Oh yes! Good advice! Always send a quick thank you note!
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As I said, it depends on the kid, but it also depends on the interviewer. My kids had interviews with high stakes schools but the interviews felt to them like nice chats, and they enjoyed the conversations. Even with top schools, though, my kids were trying to decide if they really wanted to go there, and the interviewer, like the tour guide, made an impression that helped with that, for good or bad. It’s good to know why you want to go to a school.
I don’t think interviews have an earth shattering effect anyway.
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My son has some issues with verbal communication. I have helped him only by coming up with a list of possible interview questions so he is mentally prepared, ie not blindsided by anything. Even though he isn’t the best public speaker, his charm, presence, and commitment still shine through. I’m sure your daughter’s personality was also on display even though it wouldn’t have been the way you would have done it.
I suggest you try not to meddle because she may become more and more anxious if she thinks you are judging her and she is deficient. The last thing you want to do is create a phobia. Good luck to her on future interactions!
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You can go to the common data set and check how that school rates an importance of the interview in the admissions process. You would be surprised, how relatively insignificant it usually is in the grand scheme of things.
It always helps to look at the interview as a an opportunity to learn more about the school.
Good luck!
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I have a good friend who interviews at Harvard. I was really impressed when she told me how they prep. They go so far discuss as an interview team what they are looking for. Each interviewer has the student’s application (my school does not do this) She is a lovely, engaging conversationalist. Definitely not out to ‘get ‘ anyone. As I’ve said before, those alum who are out to trick the student shouldn’t interview. It does no favors for the student nor the school.
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Interviewers having access to the applications? That would be very unusual (and unlikely) in my opinion.
@tamenund, @skieurope - what do you think?
Harvard does not share applications with alumni interviewers. If the interviewer is a member of the admissions office, then of course, the AO has the application available.
Some schools committee chairs might have informational gatherings for new interviewers. Others might hold ranking meetings post-interviews as a group. Practices vary.
More generally, no matter what the school, common sense would be that a “bad” interview is not helpful in the way that a “good” interview potentially might be. Nevertheless, many an interview that a parent or candidate concludes was disastrous was probably completely fine and will not impact the applicant’s case in any meaningful way. A spectacularly great interview probably will not budge the needle much, either.
The best advice is to relax, be yourself, be curious about the school, send a thank you message when the interview is concluded, and then promptly forget it ever took place. For most (every?) school, it is the least important part of your application.
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Interesting! That makes more sense to me. I was surprised when she told me that. I stand corrected. Totally agree on the be yourself, be curious. The only time I got really annoyed with a student was when they showed up in sweats (and not because they were coming from practice) and it was clear from our conversation that she was not really interested my school. It didn’t reflect well on them for obvious reasons (don’t waste anyone’s time—it’s rude and discourteous) but also, it reflected poorly on her school of which I’m sure there were kids who were truly interested. It seemed really incongruent with the high school’s reputation.
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I don’t think you should assume a student is not interested in the college based on their clothing. I am also an interviewer and interviewed students wearing a wide variety of clothing, including some that is extremely casual. I have seen multiple students wear sweatshirts with a hoodie to interview. I don’t recall, if they were also wearing sweatpants. Some of this group appeared to be well qualified and quite interested in the school. The only time I’ve thought clothing might be inappropriate was with a woman who wore something that was more provocative than I was comfortable with, including a skirt high enough that I expect her underwear would have been visible, had I been looking at that area when she was standing. Regardless of what I thought about their clothing, I did not intentionally let it influence my interview ratings or comments. I certainly wouldn’t assume all students from a particular HS are similar and let one student’s good/bad interview change interview ratings/comments of other students who attended the same HS. Instead I try to rate and review applicants based on the criteria and instructions given in the college’s interview documentations and training.
Regarding the original title question of this thread, it depends on the college. At some colleges interviews are meant to be informative for the applicant rather than evaluative and have no/minimal influence on admission decision regardless of outcome. At other colleges interviews are an important criteria that is often influential in decisions. At other colleges interviews are generally given little weight, yet an especially bad interview or certain things said in interview may raise some serious red flags among admission officers. There is too much variation to generalize. In the NACAC report, only 11% of colleges said they placed “considerable importance” on the interview, which put the average importance somewhere between LORs and ECs. The report found that interviews were most likely to be influential at small, selective, private colleges.
I think you need to read through to my next sentence where it was clear she was not interested in the school during our conversation. I specifically asked if she was coming from practice or something thinking it would start a convo about her interests. I know kids wear sweats, PJs all the time but showing up like you are taking someone’s time seriously is not that hard. I will not shame girls for provocative outfits—there is enough of that shaming in the schools already. If you want the full context, she was a serious pageant competitor during high school and went to a very expensive high performing private school so yes, I would expect that she knows the drill.
Next sentence? In the next sentence, you said that it reflected poorly on the student’s high school, and implied it may negatively impact other kids you interview from that HS. I think you are instead referring to a single sentence, which was fully quoted in my post and is repeated below. You certainly make it sound like the choice of casual clothing is one factor you consider in the interview, one factor that annoyed you, and one factor that contributed to your feelings that she wasn’t interested, even if it was not the only factor. That is what I have a problem with.
"The only time I got really annoyed with a student was when they showed up in sweats (and not because they were coming from practice) and it was clear from our conversation that she was not really interested my school. "
Is the drill that you do not wear casual clothing, if you want to be taken seriously in an interview for college admissions? The college I interview recommends interviewers tell the students they interview to dress casually in their introduction email. I’m sure it is not the only college that does this. If students receive multiple emails telling them to dress casually for their interview, I’d expect some make casual clothing their go to college interview outfit.
Really? It’s obvious from my post, this is not what occurred.
My son wore a Harvard shirt to a Zoom interview that was not for Harvard. I told him not to, but he did anyway because he didn’t feel like changing. He just can’t in a million years wrap his head around why something like clothing matters to anyone, because it doesn’t matter to him.
As an alumni interviewer, and with the knowledge that my report will have zero impact on admissions decisions, wearing a college tee will garner one of the following reactions from me:
If the tee is from my college: Well, that’s a bit presumptuous of you.
If the tee is from another college: Well, I guess this is not a college you want to attend.
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I agree but to him, it was the shirt that was at the top of his drawer that day and that’s all there is to it. For better or worse, he doesn’t understand codes/signaling via clothing. And just as background, his grandfather is an alum and bought it for him as a gift. S is not applying to any schools that would ever be spoken in the same breath as Harvard, he has struggled through most of high school.
Just an update.
I am glad this thread is evolving from my original post, because my D22 has also evolved. She has since had 2 more interviews for other schools and those went well. I didn’t need to tell her anything.
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I accidentally wore another school’s sweatshirt on an information session for a different school- and I was the only person there!! I didn’t even realize until after. (I had a friend that went to the school which is when I got the sweatshirt, and I was also applying.) I still ended up getting into both schools, though! I ended up attending the school I wore the sweatshirt for- I guess it was meant to be!
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I’m glad! My first interview (pre-Covid), my hearing aids unexpectedly died. I was still able to hear the interviewer, and thought it went well. When I talked with my mom, she asked me why I was shouting 
I was probably screaming my answers to this poor interviewer! I ended up getting accepted though, so it worked out in the end! Also a lesson to always Mae sure your hearing aids are charged!
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If it is from an obviously fictional college like Starfleet Academy or Pacific Tech, then ?