I’ve never heard of ea likely letters - why would it make sense to tell on a shorter time scale than six weeks?
They’re used for recruited athletes to the Ivies who have applied ED.
Psywar jr. had his interview tonight. He had a fantastic conversation with his interviewer, my son said it didn’t feel like an interview at all, just a great conversation about going to college.
The questions mostly covered his various E.C.s, his classes, what he likes to do in his spare time and why Princeton. 50% of the interview was him selling Princeton and talking about his experiences with the rigorous course load of Princeton.
Interestingly, he was aware of my son’s background, referring to some of his classes and grades (that my son hadn’t mentioned yet). I had thought interviewers didn’t get background info?
The interview went well over an hour and ended with some very positive comments. My son came home so excited.
Now, the long wait.
Good luck to you all!
-psy
Same, still no interview contact. Not in as big of a place as San Diego (decent sized Midwest metro area) but haven’t been contacted.
I’m thinking about letting it go to the 21st (three weeks after the EA deadline) before sending a message to admissions? On the one hand I know they say it’s not a big deal if you can’t interview but it still would make me feel better about the overall process. I just don’t want to come off as too clingy by asking too early since of course the interviewers have lives outside of the admissions process.
@psywar Congratulations on the interview! The fact that your son’s interviewer already knew about him prior to the meeting really stands out to me. Interviewers technically aren’t supposed to receive background information, but, given that Princeton actually took the time to inform the interviewer of your son’s qualifications, the admissions office must have already read your son’s application and see potential in it. It’s not something that the school does often during interviews (notifying the interviewers of the qualifications of all 4,164+ early applicants this year would be a daunting task). Hopefully my interview this Sunday goes just as well!
@IASenior2016 Princeton offers interviews based on alumni availability; although sending a message to admissions may have a small chance in helping you receive the interview invitation, Princeton wouldn’t be able to do much about it in most instances. Don’t worry though; you’ll get the interview request sooner or later — a few applicants last year had their interviews in early December and got in. In addition, Iowa only has one alumni network, which is relatively few compared to the 5+ alumni networks that some states (California, New Jersey, etc.) have. If I were you, I would wait patiently; however, if you don’t receive your interview request by Thanksgiving, I would send the school a quick reminder.
Best of luck y’all! I am class of 2019 at Princeton. I was deferred early, then admitted regular! Let me know if you have any questions.
@manwiththeplan SCEA doesn’t have likely letters, since the decision is given out in December. The purpose of likely letters is to initiate early communication with some of the most desirable prospective students so that they attend the institution in question over all others. Given that everyone who applied to Princeton SCEA has Princeton as their first choice anyways, there wouldn’t be any point in trying to communicate with an applicant on the fear that they might enroll somewhere else. 
@nolasaxman What major/concentration are you pursuing? If you have the time, can you tell us about your experiences at Princeton? How hard are the classes? How much homework do you get everyday? How competitive is the student body? Thanks! 
I wouldn’t sweat it, there’s a Bloomberg article talking to some Ivy league alums who quite interviewing since
none of the applicants they wrote glowing reviews for ever got in and they gave up… I think the interviews probably don’t help (only hurt, e.g. anti-social, get the wrong city for the school, etc…) in reality.
quote from the Bloomberg article:
even this is an older article (from 2011), its still kinda depressing.
maybe T26E4 will tell me I’m way off, but just heard second hand about a Duke alumni interviewer who wrote a negative review of an incredibly cocky /arrogant kid to reject them and he still got in. (maybe donor kid?) but yes these things seem less than valuable uses of time.
@anon145 I agree with everything you’ve said in Post #191 with the exception of your assertion that interviews don’t help. If interviews truly had no purpose, then there wouldn’t be any incentive to do them. From my view, I see interviews as an opportunity to express passions for the school and reveal personalities that wouldn’t have otherwise been reflected in the application itself. Sure, dumb mistakes and anti-social composure may hurt an applicant’s chances, but those errors are actually less damaging than you may think. The only “major” mistakes that can plummet an applicant’s chances are disrespect, obscenity, or a lack of enthusiasm for learning or for attending the school. A simple misnaming of the school location is probably permissible; everyone makes mistakes, especially when they’re nervous! Fortunately, the admissions office knows that (although failing to name the location of Princeton University may raise some eyebrows). However, it is rather unlikely that the interviewer will report on your mistake; it’s not their job to laugh wickedly as you receive a rejection letter that was catalyzed by their insanely difficult questions and unforgiving report. Even if they do, the school will give you the benefit of the doubt and use your teacher and counselor recommendations to trump a negative interview report.
As for Princeton itself, the interview is a way for the school to determine if they are actually admitting the person they think they are admitting. I believe that Princeton makes its acceptance decisions independent of the interview; if the admissions officers decide that an applicant is worthy for admission, only then will they look at the interviewer’s comments to confirm that the student in question lives up to his or her application. This is why the interview carries so little weight in the decision; by the time the interviewer’s comments are read, the school has already decided on its group of acceptances. Hence is why some alumni might see some of their favorite interviewees get denied despite a glowing recommendation.
Nevertheless, you are spot on with your statement that the interview is not something to sweat over; not having one will not hurt you. However, neither will having one be the reason why you are accepted or denied. Princeton tries to offer interviews to as many students as possible, as it is more of an opportunity for you, the student, to get to know more about the school, rather than a factor that determines your ultimate decision.
Hopefully this helps with anyone who is concerned about the interview (or lack thereof).
Also, here is an article that is a worthwhile read: http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2013/05/powell-shares-princeton-admission-tips-with-alumni-and-their-children/
The SAT subject test information may be outdated, but the other aspects still stand true today.
The most important two aspects that ultimately power admission are (1) your ability to take difficult classes and (2) your ability to do well in those hard classes.
ECs also play a important role. Princeton, however, is more favorable toward a commitment to a certain EC rather than shallow participation in a multitude of ECs.
Your essays are used to determine whether or not you have the ability to write clearly and concisely. Especially at high level schools, essays are often used to differentiate between two prospective yet similar applicants.
These materials are secondary and often come into play when the school is checking to see if they are really accepting who they think they’re accepting. These often do not determine the results of admission.
However, the most important statement is this:
This is what truly determines admissions, and why Ivy League admissions are a crapshoot for everyone. How is it possible that a student gets accepted at Harvard but rejected at Yale and Princeton? It all depends on what the school wants. Even if you are the epitome of the perfect student, you might lose your seat to another applicant who many not be as “qualified” simply because that other applicant matches most with what the school wants. Top level schools like HYP know that whoever they accept will most likely attend, so they have the freedom to “choose” their class community in a way no other school can. This is the sole reason why it is so important to be yourself in your college applications. Creating a fake image of yourself will not only hurt you and the college, but also the entire campus community.
Alright, thanks for that affirmation. I guess it’s just a bit uncomfortable being one of the 1% not interviewed. Even if it’s just psychological, it feels like a disadvantage. Then again, I’m trying to become a part of the 7% not rejected, so I suppose I’m not necessarily trying to be a part of the masses in this process.
My biggest fear (and part of why at some point I’d hope to talk to admissions just to be sure) is that I want to make sure that if I don’t interview there are not any interviewers available, and that it doesn’t get back to Princeton that an interviewer tried to contact me but never received a reply. I’m still hopeful though - even if it doesn’t help my chances much it’ll calm my nerves a little bit between now and Dec 15.
@IASenior2016 Don’t worry; that 1% usually consists of international students. Princeton will find an interview opportunity for you. Even if they aren’t able to do so, they will note on your application that you weren’t given an invitation to interview.
Do you know anyone near you who is applying to Princeton early? If that person hasn’t received an interview request either, then it is simply an availability issue that you shouldn’t worry about.
Best wishes on your other applications!
Princeton has recruited an athlete at my school and he committed to them. I don’t think he’s gotten a likely letter however.
Interviews do serve a purpose. They actively involve their alumni which helps them feel connected to their alma mater. They give applicants the opportunity to ask questions in a face to face format. And they may serve as a warning for any “red flag” applicants (probably few and far between). Does a glowing review help? Doubtfully given the statistics we know of. However, going through the interview process is an opportunity to practice interviewing skills and to learn more about the university.
So do we know when admissions decisions will be released yet? I am trying to mentally prepare myself, because I think they are do out right in the middle of my midterms 