Does being contacted for a Dartmouth interview mean anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Dartmouth alum and used to interview students every year.

For a while, the school tried to offer every applicant an interview (except in rural areas without alumni), but interviews are not guaranteed anymore with more student to applying. The point of the interview was to allow applicants to ask questions about the school and not to judge the applicants. Getting an interview only means that the school found an available alum to interview, and provides no indication about admissions.

I stopped interviewing because no one I liked got in, and a couple of student I didn't like were admitted (and didn't end up going). Mostly, I didn't like students who knew nothing about Dartmouth and basically applied to the US News top 20 list. I had one applicant who only wanted to be in an urban areas and thought Dartmouth was close to Boston. I gave bad feedback about the applicant to the admissions office, but kid still got in and chose to go elsewhere.

But you don't see their applications. One interview is a small piece of the larger puzzle.

If schools are looking for kids who want to be there, someone thinking Dartmouth is urban and you can go drinking in Boston on Friday nights means they have done zero research about the school

True and, all things being equal, this point could break a tie. But only if that student isn't needed to fill a particular bucket.

That student could have a 1600 SAT and glowing recs about original academic work. If the choice is between him and a student with a 1450 SAT and very good but not stellar academics, the first one will get in even if the second student has done all their homework on Dartmouth and is dying to go there. Dartmouth (and other top schools) don't really care that much. This speaks to the point about alumni not seeing the applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Dartmouth alum and used to interview students every year.

For a while, the school tried to offer every applicant an interview (except in rural areas without alumni), but interviews are not guaranteed anymore with more student to applying. The point of the interview was to allow applicants to ask questions about the school and not to judge the applicants. Getting an interview only means that the school found an available alum to interview, and provides no indication about admissions.

I stopped interviewing because no one I liked got in, and a couple of student I didn't like were admitted (and didn't end up going). Mostly, I didn't like students who knew nothing about Dartmouth and basically applied to the US News top 20 list. I had one applicant who only wanted to be in an urban areas and thought Dartmouth was close to Boston. I gave bad feedback about the applicant to the admissions office, but kid still got in and chose to go elsewhere.

But you don't see their applications. One interview is a small piece of the larger puzzle.

If schools are looking for kids who want to be there, someone thinking Dartmouth is urban and you can go drinking in Boston on Friday nights means they have done zero research about the school

True and, all things being equal, this point could break a tie. But only if that student isn't needed to fill a particular bucket.

That student could have a 1600 SAT and glowing recs about original academic work. If the choice is between him and a student with a 1450 SAT and very good but not stellar academics, the first one will get in even if the second student has done all their homework on Dartmouth and is dying to go there. Dartmouth (and other top schools) don't really care that much. This speaks to the point about alumni not seeing the applications.

The reality is that there will be another student with a 1580, glowing recs, and original academic work (whatever that even means for a high schooler) who has Dartmouth as a top choice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Dartmouth alum and used to interview students every year.

For a while, the school tried to offer every applicant an interview (except in rural areas without alumni), but interviews are not guaranteed anymore with more student to applying. The point of the interview was to allow applicants to ask questions about the school and not to judge the applicants. Getting an interview only means that the school found an available alum to interview, and provides no indication about admissions.

I stopped interviewing because no one I liked got in, and a couple of student I didn't like were admitted (and didn't end up going). Mostly, I didn't like students who knew nothing about Dartmouth and basically applied to the US News top 20 list. I had one applicant who only wanted to be in an urban areas and thought Dartmouth was close to Boston. I gave bad feedback about the applicant to the admissions office, but kid still got in and chose to go elsewhere.

But you don't see their applications. One interview is a small piece of the larger puzzle.

If schools are looking for kids who want to be there, someone thinking Dartmouth is urban and you can go drinking in Boston on Friday nights means they have done zero research about the school

True and, all things being equal, this point could break a tie. But only if that student isn't needed to fill a particular bucket.

That student could have a 1600 SAT and glowing recs about original academic work. If the choice is between him and a student with a 1450 SAT and very good but not stellar academics, the first one will get in even if the second student has done all their homework on Dartmouth and is dying to go there. Dartmouth (and other top schools) don't really care that much. This speaks to the point about alumni not seeing the applications.

The reality is that there will be another student with a 1580, glowing recs, and original academic work (whatever that even means for a high schooler) who has Dartmouth as a top choice

Sure but, once again, the alumni interviewer knows none of these details. They might adore a kid who hasn't submitted a stellar application.

[Anonymous]

All I know is that all the kids my friend really likes in his alum interviews don't get in. Perhaps none of his interviewees have gotten in. But, something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They encourage alumni to interview to keep them "engaged" with the school. I used to do interviews, had many highly qualified candidates, wrote them glowing reviews highlighting specifics about their extensive qualifications and not one ever got in. Stopped interviewing as it was too depressing. If contacted you need to do the interview, do your best to be impressive yet real, have a printed "resume" or personal statement that gives the interviewer what you would like to have highlighted in your review, have interesting things to say about those highlights, and cross your fingers. Good luck it is a great school if it works out for you.

Yep. I like doing interviews because I've met the most amazing kids. Smart, passionate, driven, high test scores, you name it. I too have written so many glowing reviews. I believe 1 of them received an admit.

[Anonymous]

Alumni interviews matter, depending on the seniority level of the interviewer on the local alumni committee, and how connected they are with admissions.