Should I be concerned that we did not meet with an AO during on campus interview

Prep School Admissions
1

After 3 rounds of BS admissions processes I thought I had seen it all and that my involvement on the forum would transition to contributing to discussions rather than starting them. Guess I was naive.

DS1 went through the BS admissions process twice. The first year he was waitlisted everywhere he applied, the second year was met with success, he enrolled, graduated and he is now enjoying his freshmen year in college. DD went through the process last year but declined to enroll and enjoying her sophomore year at the LPS. DS2 is working on essays and in the middle of visiting campuses for interviews etc. The point of all of this context is to say this is not my first rodeo.

So DS2 has had two interviews so far and in both cases I’ve experienced something new. At neither school did we actually meet with an admissions officer. At one school we met with a local alumnus. At the other school we met with an faculty member. At both schools I was directed to email the general admissions address if I had any follow up questions. I’m familiar with both of these schools as DS1 interviewed at them both years he applied, and DD interviewed at them last year as well. At each and every one of those interviews we met with an actual admissions officer.

This feels very odd to me. I’m not sure if I should read anything into this. The schools in question are well known. Fortunately for me they are only 100-150 miles from home. I’m disappointed that we did not meet with an AO. If I had flown across the country, or the globe, I think I might have lost it.

Thoughts? Am I reading something into nothing?

2

I think some of these schools lean on people within the school community during busy times. Of course it would be great to meet with someone from AO who is actually on the committee but they can’t see everyone. I asked a bit about the process at one school and the Admissions person (we saw an associate director in this case) outlined the process. They pull from the faculty all the time and some of them actually sit on the committee and can be your child’s best advocate. On our visits we definitely met with interviewers that were not part of the actual admissions office so I wouldn’t read into it too much. And actually, the interview where we felt rushed and not connected to the interviewer (and the school for that matter) was at Choate where we did see someone from the AO.

3

I confess you are taking it more calmly than I would have… you took time out of your busy schedule to actually visit the schools even though you had seen them before. I am a bit cut-and-dried about things, so take my next comments with a grain of salt. This is just my two cents… but there are many, many schools out there. This experience would have made me eliminate the schools in question and continue the search to find a school that is actually interested in getting to know my child. I understand that teachers and alums can have valuable input, but they are not usually the ones making the final decisions. If the interviews had been for “extra input” then that is another story. In our case, we met with specific admissions officers, and were given the opportunity for follow up and relationship building over the few months that followed the visit. I realize that this could just be a result of how the school structures things, but we preferred the more personal approach. It is a big decision and a lot of money to spend without truly feeling connected to a school that has a reciprocal connection to your kid as an individual person.

That said, if any of the schools is absolutely the best fit and your son’s number one choice out of every school to which he is applying, then maybe just take it as it comes and continue the process as you always have in the past. Good luck to DS2!

4

If I were you I would not be happy. It may be a sign, but maybe about the school and not about you. I’d echo @MAandMEmom about feeling rushed and disconnected even with an AO interview, though at a different school.

5

I am with @london203 with one variation: are the interviewers on your kid’s admission committee? Schools vary quite a bit on this matter. Some huddle only with AOs, some have faculty and alums, as noted above. If your student was interviewed by those who can advocate in committee, then no worries. Otherwise, this is a sign to move on to other schools, IMO.

6

Over three BS application seasons, we had several interviews with faculty and staff who were not AOs.
Those were at Andover, Exeter, Tilton School (during a Saturday Open House), and Fountain Valley School of Colorado (during an Open House.)
Some ended with an AO or an associate Admission Director introducing him/herself and giving a businesscard. That way we could write to someone we met face to face, rather than writing to admissions@school.

When we wrote to the faculty interviewer at Exeter, he forwarded the email to an admission staff who replied thus I assume the faculty interviewer was not the member of Admission Committee.
I would definitely prefer interviewing with an AO but that’s not something one can control due to the busy schedule in the fall.

7

In general, if the student does not have an active advocate on the committee, s/he is at a decided disadvantage. Might be useful to know what @payn4ward’s student’s outcome was re: schools mentioned.

Personally, if my currently enrolled kid had faced this situation, I would have requested another interview with a non A0 committee member. With kid2 coming up, same plan. If this is viewed as pushy, so be it.

8

Hmm, should have read “with an AO or non AO committee member.”

9

FWIW, I would also have to echo @MAandMEmom that schools lean on those within the school community. DD applied to seven schools last cycle and we had varying interview scenarios. DD interviewed on campus with a faculty member at Cate. She interviewed with a touring AO for Choate, local alumni for Exeter, Andover & Lawrenceville and skyped with a Hotchkiss AO. Deerfield was a last minute addition and she waived the interview requirement for them. After the application was submitted, they called to arrange a skype interview with a faculty member. Choate was the only school she was not admitted to and also the only one in which she had an in person interview with an AO! TBH, I never considered that an interview with someone other than an AO would be at all detrimental or would carry any less weight at decision time.

10

@Agincourt All those schools did not accept us, but we got plenty of rejections when we were interviewed by AOs :wink: so I don’t think non AO interviewer was the reason as evidenced by above post.
I agree that we did feel disadvantaged and did not feel as much connected to the school than the others but how we feel about them does not affect admission decisions.
So it all comes down to how strong the candidate package is and how much the school wants the child, not who interviews and advocates the candidate.
It may well be that the interview is becoming just one piece of information like reference letters and grades for the schools that can no longer have AOs interview all the candidates.

How one feels about the school can well…be much improved on the revisit day.

11

@payn4ward, my point, such as it was, is that having an advocate for the student in the room can be a deciding factor when it comes down to candidates with similar statistics and strengths. It’s not so much whether the student’s interviewer is an AO or not but rather the matter of sitting with the committee or not.

As you say: “…it all comes down to how strong the candidate package is and how much the school wants the child.” The applicant’s personality comes through mostly through the interview. Having an enthusiastic advocate at the admissions table is much more advantageous than a note of support, in my opinion. It’s easier to say no to a piece of paper.

@RedSoxFan18, was one of the two schools you mention the school where your other son attends? Some schools looked favorably on siblings who apply; perhaps in such a case the school is already favorably inclined to DS2. In such a circumstances, I would think the interview with someone not on the committee might be less of a concern.

Otherwise, are you in a position to get your student back to the schools in question for another interview? If so, and if your DS2 interviews well, perhaps you might consider asking for another go with someone who will be on the committee. That is what I would do in your circumstance.

12

@RedSoxFan18 …but that is not necessarily your circumstance, is it? (Once again I have bungled in an attempt to assist). Your issue is that you are concerned about not interviewing with an AO. As more coherent posters have pointed out, schools often turn to non AO interviewers when the going gets heavy, as it does in this season.

My point, striving mightily to rise above my ineptitude, is that whilst AOs are highly likely to be in the room when the applications are reviewed, non AO interviewers are much less likely to be there, though some of them may be there.

Should you be concerned that your son did not interview with an AO? If that non AO interviewer is on the admissions committee, I would not be worried. However, if said interviewer is not on the committee, yes I would want my kid to have another interview, if at all possible.

Whew! I hope I am making myself clear at long last. I am going to lie down now…

13

Thanks to all for the helpful comments. I often wear my heart on my sleeve and have to admit it took a fair amount of self control not to react emotionally and immediately after the interviews. I waited several days after the interviews before posting. I’m sure the tone would have been different if I posted the next day.

The two schools in question are Exeter and Andover - DS1 graduated from Andover in '15. DD was offered admission to Andover last admit cycle but chose to return to the LPS. One of the reasons why I’m concerned about not having an AO is the support the AO provided last year. She was always there to help answer questions, and clearly to advocated for DD. When DD’s revisit day did not go well the AO arranged for a second revisit day. DS2 is a very different applicant from his siblings. He does not devour standardized tests like his siblings and is not likely to be varsity athlete his first year. His grades and recommendations will be the strongest part of his application. I think he is going to need an advocate and I’m concerned that will be missing. I’m going to reach out to the two schools and learn what role our interviewers will have in the process. If their remaining involvement is simply to submit a report about their interaction with DS2 I’m going to request a second interview.

On a very positive note DS2 had a shadow day at a local private day school yesterday. They clearly stepped up their admissions game. Five years ago DS1 was waitlisted at Andover, Exeter, and SPS. He never made it any off of any waitlists. Based on that experience we added a less selective local day school to the list the next year. DS1’s shadow days at the local day school was an abysmal failure but I’ll spare you the details. DS2 is also looking at the same local day school and their admissions office called to review the plan for the shadow day with my wife. They decided to splits DS2’s day between two different student hosts so that he could see the aspects of the school that most interests him. He sat through some classes and the teachers interacted with him during the class. Students he knew that were seniors made it a point to come say hello. He came home thrilled by the experience. They sent us a lovely email last evening with a couple of nice photos. DS2 has said still really wants to follow in his big brothers footsteps but that he can really see himself being happy at the local day school.

I’m still going to pursue the best BS outcome for DS2 that I can, but in the end DS2 will love the school that loves him and right now the local day school has shown him some love. I was very late getting BS interviews scheduled this year due to my work travel schedule. We still have Choate and Milton in January.

14

@redsoxfan18: would you consider adding a few “next tier” boarding schools? you may find the personal touch that many of the smaller (perhaps not as well known) schools to be refreshing… I think our experience at the ones we chose mirrored more your second son’s experience shadowing at the day school. I think maybe A. and E. are just too big to be able to offer the personal touch to the many many kids who apply. There are many threads here about the merits of “hidden gems” and the rigorous education they offer to go into that again, but those threads might be worth a re-read. Also, if your second son is not quite as competitive in the sports arena, you may find he would have a better opportunity to play at smaller schools. It is certainly worth consideration, no?

15

Good points @london203. When DS2 was selecting schools I had him develop a list criteria that were important to him. He specifically wants a larger school, and I never pointed out the negative impact that could have on sports participation. That will be a good topic for later today and maybe we can make some late additions. There is no anti hidden gem sentiment in the house - I graduated from a school that often appears on the hidden gem list - Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs. I could gush about my experience during the admission process at FVS, the director of admissions is still a personal friend and drove 1,500 miles to attend my wedding. Mom graduated from the less hidden Peddie.

16

Another point is that it can be hard to shine at the uber-competitive schools academically as well. Obviously it depends on what motivates each kid, but sometimes it is nice to be able to be near the top vs. struggling to be in the middle… (note: this is not a “cut” on your kid… just a general observation!).

17

Hi @RedSoxFan18 ! You ARE a veteran of the BS process!

I am sharing an anecdote about my DD’s BS admission/interview process at your son’s alma mater. First, as you can tell from my College Confidential ID, I am not local to the school. The idea of DD applying to BS did not come up until mid NOVEMBER in the first place. So, this momma had neither planned anything nor had a frame of reference for what to expect. (I did not know College Confidential even existed.) Anyway, I contacted that wonderful school to which your son graduated, and they arranged for an alumni interview. It was DD’s first interview and she had never even seen a boarding school in her life. At the time, she was pretty open to the suggestion of a different high school experience, but didn’t know ANYTHING whatsoever about BS. She met the alumna at a local coffee shop. After the conversation, the alumna kindly and calmly explained that DD was nice but lacked passion and that passion for something is a characteristic of all students at Andover. DD was “nice” but didn’t demonstrate enough PASSION. The message was loud and clear. I understood that this very likely meant DD would not be accepted. Luckily, we were pursuing two other schools. The second school you named, and a small school that has been in the news lately :-). I knew the poor interview would be a deal breaker. Plus, she had not prepared AT ALL for the SSAT. Her scores showed this.
Anyway, I took her back East to look at the three schools over Martin Luther King break. DD did write the coaches for the sports in which she participates for the opportunity to meet them and learn a little more about their teams while we were on campus. We did meet the coaches as well as a department head of her favorite subject.
We had an amazing meeting with one of the coaches. He actually knew her alumna interviewer.
I explained to DD that she shouldn’t get her hopes up about getting into Andover, not to diminish her ego or sense of self worth, but just so she would not be devastated when she was not offered a spot. DD was a very good student and has some unusual interests. She was indeed admitted. I have absolutely no doubt one of the coaches put in a great word for her. There was no AO in the equation. I suspect the coach’s input trumped the alumna.
Fast forward: DD has loved the school and is now team co-captain for said coach’s team. Pretty much, a very happy ending. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity she has been given.
Moral of the story, if you can, seek out Department Heads or others who share and can see your son’s passions. It might help him.
Best of luck. And kudos for being such caring and supportive father. You have some fortunate children!

18

I’m certain you already know about January 23 at Andover but I throw that option out there as a way of possibly connecting with an AO if that’s the one. There are options to meet with faculty as well. At E, daughter and I had a great conversation with a faculty member because of her interest and and we soon learned that she was previously on the committee. It almost felt like a mini interview:)

19

Thanks again all, some wonderful feedback to my post and some great PMs as well. I’ll be sure to follow up and let’s folks know if we end up with some other interviews etc.

20

I’m tempted to think that the weight accorded to an interview can vary from school to school and applicant to applicant. According to some of the AOs we saw, DC2 was unusually poised, confident, and mature–so naturally we are hoping that those observations figure into the decision-making process. But for those kids who are less compelling in person, the interview may not play so large a role.

DC2 had one interview with a faculty member, and it was unlike most of the others. While it’s fun to imagine what that could mean, for those of us on the outside looking in, such musings are nothing more than idle speculation.

I suspect that the admissions process at Wesleyan, as portrayed in “The Gatekeepers,” by Jacques Steinberg, bears some relation here. As I recall, there certainly were instances of AOs passionately going to bat for particular applicants. But an AO’s advocacy cannot work miracles. Similarly, undeniably solid candidates are likely to be admitted regardless of how much or little an interviewer pushes.

Admissions decisions are made in committee, and presumably every participant advocates for their interviewees–hence, it’s all more or less a wash. So many times I have read on this forum of an AO promising to advocate for an applicant, only to see the process result in a denial.

If an AO can’t say anything except "there was something special about this kid,"or “the kid seems to really like our school,” their input is probably disregarded as so much background noise. If, however, the AO can provide some specific, telling insight gleaned from the interview, then I suppose it could make a difference. And I’d like to think that that insight could just as easily be read off a report as be spoken in committee.

Of course, a veteran AO who has attained a certain stature within the office may have marginally more sway in the decision-making process. But I’m reluctant to believe that it’s only about each AO single-mindedly trying to get their own interviewees admitted. In the end, I suspect that the committee stays focussed on putting together the best class, regardless of who interviewed whom or, for that matter, whether the interviewer takes part in the process.

That’s not to say that a strong applicant couldn’t somehow fall through the cracks for lack of a passionate advocate. But one must weigh the pros and cons of petitioning busy admissions offices for requests for a second interview. From my perspective, there are simply too many factors that come into play to focus on just one.