<p>My son is feeling a bit frustrated with Middlebury. He and a friend applied regular decision and neither has been invited for an alumni interview. His friend said she called the admissions office and was told they likely will not be offered an interview at this time. Meanwhile, another friend of theirs who also applied regular decidion was interviewed; there ARE Midd alumni near us, including my daughter!
Here's what has changed in the admissions in the 6 years since my daughter applied and was accepted: No on-campus interviews, no Middlebury-specific essays on the Common App, no graded academic paper, and now, not even an alumni interview.
We love Middlebury, my daughter loved Middlebury and I'm sure my son would also, but right now, the process is kind of a let-down.</p>
<p>I can tell you that Middlebury had a record number of applicants this year (almost 9,000), and that in some markets, the number of applicants far exceeded the number of alumni interviewers. To partly remedy this situation, some interviews were conducted via Skype with alumni in other parts of the country. The interview reports were due early this past week, so those who haven’t yet had interviews likely will not have them. If it’s any consolation, the interviews are not required for admission, and do not play a major role in admissions decisions. Has your daughter volunteered to be an alumni interviewer? If not, she should consider it, although she would not have been able to interview anyone this year. To eliminate potential conflicts of interest, Middlebury does not allow alumni with family or friends in the current applicant pool to participate in the interview process.</p>
<p>Yes! How come there is no supplemental common application essay for Middlebury? I was let down by their bare bones supplement. Less work for me to do…haha but still.</p>
<p>Good idea about my daughter, Arcadia; I’m sure she’d love to do it, too.</p>
<p>As I recall, Alumni also couldn’t interview potential students if they attended the same HS. But I will say that Arcadia is correct that it is not really significant to admissions since S was accepted without one.</p>
<p>I will agree that the bare bones application process is different from when S applied three years ago. The graded paper, supplemental question no longer required. But… I will also say that when S was a senior in HS, papers were starting to become electronically submitted with teacher comments etc all made on the electronic copy (no actual paper used). As my D is a senior in HS now, ALL her papers are submitted this way. Truth is, it would be very easy to change comments, grades, etc on these things. Also, I know the admissions staff @ mid was trimmed right before the class of 2014 applied when other cuts were being made. They had found that the supplemental essay etc did not seem to alter who was admitted in the end. Yes, it might cut down on the number of applicants if there were more to do to actually submit an application but if you’ve got recommendations, your transcript and the essays as part of the common app… when you really think about it, how much more information does someone need?</p>
<p>Overall, Modadun has a good point–there’s a lot of information in the standard application process.
But I am keenly aware of how privilege can affect one’s application. Being in a private school or competitive well-to-do public school with guidance counselors who understand what the colleges are looking for, having parents who can pay for SAT Prep and tutoring, and private counselors who “help” write the application really does make a difference in one’s application.
A one-to-one meeting can help level the field. An interviewer can flag the unengaged kids who have little to offer but high grades and scores, and can recognize the incredible kids who had no guidance in how to present themselves in their essays and applications.</p>
<p>/\ /\ /\ /</p>
<p>well said.</p>
<p>Many good points are being made here. Thank you to all for raising them. I’ve also been wondering whether the process currently works as well as it might. The common app format, without supplemental essays, is somewhat limiting. And many students receive coaching from teachers, parents, and counselors as they prepare the common app. College-specific essays can shed light on the character of the applicant and also be indicative of the applicant’s interest in the college. And yes, on-campus interviews are cumbersome for colleges, but they can be very helpful for prospective applicants to get a better feel about whether to apply - including whether it’s worth taking a shot at ED admission. An interview in Dec-Jan. is undoubtedly very helpful to the admissions committee, but what about the student who doesn’t end up applying because, without having some sort of personal connection (ie athletic recruit or perhaps through the interview experience), it seems to be too much of a long-shot. Interviewers generally don’t give tangible feedback to prospective students, but the experience can still be very valuable to students looking for an appropriate college fit. And with many colleges now relying on current seniors (undergraduates), the interviews can also be valuable work experience for the interviewers themselves.</p>
<p>I became more excited about Midd after my interview. I would also like to mention that I prefer a face to face rather than a written opportunity to express myself. Maybe it’s just because I am dyslexic but I LOVED my interview. I hope I get in.</p>
<p>Is it a negative if you weren’t invited for an alumni interview? Or does it just indicate a shortage of interviewers?</p>
<p>Shortage of interviewers-not supposed to count at all, supposed to be more a “infomercial”</p>