<p>Though this topic was posted numerous times before, I am asking it again.</p>
<p>I received the invitation for an alumni interview a day before the deadline for the alumni to submit the reports on interview. (As you know, they will notify the early app/dec people mid december...) I was given an extension for the interview, but i still have a few questions about it.</p>
<p>What I would like to know is why i received this notification so late?
Would it reflect badly upon me to decline the invitation?
What kind of report does the alumni rep send to the college itself about me?
Which is worse, a negative review, or intentionally declining a review with an alumni?</p>
<p>If you feel that any of these questions are too specific, please dont feel too compelled to answer them. I'm just very concerned about my application considering its really borderline.</p>
<p>Special notes:
I am applying to yale for a fine arts major
I am not a statistically amazing" applicant (With the crazy SAT scores and the sky-high gpa),
but i have certain assets: Though i may not have such a high GPA in comparison with most applicants, i am still ranked in the top 1% of my class, and i am president and member of numerous clubs and organizations within my school.</p>
<p>I would greatly appreciate it if you could support your responses with personal experience.
I have found that many of the past responses i have read concerning these interviews is not entirely convincing.</p>
<p>This forum was intended for applicants to Yale’s Class of 2012, i.e., people who were applying to Yale in 2008. Your question will attract more notice elsewhere in the Yale forum.</p>
<p>But I’ll tell you what I know. (I do not interview for Yale; I used to interview for one of Yale’s peers.)</p>
<p>
There could be any number of reasons, but none of them has anything to do with you. Yale interviews are conducted by alumni who volunteer. It may be there were too few volunteers where you live. It may be that the coordinator for interviews at the Yale Club in your area just messed up. It may be that your interviewer has had your name for weeks, but he or she is a procrastinator. The only thing I’m sure of is that it had nothing to do with you. Yale doesn’t pre-screen applicants before assigning them for interviews.
Not really. In the vast majority of cases, interviews don’t carry a whole lot of weight. The Admissions Office has virtually no control over how they’re conducted, and little ability, if any, to calibrate different interviewers’ standards.
At my alma mater, most of the report is a narrative.
A negative report is worse. But, as I said, the report from the interview usually counts for rather little. For what it’s worth, I was never interviewed for my alma mater.</p>
<p>thank you so much. I’m sorry about posting in the wrong thread. </p>
<p>This has been incredibly helpful. You have no idea how much turmoil there was in my household over this haha >_<’
now everyone’s mind can be at rest. </p>
<p>thank you again 
thank you thank you thank you :)</p>
<p>I would not decline an alumni interview. Even though it is not held against you to not be interviewed if none were offered, it may be assumed that your declining the interview shows a lack of interest or a concern that you could not hold a decent conversation. This is only my opinion as a Yale interviewer.</p>
<p>I interview for Yale and back Sikorsky up on all points.</p>
<p>I have interviewed for Yale for many years and am a local coordinator, assigning interviewers to students. This year I pinged one of my interviewers to reconfirm he was on schedule to get his 2 EA reports in on time, and found out he not only had just completely forgotten to arrange them, he was out of town. I contacted the students at the last minute (Saturday 11/26) and interviewed them myself. So, not as close to the deadline as srpanic, but quite possibly the same reason for the delay. Mistakes happen.</p>
<p>As for declining, while a student is allowed to, I can’t imagine it’s a positive and may be a slight negative, depending on the reason. For instance, if the interview was offered really late and it was just impossible to schedule by the deadline, it’s better to do the interview past the official deadline than not at all. But there could be other reasons (illness, family circumstances, etc.). I would think that providing a reason would be sufficient, but simply saying “thanks but no thanks” would raise red flags. </p>
<p>I do know of one case where someone who had applied simply did not respond to any of many requests (email, phone, even contacting their school). That person didn’t get in. Was the lack of interview a factor? Only the admissions office knows for sure, but I completely agree with YaleGradandDad.</p>