Interviews

<p>For Duke freshman admissions, how do i sign up for an interview. I am going to apply for early decision and I live in the south Florida region. Thanks in advance for any and all information!</p>

<p>You go to the Duke web site and see where it says:</p>

<p>All interviews are conducted by alumni volunteers, and students who submit their Common Application by the Early Decision deadline (November 1) or the Regular Decision priority interview deadline (December 20) will be contacted by alumni on a first-come, first-served basis.</p>

<p>You can also meet with Duke reps who are visiting in your area. They won’t do an interview, but at least it shows interest.</p>

<p>[Plan</a> a Trip - Duke Admissions](<a href=“Visit - Duke Undergraduate Admissions”>Visit - Duke Undergraduate Admissions)</p>

<p>Don’t get so excited about this. </p>

<p>I’m an alumni interviewer and I’m going to be frank with you: the alumni interview doesn’t count for much. It’s true weight comes into play when the admissions committee is iffy about making a decision on your application – most of the time it’s usually between sending you to the wait list or denying you. </p>

<p>Make no mistake, if you’re looking like an admit after several rounds of deliberation, a bad alumni interview can raise doubts about admitting you.</p>

<p>^ As an interviewer, what are you looking for? What would make for a bad interview?</p>

<p>Jwest22: Thank you so much for information!</p>

<p>Chardo: I was just wondering how the interviews worked, where to sign up for them, etc.</p>

<p>To expand on jwest’s post- I agree. The alumni interview counts for very little in the whole process. It may hurt an applicant if he/she comes off as being an oddity, but it rarely is the icebreaker that gets you in to the school. There are several members on this site who are alums at prestigious schools who will attest to the fact that their recommendations often carry little weight. </p>

<p>And for the OP, do not worry if you don’t get an interview. Interviews are based on availability of alums and the usual scheduling issues. My son had about 12 interviews (one with a Duke alum)- he felt that almost all of them were just a formality and not helpful. However, he felt that not interviewing with an alum, especially when offered the chance, would have raised a red flag.</p>

<p>I, too, am a Duke alumni interviewer and I fully agree with my colleagues: secondary importance, but not entirely inconsequential.</p>

<p>I do want to add one important point for applicants, especially including the ED candidates, who are now completing their '18 applications. We – Undergraduate Admissions and the Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee – conscientiously try to interview every candidate whose package is submitted by the required dates (and, in fact, we are sometimes able to interview some individuals whose packages are completed after the deadlines). However, there are no guarantees; all interviewers are alumni volunteers, some venues do not have sufficient alumni population/participation, virtually all have very demanding jobs with extensive travel and other professional commitments, families, other obligations, and October and February are tremendously busy for AAAC volunteers. Each year CC has several anxious notes regarding not receiving an interview. The “bottom lime” is simple: if one is not interviewed, it will not diminish his admissions probability and, therefore, he should not be concerned.</p>

<p>Incidentally, an interview is entirely voluntary. If a candidate receives a scheduling call or e-mail, he is perfectly free to decline the opportunity.</p>

<p>@Chardo - I am also an alumni interviewer for Duke - there are quite a few of us who lurk on these pages.</p>

<p>The primary objective of an interviewer is to have specific anecdotes and examples to support a narrative of the applicant. In Duke’s training for interviewers, they emphasize that the best reports are those that avoid generalizations (“Chardo is a good athlete and sports take up much of his time.”) and include specifics (“Chardo and I talked extensively about his championship victory. He described how his endless hours of practice on a his crossover move resulted in one key moment of advantage.”).</p>

<p>Of course you want to have a generally positive rapport with the interviewer - and be interesting. But be sure to give your interviewer ammunition for completing the report.</p>

<p>^ My crossover has been known to break ankles. Usually my own.</p>