<p>I have like a thousand questions about interviews. If someone could point me to a thread that fully explains them that would be most appreciated. I haven't been able to find any yet and I'm currently unable to contact all the "college-knowledgeable" people I know :(. But if no such thread exists on cc maybe some people could answer select questions I have such as...</p>
<p>Do all colleges offer at least an optional interview?
Will those colleges that do offer an optional one look down upon those who don't do them? Is this viewed badly because applicants are not showing interest?
Can I conduct most interviews in my home state or will I have to interview at the college for them?
What if I have already visited a school far away and don't plan on going back but also have not interviewed with that school?</p>
<p>And that's all I can think of. Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>Do all colleges offer at least an optional interview?
Not all (I know of some local/not very selective schools that do not), but most do and all of the selective ones popular on CC do.</p>
<p>Will those colleges that do offer an optional one look down upon those who don’t do them? Is this viewed badly because applicants are not showing interest?
It depends on why you are not doing an interview. If they only do on-campus interviews and you live 3000 miles away, no. If there are no alumni in your area again no. However if you live close to the school and/or there are alumni in your area possibly (it will vary from school to school).</p>
<p>Can I conduct most interviews in my home state or will I have to interview at the college for them?
Most schools offer alumni interviews. These interviews will involve an alumnus of the college interviewing you (often at a neutral location like a Starbucks or local library).</p>
<p>What if I have already visited a school far away and don’t plan on going back but also have not interviewed with that school?
Again this is when you should elect to participate in an alumni interview.</p>
<p>Thank you very much artsygirl those were extremely helpful! And you too T26E4! Just one question: Wouldn’t colleges want to put more emphasis on interviews because it gives them a chance to interact with the applicant on a different level that no other part of the application really satisfies?</p>
<p>Interviews, when they occur, are the portion of the application process over which colleges and universities have the least control.</p>
<p>I used to interview applicants for my alma mater. The College could suggest guidelines for how I should conduct an interview, and they could show me examples of what a helpful interview report looked like. But since they were in Massachusetts and I’m in Maryland, they couldn’t really supervise my work, and they couldn’t do much about it if they didn’t like the work product I delivered. They had no control over whether I did or didn’t ask open-ended questions, let the applicant talk, etc. As a practical matter, they couldn’t fire me if they didn’t like my write-ups, either.</p>
<p>On top of that, most colleges and universities that have alumni interview are relying on hundreds–often thousands–of volunteer alumni doing just a few interviews every year. It’s very hard to have any kind of standardization that way.</p>
<p>Just a couple of reasons why interviews–at least, alumni interviews–are usually an appropriately minor piece of the puzzle.</p>
<p>"Wouldn’t colleges want to put more emphasis on interviews because it gives them a chance to interact with the applicant on a different level that no other part of the application really satisfies? "</p>
<p>But you assume that colleges feel the need for this data to help them assess applicants. They do not. If Harvard, Yale and Princeton stopped all interviews next year, they wouldn’t be any sweating foreheads in the admission committee rooms.</p>
<p>It’s mostly PR – for the students and the alumni volunteers. Very rarely do they provide a tipping factor. A bad interview can certainly sink one’s chances, for sure. And it’s good for follow up on admittees, trying to get them to matriculate.</p>
<p>OP: an interview is extremely subjective, lasts 45 min, and is conducted by a very wide cohort. Thus it’s extremely unreliable as a source of primary information.</p>
<p>However, if you want a good laugh, find “Fresh Prince princeton interview” on youtube and see Will Smith get an on the spot accept into Princeton (even though he didn’t apply) because he’s so charming. That and “Legally Blonde” are many people’s impressions of Ivy admissions.</p>
<p>Here’s my caveat however: people have and will continue to do this: blow it spectacularly at their interview – be it some socially unacceptable behavior (dude dripping stuff out of his nose and not aware enough to wipe himself), racist or intolerant remarks (“yeah we shoulda nuked them”), or secret message conveyance (“my mom is forcing me to interview. I’m hoping to be rejected”), or just plain shallow and stupid (“I applied because of the prestige”).</p>
<p>It happens. And these are noted. I’ve not had a doozey in many years but you hear about them.</p>
