matter much.</p>
<p>Just to let you know, students have been accepted without interviews. Interviews can only help your candidacy, but not having an interview will not hurt your application.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>See if Pomona College will allow to do an interview via Skype. I know 2 applicants last year that had their interview for Pitzer and Claremont McKenna via Skype.</p>
<p>That’s a really good idea. A Skype interview. We will definitely look into it. </p>
<p>DS14 requested an interview, but they too were unable to offer one and we are next door state, they promised it wouldn’t hurt his app. He was accepted but rejected Pomona for NE LAC</p>
<p>We visited the consortium last week and my D interviewed at Pomona, CMC and Scripps. All 3 interviews were conducted by senior college students. D thought all the interviews were interesting and went well, but I’m not really sure how much they count except to maybe demonstrate interest.</p>
<p>In response to little mother, interviews can hurt if you come off as a very negative personality, uninterested in the school, or as a sociopath. For most people, that isn’t an issue, but it has been known to happen (I don’t know of any Pomona cases, but I do know of some infamous Ivy interviews.)</p>
<p>akiddoc is right, but the interview will definitely help your candidacy if you present well, prepare good questions to ask, and demonstrate that you are deeply interested in the school. I interview for my alma mater and had an applicant arrive in very grungy clothing and informed me that she was only there because her mother (also an alum) made her apply but she wasn’t interested in attending. We spent 30 minutes in conversation totally unrelated to the school in question, and I recommended that the college not waste a space on the applicant.</p>
<p>FWIW:
My kids go to a fancy-pants private high school with a very good track record in terms of admission to selective colleges. Their college advising counselors’ position on interviews is that they can hurt you, but cannot help you. They advise against interviews unless they’re mandatory.</p>
<p>The Pomona part of the Common App has a section that asks about your “Contacts” with the school. There is a drop down menu to indicate campus visits, visits by an admission rep at your high school, and interviews. So between that and the fact that the Pomona website says interviews are “highly recommended” I think an applicant should interview if at all possible. Unless you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re a sociopath, lol.</p>
<p>Many colleges like to put names to real faces and Pomona is no exception since it considers the whole person and not just stats. Having interviewed for decades for my alma mater, I still believe the interview, if feasible, is an integral part of the application process. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>Well, my daughter went to a “fancy pants private school” where 50% of the class gets into top 20 schools. The college counsellors did not recommend turning down interviews, and in Pomona’s case, recommended doing it. </p>
<p>What if i forgot to add my campus visit and interview to the common app? Is it worth emailing them to let them know that i did in fact visit and had an interview? </p>