Alumni Interviews - Lack of Consistency and Quality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The parents attacking the interview process should really evaluate if the Ivy League is appropriate for their student. It seems they might be better off at a large state school where their kids won’t repeatedly be subject to peer, professor and club reviews. At my HPY school almost every activity, academic organization or club had a trail or interview by the organizations membership... Mostly “unqualified students” and sometimes faculty.... It’s very difficult to change tradition so be sure that you have your eyes wide open about the environment. As to Mr 3 years it is arrogant and shows a lack of curiosity of learning which is pretty much against the mission. Why not give the spot to someone who wants to absorb as much as possible and create something great. 3 years can go to trade school.

Be serious. For every Brett Kavanaugh conducting an interview there is a young Christine Blassy Ford being interviewed. The possibilities for a terrible interview mismatch rare not that remote. The ivy league is not some paragon of i virtue. It is difficult to change traditions including that crappy traditions. Get real.

Your entitlement is showing. It’s their school and system. My kids had crappy and great interviewers but I never thought entitled to trash the whole system. Wow! Anyway you are suppose to do it in a public place with people around so that is not really an issue. (Library, Starbucks ... a place a kid would normally go). But really just tell your kid not to apply and you will have protected them from “unqualified” interviewers. At graduation you can laugh at the suckers going Ivy that interviewed.

I went to an ivy league school and I am perfectly entitled to point out some of the flaws inherent in an alumni interview and other problems I observe at such institutions. They are far from perfect. Obviously I am not trashing the entire system or I would not be encouraging DC to apply. IMO, the alumni interview system is flawed and I have good reason to think so.

[Anonymous]

I do not think the admissions committees are unaware of the potential issues with alumni interviews. They serve to keep alumni involved more then they serve as a vehicle to make admissions decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The parents attacking the interview process should really evaluate if the Ivy League is appropriate for their student. It seems they might be better off at a large state school where their kids won’t repeatedly be subject to peer, professor and club reviews. At my HPY school almost every activity, academic organization or club had a trail or interview by the organizations membership... Mostly “unqualified students” and sometimes faculty.... It’s very difficult to change tradition so be sure that you have your eyes wide open about the environment. As to Mr 3 years it is arrogant and shows a lack of curiosity of learning which is pretty much against the mission. Why not give the spot to someone who wants to absorb as much as possible and create something great. 3 years can go to trade school.

Be serious. For every Brett Kavanaugh conducting an interview there is a young Christine Blassy Ford being interviewed. The possibilities for a terrible interview mismatch rare not that remote. The ivy league is not some paragon of i virtue. It is difficult to change traditions including that crappy traditions. Get real.

Your entitlement is showing. It’s their school and system. My kids had crappy and great interviewers but I never thought entitled to trash the whole system. Wow! Anyway you are suppose to do it in a public place with people around so that is not really an issue. (Library, Starbucks ... a place a kid would normally go). But really just tell your kid not to apply and you will have protected them from “unqualified” interviewers. At graduation you can laugh at the suckers going Ivy that interviewed.

I went to an ivy league school and I am perfectly entitled to point out some of the flaws inherent in an alumni interview and other problems I observe at such institutions. They are far from perfect. Obviously I am not trashing the entire system or I would not be encouraging DC to apply. IMO, the alumni interview system is flawed and I have good reason to think so.

Good luck! I hope you are very rich and it works out for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not think the admissions committees are unaware of the potential issues with alumni interviews. They serve to keep alumni involved more then they serve as a vehicle to make admissions decisions.

Ha ha ha. It’s definitely not for the alumni.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not think the admissions committees are unaware of the potential issues with alumni interviews. They serve to keep alumni involved more then they serve as a vehicle to make admissions decisions.

Ha ha ha. It’s definitely not for the alumni.

It is.

[Anonymous]

Really??? How does it benefit alum? Are you saying for legacy purposes or just going to training and meeting with 17 year olds in between working???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really??? How does it benefit alum? Are you saying for legacy purposes or just going to training and meeting with 17 year olds in between working???

New poster: Whether it benefits the alum is subjective, but the idea is it keeps alumni active in the community and makes them more likely to donate.

[Anonymous]

I’m interviewing an applicant tomorrow night. I had no idea it was such a divisive issue. Jeez. I was just trying to pitch in for a school that I love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really??? How does it benefit alum? Are you saying for legacy purposes or just going to training and meeting with 17 year olds in between working???

It's called engagement. They talk about it, they feel connected to alma mater, they feel good about giving back.

Engagement leads to more engagement and contributions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m interviewing an applicant tomorrow night. I had no idea it was such a divisive issue. Jeez. I was just trying to pitch in for a school that I love.

Our course 9 out of 10 parents would say it isn't divisive. Someone is just really stressed because her kid didn't 'connect' with the interviewer, who was over the age of 30.

DCUM brings out the worst in people, and IMO parents of seniors in this area are WAY too fixated on where their children go to college and making sure it's prestigious enough.

My DC did several alumni interviews last fall and learned something from each. The alums ranged in age, from a person who graduated 3 years ago to one who graduated 30 years ago. Even if the interviews didn't help (or perhaps hurt) any of his apps, having to make conversations with strangers of all ages and backgrounds is a good skill to practice.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting. When I was applying to colleges in the late 90s, all my alumni interviews were with white men in their 50s in their Gilmore girls grandfather style home studies. I recently was thinking about joining the interviewer team at my HYPSM alma mater (for which I did not interview as an applicant). Now I see that I may be viewed as old and out of touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student received an email stating an alumnus will be in touch to set up an interview, can student decline? From the previous posts it sounds like an interview can only hurt, not help, their chances. My DC is socially awkward but a good conversationalist if the conditions are right.

I would use your best judgement. If some the posters on here are actual interviewers as they claim, I wold be concerned. Some of them seem to be arrogant dismissive people and I would hesitate to respect their judgment of a socially awkward teen. They may flag that DC as disastrous for being awkward.

I know plenty of socially awkward disasters that went to ivy league schools.

I don't think interviewers are worried about socially awkward teens.

There's socially awkward, and there's disturbed. The latter is what the schools are concerned about. Like the unabomber who'd gone to Harvard.

Was he an alumni interviewer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been an HYP alumni interviewer for over 20 years. Most interviews dont make a huge difference, because they just echo the rest of the application.

The school continues to have interviews, though , because the interviewer can spot a kid who can't function, is arrogant, can't keep an appointment, or has PITA parents who try to interject themselves into the process. Admissions committees don't trust high schools to flag these sorts of kids for fear of lawsuits. Every admissions officer seems to have a horror story about a disastrous student who might have gotten in but for an interviewer who raised a concern.

I rest my case. all these problem children best to avoid you like the plague.

If you live in a town with an alum ni interviewer nearby, you can't decline an interview.

I just started interviewing for my alma mater. The interview is considered voluntary. We are trained to make this explicit.

I agree that there is inconsistency. I found myself leaving my last interview glad that I was the kid’s interviewer and not some jerk who may have made sport of the kid in the name of “protecting the brand.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting. When I was applying to colleges in the late 90s, all my alumni interviews were with white men in their 50s in their Gilmore girls grandfather style home studies. I recently was thinking about joining the interviewer team at my HYPSM alma mater (for which I did not interview as an applicant). Now I see that I may be viewed as old and out of touch. [/quot

Nope. Only these angry posters think you would be over the hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been an HYP alumni interviewer for over 20 years. Most interviews dont make a huge difference, because they just echo the rest of the application.

The school continues to have interviews, though , because the interviewer can spot a kid who can't function, is arrogant, can't keep an appointment, or has PITA parents who try to interject themselves into the process. Admissions committees don't trust high schools to flag these sorts of kids for fear of lawsuits. Every admissions officer seems to have a horror story about a disastrous student who might have gotten in but for an interviewer who raised a concern.

I rest my case. all these problem children best to avoid you like the plague.

If you live in a town with an alum ni interviewer nearby, you can't decline an interview.

I just started interviewing for my alma mater. The interview is considered voluntary. We are trained to make this explicit.

I agree that there is inconsistency. I found myself leaving my last interview glad that I was the kid’s interviewer and not some jerk who may have made sport of the kid in the name of “protecting the brand.”

Did you attend an Ivy?