I’m wondering whether the interviews may also be there to help with yield. Maybe a kid who was accepted after having a good interview would be more likely to attend than a kid who did not have such an interview, or any interview. Since most of these interviews are by alumni, they cost little to the college, and, as @socaldad2002 wrote, it keeps alumni involved.
@MWolf Hm. I don’t know. S19 had seven interviews. He obviously couldn’t attend seven colleges. Only one of those schools would end up getting the benefit of him having done an alumni/admissions interview.
Agree w/comment that alumni interviews are done mainly to keep local alumni engaged. I signed up to do alumni interviews for my Ivy alma mater but very quickly realized they were being used as a development/engagement tool rather than anything having anything to do with meaningful admissions evaluations.
That’s a horrible thing to have happened. I hope he looks back one day…thankful that he wasn’t selected, and happy to be where he was meant to be.
Thanks @Luckyjade2024 He’s crazy happy at Bowdoin. Things work out like they are supposed to. 
Awesome…glad to hear that
My daughters H interviewer said they hadn’t had a student accepted in over decade since they started interviewing. She actually expressed her frustration to d. She also said she super supported one candidate per year. But was always supportive in general.
When my d called her with the R. She told her she might stop being an interviewer. She said she was hoping it might help her child one day at this point. It made my D feel a bit less crushed by the no.
Anectdotal. But I wonder what other interviewers feel?
@privatebanker I have friends who are alums at Northwestern and at Wash U who have had the same experience. I believe they both have stopped interviewing.
Hmm. Maybe more marketing for alumni dollars and support than useful.
@privatebanker FWIW I stopped interviewing for Penn and a good friend stopped interviewing for Columbia…just began to feel like a waste of time.
That’s too bad. Sounds like it could have been very rewarding.
I always thought it was really helpful. Maybe it’s the last thing they review to decide between some finalists. No idea of course.
@privatebanker and, honestly, a pain in the butt for kids to fit interviews into senior year on top of keeping grades up, ECs, apps, visiting schools, etc. We trekked all over the Chicagoland area for S19’s seven interviews. One required driving in crazy snowstorm an hour each way for a 30 minute interview. Others were at 6:00 at night after practice and then S19 was up past midnight finishing homework. And then these don’t even mean anything!
@homerdog Wow. Seven interviews. That’s stressful and Chicago traffic if it’s like anything here in Southern New England, Awful.
@privatebanker - It’s definitely discouraging to have no one accepted year after year after year. The last few cycles, the only students I spoke to who were accepted were recruited athletes. Disheartening to talk to amazing kids and see they are rejected.
My H stopped doing alumni meetings because he felt it was a total waste of his time. I’m heading in that direction but am not quite there yet. Maybe when D is done with college and I feel more removed from the process.
I’m also feeling like students would probably prefer meeting with a more recent grad than a mom…
@privatebanker well, you know, we felt it was important to show interest! He was accepted to all schools where he interviewed except for Dartmouth.
That is sad to hear. I truly loved my interview experience. I felt that we really connected. He told me he really like me and thought I would be a great fit. I was nervous before hand and came out feeling great about the interview and more excited Cornell than ever.
Do the individual Colleges in Cornell all view the interviews in a different manner. Maybe the smaller colleges give it more consideration?
Hey @HKimPOSSIBLE would you mind writing out a list of the schools you applied to EA? I realize the QuestBridge thing makes it confusing but i’m trying to get into my head what deadlines/decisions you are facing.
@homerdog 6 out of 7. That might be a CC record. What a success.!
She had three interviews and I thought it was a lot.
Two Wl and an R. Gtown Brown and H. RD wasn’t great in our house. 3 Wl with the 2 mentioned plus Bowdoin (mistake of not demonstrating interest - didn’t even know that was a thing until I came here during April of senior year) and the flat no.
Thank goodness it was better ea and none required an interview ea. .
My D’s H interviewer was a relatively recent alum but had been interviewing every year since graduating. She told my D that she loved interviewing and met many incredible students but none of the students she’d ever interviewed had ever been accepted. She said interviewers have no pull. She was thrilled when my D got in and sad when she declined. Really nice young woman who came out of the cafe to the parking lot to introduce herself to me after the interview (my D has a pretty cool life story to share and did).
Great story. At least she can say one of her students was accepted!
Where did she choose in the end?