<p>Unfortunately I missed the off-campus interview deadline. Can I still send a request? How important is the interview?</p>
<p>The off-campus interview (typically with an alum) is nice to have but not critical, especially if you live far away from the Philadelphia area. Most admitted applicants have not had an interview. Don’t sweat it too much.</p>
<p>Check the “Choosing not to contact Swarthmore for an interview” thread halfway down the listings page (i.e., back one window). Yes, it’s too late - we called first thing in the morning on the first day after the deadline, and they absolutely would not bend. But - as noted - they said many kids are admitted without interviews. I know it’s easy to miss the deadline, as most schools in the same academic range simply wait until you submit an application and then schedule an interview then (which makes sense, to make sure you’re not wasting alums’ time interviewing kids who ultimately decide not to apply). </p>
<p>Have you actually visited the school, done an official tour and info session and checked in with the admissions office? While you can’t make up for missing out on interviews, making the trek to campus shows you’re pretty serious about it and have had a chance to make an assessment whether you think the Swattie ‘vibe’ fits you. If your application doesn’t show that you’ve interviewed or visited the campus or talked to other recent Swarthmore grads, they might just think you’re flinging an application into the pool for the heck of it b/c Swarthmore is the #3 rated LAC on the USN&WP list. They hate that.</p>
<p>I have done an official tour and info session and checked in with the admission office. And I have been contacting Swarthmore graduates. But I just miss the interview deadline, and I hope they won’t count this against me…</p>