<p>A persona - I had an interview at Dream School U at the opposite-sex'd interviewer's house. It went delightfully well even. Though if I remember, it was sometime in the evening time. But it was a weekday, so I had to do it after school. If I remember, I think it was at 5 or 6 pm.</p>
<p>Actually, I was referring to the late evening such as those "after 7" interviews. Although I agree that most interviews will turn out just fine and nothing inappropriate will happen, I feel it's better to err on the side of caution. </p>
<p>The truth is that while most interviewers are well-intentioned alumni who want to meet prospectives and help their college, there are a few oddballs. </p>
<p>Just as a very minor example, my friend who had an interview with an opposite-sex interviewer from Dream School U in the late evening (I believe around eight on a Monday) felt extremely uncomfortable as he interrogated her on his couch. Sometimes, it's not a matter of even inappropriate behavior so much as just plain discomfort at being in a very non-neutral territory. Furthermore, certain NYC subway lines are very dangerous in the late evening (including the one she took to his house) and it was a very nerve-wrecking interview as a result. </p>
<p>Since most interviewers will give the applicant a great amount of control over time and place if desired, I think taking the interviewer's suggestion of time and place is completely optional and it's not necessary to be interviewed at someone's house in a dangerous neighborhood in late evening.</p>
<p>My son had 2 of these in local coffee houses. He felt totally comfortable with them. Some of these described above sound reportable. If alum interviewers know no better than this, they should.</p>
<p>A Persona - I was not sure what time you considered too late. </p>
<p>And the couch situation would weird me out entirely.</p>
<p>A funny addition to my post, my interviewer asked me to come upstairs when I first got there. I was a bit sketched out until I realized we were going to a dining room/kitcheny area that happened to be upstairs. </p>
<p>Boy was I relieved.</p>
<p>Report the wierdos to the schools' Admissions offices. Colleges do not want these types of people representing them.</p>
<p>I used to be an alumni admissions interviewer. There are several reasons my college used Alumni:
1) I live about 300 miles from the college. Having a local interview makes it easy for students in my area to show interest in the college without having to make an extra trip to campus for an interview.<br>
2) College does not have enough admissions personnel to interview every applicant. I don't think any college does.<br>
3) We were viewed as somewhat of a sales tool, in that we were to be able to answer questions about the school and point out positives of the school. Also, it was totally appropriate for kids to ask us questions they might be hesitant to ask an adcom - questions about social life, for example. A kid might be afrait it will look like they're not serious about academics if they ask questions about social life, but questions about dorms, campus culture, and social opportunities are perfectly valid when chosing where to spend the next 4 years. </p>
<p>I quit doing the interviewing when I realized that although I was taking a lot of time writing reports, the college didn't seem to pay much attention to what I said. I really think they saw us as a way to reach out to kids more than a way to get valid feedback on applicants. I think if I had sent in a report with huge red flags (this kid seems like a potential serial killer, he has a swastika tatooed on his forehead) they would have noticed, but otherwise it seemed like kids with strong academic records got in and others didn't, regardless of my glowing report on their sincerity and interest in the school, or my warning that Billy told me he is only applying because his sister goes there and he really wants to go to Norwich. (true story)</p>
<p>My son had an alumni interview last year, he went to the person's office.</p>
<p>I always did interviews at the student's home or a public place; I would never have asked a student to come to my house (because I had a baby at home and didn't want to clean up!)</p>