<p>I go to a very competitive public school (old SAT average = 1300), just outside of New York City. I would estimate that there are between 35 and 60 students applying to each of the ivy league schools this year (plus duke and stanford. My grades and SATs certainly are in the range of these schools (3.9 unweighted and 2230), but the applicants from my school are all extremely well qualified. Anyway, I had some great interviews and I was wondering how much the interview can improve admissions chances at the following schools:</p>
<p>Harvard, Penn, Brown, Duke (already deferred ED), Cornell, Georgetown, Yale, Northwestern and Dartmouth.</p>
<p>I thought all of my interviews went very well except for Duke because it was my first one and I was nervous and did not know exactly what was expected of me. Anyway, please let me know whether or not you think that interviews at any of these schools can push a candidate from the middle of the pool towards an acceptance. Thanks in advance for your responses..</p>
<p>I can't speak for all of the schools that you mention, but what I've seen as a Harvard alumni interviewer is that an excellent interview can confirm that an already excellent applicant deserves to be admitted. I have never seen evidence that an excellent interview can tip in a candidate who's in the middle of the pack.</p>
<p>The information that is most important in the interview is not whether the applicant is charming, but whether the applicant is intellectually inclined, has ECs with depth, and appears to have the moxie to take advantage of the campus environment.</p>
<p>An interview can tease out whether, for instance, ECs were resume dressing or whether the applicant demonstrated leadership and had an impact. An interview also can help determine the depth of an applicant's thinking, thus separating the people who have the analytic ability to write essays with depth and those whose essays were impressive because they were revised or written by high priced consultants.</p>
<p>NSM, can you share with us the format of your report to H on an interview? For example, is it check the box? For what categories? Admit Y/N/Maybe? Is it entirely free form, as in what was you take on this applicant? Anything else you can share? Thanks.</p>
<p>I don't have the form in front of me, but I know that Jay Mathews, the college book author and Washington Post columnist, has described the format in his column and books. It also has been detailed by me and others on CC, and you can find that through the CC archives.</p>
<p>The interviewers write a narrative and also complete a check-off form.</p>
<p>From the Yale interviewer perspective, I second all of what Northstarmom said in her first post. The format of the Yale interview report is a rating on a scale of 1-9 and a narrative by the interviewer.</p>
<p>From the perspective of an alumni interviewer at a highly selective LAC, the format is similar to that described for Harvard and Yale. The rating scale on our form goes from 1 to 5, and a narrative (which is usually 3 or 4 paragraphs in my case) is expected in addition to the rating form. My impression is that alumni interviews are rarely a major influence in the admissions decision, but that they can be one of several "tipping" factors in close cases.</p>
<p>After reading through your description, I am puzzlled and a little bit worry about the Yale interview. My kid was interviewed by Yale local ASC a couple days ago, and we just learned that the interviewer's child is also applying to Yale at this time from our neighbouring high school (got defferral from early action). Why would Yale allow an applicant's parent to interview another applicant? I will appreciate any help or advice anyone can give us. In the past few years only one or maybe two kids got accepted into Yale from our town. If everything is based on fair ground, my kid has a better chance. Thanks, Worried Mom.</p>
<p>Don't know about Yale, buy my LAC does not allow alumni to interview applicants in the year they have a child applying to college, even if they are not applying to the LAC. They can send us to college fairs, etc., but no interviewing.</p>
<p>The fact that Yale allows this (if) may reflect how little the alumni interviews matter in admission decisions. I wouldn't put too much stock in the interview's importance. Some kids don't even get an interview and get in. My best friend's son was admitted early (Feb) as an RD candidate, and never had an interview.</p>
<p>My alma mater (and Amherst as well) explicitly prohibits the use of interviews - either alumni or admissions office - in the admissions process. ALL interviews - no exceptions. The reason for it is simple: it further cemented the "old boys" network in ways they didn't want.</p>
<p>They've found ways to admit the "old boys" through other methods. ;)</p>
<p>Did the interviewer know your child prior to the interview?</p>
<p>You must keep in mind that some interviewers are parents, and at some time their children will be applying to college. </p>
<p>It is not unusual to apply to a college where your parent is an alum. It is going to come a time when you as a parent interviewer will be interviewing kids at the same time your child is going through the process. </p>
<p>Do you think that the parent should not interview any candidates during the admissions cycle because they have a kid that is applying? what is Yale's policy on this?</p>
<p>An interviewer, especially one who has been doing this a long time, will be objective enough to interview your kid and see him for who he and not look at him as some one who is in 'competition' with his kid.</p>
<p>As far as the interviewer's kid is concerned, he may have a hard time getting an interview especially if his/her parent is an alumni chair, or a well known alumni, or an friend of all of the other Yale interviewers in the area becasue you cannot interview the kids of your friends and family.</p>
<p>
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If everything is based on fair ground, my kid has a better chance.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>what consititues fair ground? Grades and stats? That is just one measure that gets you over the first hurdle. There are subjective criteria that will make the student stand out beyon the stats: essays, recommendation, ec's, etc. At the end of the day, the interviewer's kid is still going to be a legacy which is going to be a tip factor no matter how you slice it. The bigger question is will it be enough of a tip?</p>
<p>Yale's take on interviewers who also have kids applying: </p>
<p>To avoid any appearance of conflicts of interest, you must not interview a prospective student who attends your child's high school in the year that your child is applying to Yale. Also try to avoid interviewing students whom you already know well or whose parents are business associates or friends of yours.</p>
<p>I stepped out completely the year my kid was applying to college; I believe that is Brown's policy. </p>
<p>Furthermore, I would not interview a kid with whom I have a prior first-hand relationship. I also now avoid the schools my kids attend(ed). I would never want someone thinking kid A got in because she was a family friend, or kid B did not get in, because my child disliked him from high school...</p>
<p>This is definitely being over-cautious, because at least at Brown the interview is not a factor in admission. At most a strong report (whether pro or con) would prompt the admission office to take a closer look at the application, but as NSM suggests, it usually just confirms the admission decision.</p>
<p>"After reading through your description, I am puzzlled and a little bit worry about the Yale interview. My kid was interviewed by Yale local ASC a couple days ago, and we just learned that the interviewer's child is also applying to Yale at this time from our neighbouring high school (got defferral from early action). Why would Yale allow an applicant's parent to interview another applicant?"</p>
<p>I know that Harvard does not allow alum interviewers to interview students the year that the alum interviewers' kids are applying to Harvard. </p>
<p>If I were your kid, I'd e-mail the Yale admissions office, explain the situation, and ask if they have a policy about this. If so, my guess is that your student would get an additional interview.</p>