Can I contact my interviewer despite not submitting my app yet? Also, am I the one who should propose a date for the interview?
I’m also from Europe, if that influences anything.
Yes, you can contact your interviewer once you have their contact info. I would think it’s best to let them propose the date and time for the interview. If there are dates or times that you are not available, let them know, but be as available as possible. D16 had her interview 2 months before she submitted her application.
The idea is to find a mutually convenient time for the interview. Many of the EC’s are very busy people. In my international region, we have 2 CEOs of fair-sized enterprises, a senior government official (non-elected), and any number of other senior executives. It does come across as a bit precious sometimes if an applicant says that they are very busy and can only accommodate interviews on Wednesdays between 9:30 and 11:00, and they could squeeze us in on Dec 23rd for the interview after school has broken up.
That being said, you can request the interview at any time, and we really prefer it if you contact us early. However, you should have done some very basic research on MIT before you come. Do not ask, as one of my applicants did, if we offer an accounting major. As a general rule, when applying for anything at all, do not ask any questions that you can easily look up.