<p>So this is probably a stupid question to you all, but...</p>
<p>I"m visiting schools in southern CA this midwinter break, and I want to make sure I get a good feel for each school I'm visiting (Pomona/Scripps, USC, Occidental, Chapman). Everyone says to do an on-campus interview, but the thing is, I'm only a junior. Pretty much every college says on their website that they can't do interviews with students before the spring of Junior year. So how did so many young CCers apparently receive these mysterious interviews? Because I really want one for every school, but I guess I'm too young? Help me clarify this! Thanks!</p>
<p>My daughter who’s now a senior didn’t do any interviews as a junior. We took her to visit some colleges. We registered through the admissions offices for information sessions and campus tours. This created a paper trail for her at schools that track student interest. </p>
<p>But interviews…that all happened during the fall of senior year.</p>
<p>I’ve visited a lot of schools, but I haven’t done an on-campus interview</p>
<p>A lot of what high school students tell each other can be incomplete or in accurate. My guess is that what people have in mind when they recommend interviewing is getting a record that you visited campus. However for schools that care about demonstrated interest you can sign up for a tour through the admissions office and that shows that you were there.</p>
<p>What’s really important is getting a sense of what the school is like to see if it would be a fit for you or not. You can do this by talking to students on campus, attending sessions of classes, and at some schools they can even set up an overnight stay in the dorms.</p>
<p>Many schools have alumni interviewers that live in your area who do interviews in the fall and winter. (I’m doing interviews for my alma mater now.) Find out how the interview process works when you visit.</p>
<p>So, you can’t meet with the admissions officer just to talk/ask questions? I mean, I realize the official interview can’t happen til later, but what about just asking questions and such? I know it’s not as important as getting a feel for the school itself, but still…</p>
<p>A lot of schools offer information sessions held by an admissions officer at various times during the day/week, and during those, they usually welcome questions, and afterwards, they stick around and you can talk to them some more</p>