<p>After reading some of the threads here I get the idea that on-campus interviews do not count for that much in the whole app process. I'm confused, when I visited Yale, the guy basically said that an on-campus interview would weigh a lot more than an alumni one (and could even ruin my chances if it went horribly). Does anyone have any idea if this is true?
thanks</p>
<p>Long-time alumni interviewer here. Interviews are the least important piece of your application. An on-campus interview weighs no more than an alumni interview. Yale knows that not everyone can visit the campus and it is unfair to penalize those who don't make it to New Haven.</p>
<p>I don't know what goes on in admissions commitee discussions, but I suspect a horrible interview could ruin your chances. I have written a couple of brutal interview reports that I would assume kept the applicants out, if the rest of their application didn't already do that. It takes pretty egregious behavior to get a horrible report. A really strong interview won't get you in if you're a weaker candidate. It might help if you're borderline.</p>