Hi guys. I have a quick question about interviews. So I’m planning on applying RD to Columbia this winter. If I apply in mid-December, how likely am I to receive an interview? Do RD applicants receive interviews? And how important are they? Basically, I would like to know anything and everything relating to Columbia and interviews. Thanks in advance.
Many RD applicants will get interviews, but not all - it may depend on your state and how many student/alum interviewers are available. It won’t hurt you if you don’t get one - just like it can’t hurt if you do get one.
Then again, if you go in and behave like a psychotic lunatic, or go in wearing a Princeton or Harvard tee shirt with no pants, you probably might lower your chances.
Most students use them to help get a better sense of why the school is a match for them.
Best of luck.
They tell the alumni interviewers we’re doing crucially important work and our input is highly valued.
They tell students that nobody will be disadvantaged in admissions if they don’t get an interview.
Which group do you think they’'re lying to? LOL.
When do you find out if you’re offered an interview or not?
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@Morningsider wrote
It can be neither. In my experience, a small number of interviews CAN be extremely vital to the applicant’s chances. These are kids in the grey area and real questions from the admissions committee exist. However, on either side of this group are absolute shoo-ins (athletic recruits, other tippy-top level applicants) where unless the interview report is a serious red flag, the report won’t count for much. On the other side are students for whom even the most glowing interview report, won’t be able to breathe life into their dead on arrival applications – and this is the MAJORITY of applications.
Thus, I submit that the majority of alumni apps have zero effect. But a few do… and neither the student nor the alumnus/a knows.
Since it’s a foregone conclusion that not everyone can be interviewed due to the sheer volume of applicants, Columbia also doesn’t shackle itself by barring applications that read well despite no interview report submission. They feel completely able to admit someone w/o an interview – and why shouldn’t they? Many great applicants don’t get interviewed by sheer coincidence.
Thus, both statement can be, and in my experience, are, true.
I interview for Columbia and we just had a meeting with the ARC. Because not everyone can interview, they can’t let interviews be a deciding factor, but they did say that interviews make a difference with the yield (ie, more accepted kids that have interviewed end up attending Columbia). FWIW, they will now allow remote/SKYPE interviews from available alumni outside of the student’s area, so if you really want one, you should be able to get one, even if there are not available alumni in your area. Good luck!