Interviewer never returned my email...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Yale University
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<p>On Dec. 1st or 2nd, an alumni interviewer sent me an email offering me an interview, and said to email back or call if I would like to set one up. I emailed back the very next day, saying that I would love to set one up. I was sure to write back right away because I knew that the deadline had already passed, but I hoped that if we could schedule something soon enough, it might still be considered for EA. But it's been a week, and I never heard back from her. I would have called her, but on the email she sent me, she accidently omitted a number from her phone number (typing error), so I can't call her. I know that it is definately too late now for an interview to be considered for EA, but I plan to try and contact her if I am deferred, so that I will still have an interview for the RD round.</p>

<p>Anyway... my question is, do you think that I should read anything into this? Is it possible that she never contacted me again to set up the interview because Yale had already reviewed my application and rejected me? Also, will it appear to the admissions committee that I turned down an interview?? I hope not, b/c that would look really bad, and it was really out of my control. What do you all think? Thanks</p>

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<p>PM me her name and I'll look up her phone number in the alumni directory for you</p>

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<p>Not surprising....
This sort of shoddy lack of responsiveness is what made me (and a number of people I know as well) back off of even applying to Yale. These folks take applicants too much for granted. At some point it's things are gonna give. Yale doesn't deserve many of us (myself included)...and you don't deserve to be treated this way either. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone would chase after a school for name only when that school treats you so poorly. I think its a big red flag. Nonetheless, good luck with your application. They didn't earn mine.</p>

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<p>I had both an on campus interview and alumni interview. At the admissions office, the interviewer couldn't have been any nicer (she often repeated that the interview was just a casual conversation and that I could talk about anything). The alumni interviewer didn't return my message that I left on his machine, but I called a second time and he was very friendly. He was just as friendly when we met. However, everyone over there is very very busy, so I wouldn't worry about not getting an interview. According to the director of admissions, interviews really will not enhance a bad candidate or reject a good one. </p>

<p>To the previous poster.....every single person I have met that has been afiliated with yale included the admissions officers on the information sessions were the nicest out of any college I have visited. Especially at the Yale book award ceremony on campus!!!</p>

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<p>Well I got a phone call a few weeks back, set it up immediately and had one two days later so I cannot say that I had the same problem.</p>

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<p>Regional interviews are given by alumni and are not mandatory for the application process. They can be often quite busy, and of variable determination when it comes to interviewing (due to many circumstances like distance or work or health), though on the whole they are a great bunch (every year the stragglers get weeded). I am not quite sure why you think Yale doesn't "deserve" you if an alum fails to contact you for an optional interview. You completely misdirect your judgement of Yale and in doing show your lack of objectivity in taking such things as personal insult. If that is the sort of haughtiness and ego-centric mentality that you and your friends share, all the better you decided not to apply. Hopefully YOU will be deserving of the institution that accepts your application...</p>

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<p>Yea my interviewer brought up the fact that unless something absolutely spectacular/horrible is said about the applicant, interviews will normally not be really involved in the acceptance process.</p>

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<p>I'm not just alluding to the interview issues a number of you seem to have had, it's much more. Last spring I emailed the area rep with a number of questions. The rep did not respond. I emailed him again, and never received the courtesy of even a peep, much less a response of any kind. I then emailed my questions directly to the particular department I was interested in learning more about (since I had not received any response from the area rep). I didn't even receive the courtesy of a response from that dept. I had very specific questions --no one at Yale bothered to even acknowledge or respond.</p>

<p>I also visited the campus and went on a "tour." We fell behind because my father is handicapped and in a wheelchair. We repeatedly asked for help in terms of trying to arrange how to meet up with the group as we had to take handicapping route to the building and room we were meeting at. Did anyone offer to help or did the fellow even wait for us to catch up -- nope. By the time we managed to breathlessly find our way to where we were supposed to go the info session was well underway. We felt horrible as no one helped hold a door open for us to get into the room which we disturbed with our late arrival. We had been early initially but because of the size of the turnout they sent us to another building a ways away. Thus, in falling behind when it came to trying to keep up with the crowd as we were escorted to the new meeting place we fell behind as everyone rushed and we missed the first quarter of the session.</p>

<p>Not that it really mattered because we couldn't hear a word of the speaker and when I moved up to hear what he was saying, it turned out to be nothing more than the most rudimentary info that anyone can find (and should have been familiar with) prior to the session.</p>

<p>During the info session, I asked a question: "Yale encourages studying abroad. Do we have to pay full Yale tuition for the period that we go abroad on a study abroad program?" Guess what the answer was? It was a complete non-answer. In other words, he didn't want to answer the question because as I have since learned, a lot of folks don't realize that studying abroad doesn't get you out of tuition responsibility for the period you are abroad. He didn't like the question, so he didn't give the answer. Or if he didn't know the answer, he should have at least said so. Instead he just changed the subject. I think that was sad, particularly as other schools answered the question head on.
Maybe we just got there on a bad day -- although it was a perfect weather day, so at least the drive wasn't a complete waste.
.
Bottom line remains -- Yale didn't EARN my application. For those of you who elect to apply and go there, I wish you all the best. For my 45,000 I want a little more candor so at least I know what to expect. How can i make an educated decision if I'm not given the basic courtesy of educated (and candid) responses?</p>

<p>Most likely Yale is a marvelous school for some -- but it certainly isn't the be all and end all I think it believes itself to be...and certainly it is not the leader in quite a number of areas, thus leaving better options out there for many, like myself.</p>

<p>For those of you who don't make Yale, or whatever your "dream" school is, don't fret ... believe me, if you do your research, you'll learn there are plenty of great fish in the sea. And, if you do get your dream and go to Yale, at least you probably won't end up as pathetic as the folks who have their heads completely up-their-butts</p>

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<p>"This sort of shoddy lack of responsiveness is what made me (and a number of people I know as well) back off of even applying to Yale. These folks take applicants too much for granted...I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone would chase after a school for name only when that school treats you so poorly."</p>

<p>My experience was completely the opposite. I found Yale to be very warm and welcoming. They sent me a lot of mail, especially after I was accepted, and made sure that I was well-informed about everything. My regional adimissions director even personally called me to congratulate me and encourage me to come. My two interviewers were great.Everybody just couldn't have been more friendly and supportive throughout the whole process.</p>

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<p>Phew! Out of curiosity, who has "earned your application"?</p>

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<p>...^continued
...at least you probably won't end up as pathetic as the folks who have their heads completely up-their-butts at one of those schools in the Boston area that shall remain unnamed :-) :-) :-)</p>

<p>All the best to you, truly.</p>

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<p>Lemonjello: Columbia, for one. If you want straight answers and you ask for straight answers, they give to you...or at least, so I have found.</p>

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<p>You're from the city, Lemon. Understandably, you might prefer to leave NYC for college, but did you look at Columbia?</p>

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<p>Phew! If I didn't live very close to Columbia all my life, I probably would have. However, I do want to go away from New York. I'm sure it is a dream school to people who are not from New York. It would have been for me. So I guess my answer would be not really.</p>

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<p>Conwoman, boy I hope your screenname doesn't mean anything that I am construing LOL...but in all seriousness, I think the fact that you noted that the rep and school were particular welcoming "once you were accepted" says a lot (excluding your interviewees). Anyway, I'm glad you had a welcoming experience. Maybe Yale just didn't like being prodded with probing questions -- the only kind I know how to ask in order to discern whether a particular school and departments are good fits for me. Aren't we supposed to look for good "fits" afterall? </p>

<p>Thanks for your comments anyway, which I'm sure are more reflective of the school in general. We just had a bad experience. No big deal.</p>

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<p>Lemon, as you can probably tell, I sensed that and of course it is understandable. On the other hand, it's been like a second home for me, so I guess I tried to find out if the grass might be any greener on the other side and I just can't find any greener pastures. As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."</p>

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<p>thanks for your replies, I do appreciate all the comments. I do want to say that I haven't had a bad experience at all with Yale throughout the application process. I emailed a couple questions to my region's admissions counselor, and he wrote me back the very next day. I also had a very pleasant visit this summer. I don't think the interviewer means to be rude, or that my application is not important to her... I understand that for the interviewers, this is something they do on top of their regular jobs and such, so the fact that she didn't get back to me didn't bother me at all... I was more worried that it could have something to do with me, or my application. Like maybe they had reviewed my app., decided to reject me, and told the interviewer not to bother setting up an interview with me? Does stuff like that happen? I dunno. But anyway, I plan to contact her to see if I'm deferred to see if she's still available for an interview. Crimsonbulldog, I'll PM you her name, and perhaps you could look up the phone number for me? Thanks.</p>

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<p>Phew...man i dont know what youre talking about but I had the exact opposite experience.</p>

<p>Ive sent emails to 3 professors and gotten responses within the week.</p>

<p>When I was on a tour, Yale assigned an admissions officer to watch over/help out a woman that was in a wheelchair </p>

<p>And overall, the staff at yale, from the professors to the admissions officers to the interviews have been a great delight to talk to.</p>

<p>For me, Yale has earned my application over the other Ivies almost because of this stuff alone (obviously not the interviewer part)</p>

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<p>Allie -- as for any connection between the interviewer's unresponsiveness and the E.D. decision, I wouldn't draw any negative (or even positive) inferences one way or the other. Most likely the interviewer's non-response has absolutely nothing to do with your particular Decision. However, what I would do if I were you is I would contact the admissions office immediately and let them know what's going on so that they can either assign another interviewer for you. Perhaps an emergency came up for this particular interviewer -- but the admissions office should be apprised of the situation promptly. This way you can also set the record straight.</p>

<p>Bob...obviously I think I just ran into an unfortunate series of events. Most likely there are folks who've had the same happen to them viz Columbia and all of the other ivies. All I'm saying is, unfortunately, when there are screw-ups it costs schools potential candidates and leaves a poor impression. No place is perfect, but as you most likely know, early impressions do matter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your acceptance, too. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>Phew! I agree that was a terrible experience that you had with Yale. I know that if I had had the same experience, I would have been immediately turned off by that. It is very unfortunate that you came away with such a negative impression of the school which I'm at right now and which I love so much, but it is only natural to feel that way after what happened and I do agree that these mistakes can cost applicants. Good luck with wherever you end up and I hope you have a better experience there.</p>