Alumni Interviews - Lack of Consistency and Quality

[Anonymous]

My DC had an interview last weekend with an Alum who was relatively young and had a lot of recent (within the past 5-10 years) experience. Overall a positive to reinforce the ED choice. Obviously it is a longshot but still, it was worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

I did alumni interviews for my ivy for a few years. I felt like I had no impact and that the whole process was a waste of time. I stopped.

I certainly got no guidance on interviewing, making whatever we all learned completely unstandardized and random.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember the interviews being pointless and ridiculous when I did them in the 90s. They are not required and have no baring on admission (and I know this for a fact because I have worked in the admissions office at an Ivy while I was an undergrad and I now serve on the board of our local alumni club). So, send your kid for the experience or skip them entirely. It doesn’t matter.

Yes. My alumni interview for my top school was so creepy that it took the shine off the school. I’m sort of thankful because that school was perfection in my mind and I needed a reality check.

It’s a hoop you have to jump through. Make sure kids know how to handle themselves and report any inappropriate stuff to admissions.

[Anonymous]

The only guidance my college gave was that you weren’t supposed to ask where else the student is applying.

Other than that, anything was fine.

A friend who does alumni interviews for Harvard always asks what their favorite ice cream is. And then why. He does it to inject some fun but more importantly to see if the applicant can state an opinion and defend it. Says many demur and try to ascertain what his favorite is.

[Anonymous]

"Yes. My alumni interview for my top school was so creepy that it took the shine off the school. I’m sort of thankful because that school was perfection in my mind and I needed a reality check."

+1

Not so much creepy as just plain bizarre but the sentiment holds

[Anonymous]

I’m an interviewer for my college and have no illusions about my centrality to the process. I do it to give back to a place I love. I’ve no idea how much impact any of it has but I do take the responsibility seriously and try to be a good representative for my school. There are very specific guidelines to follow and they ask me to ‘recertify’ by keeping up on the interviewer materials. The school is a tough admit and I’ve yet to interview a kid who wasn’t a superb student and very impressive.

What concerns me most is the genuine interest in the school. Mine is rural and small. Is that a match? Or is the kid applying simply because of a high ranking and perceived value? Have they visited? Do they go on and on about some other school that’s their real love? I had one who was brilliant and really wanted an urban campus and didn’t even know where the school was exactly, so it was pretty clear it was a poor match. I’m brutally honest in my reports to the mothership.

I’m not sure how any interviewer would know if it has an impact. I don’t even see their applications so I don’t know their GPA or test scores or anything else unless they provide it (and some do).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC attends a Big 3. Friends report alumni interviews are frustrating. Many arrive late. Many are too old to know what is happening with curriculum/campus. Many happening on a work day so people are tired and distracted. So do they count or not ?

How dare the alumni of highly selective schools subject Big 3 seniors to such travesty! Didn't they ever hear of Big 3?

The Big 3 part has nothing to do with it. What does is having alumni showing up late, being misinformed, and otherwise grouchy. Hit the road.

And why did you start your post with "DC attends a Big 3". How is it relevant if your complaint is about the behavior and the lack of knowledge of the interviewers? Do you think the interviewers be any different if your DC were going to little 3 or some other high school? Now you hit the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC attends a Big 3. Friends report alumni interviews are frustrating. Many arrive late. Many are too old to know what is happening with curriculum/campus. Many happening on a work day so people are tired and distracted. So do they count or not ?

How dare the alumni of highly selective schools subject Big 3 seniors to such travesty! Didn't they ever hear of Big 3?

The Big 3 part has nothing to do with it. What does is having alumni showing up late, being misinformed, and otherwise grouchy. Hit the road.

Right, so why does OP mention it? I’ll guess it gets mentioned a lot when it isn’t relevant. ‘Hey did you watch El Camino? My kid at a big 3 said it’s great.’

The context is a familiarity with a pool of kids that are applying to more selective schools and experiencing more alumni interviews, than say a school where most students are gunning for the state flagship. My kids are more the latter, and I think it's of some relevance. Nitpicking is more grating than the comment.

[Anonymous]

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did alumni interviews for my ivy for a few years. I felt like I had no impact and that the whole process was a waste of time. I stopped.

I certainly got no guidance on interviewing, making whatever we all learned completely unstandardized and random.

Same. And kids I praised to the heavens didn't get in, so what was the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC attends a Big 3. Friends report alumni interviews are frustrating. Many arrive late. Many are too old to know what is happening with curriculum/campus. Many happening on a work day so people are tired and distracted. So do they count or not ?

How dare the alumni of highly selective schools subject Big 3 seniors to such travesty! Didn't they ever hear of Big 3?

The Big 3 part has nothing to do with it. What does is having alumni showing up late, being misinformed, and otherwise grouchy. Hit the road.

Right, so why does OP mention it? I’ll guess it gets mentioned a lot when it isn’t relevant. ‘Hey did you watch El Camino? My kid at a big 3 said it’s great.’

Context you dolt.

[Anonymous]

Seems risky in this environment. Also seems unfair to have a recent college graduate v someone 40 years removed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC attends a Big 3. Friends report alumni interviews are frustrating. Many arrive late. Many are too old to know what is happening with curriculum/campus. Many happening on a work day so people are tired and distracted. So do they count or not ?

How dare the alumni of highly selective schools subject Big 3 seniors to such travesty! Didn't they ever hear of Big 3?

The Big 3 part has nothing to do with it. What does is having alumni showing up late, being misinformed, and otherwise grouchy. Hit the road.

Right, so why does OP mention it? I’ll guess it gets mentioned a lot when it isn’t relevant. ‘Hey did you watch El Camino? My kid at a big 3 said it’s great.’

Context you dolt.

Um, no. Has nothing to do with interview quality. But hey, you used a new word you learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC attends a Big 3. Friends report alumni interviews are frustrating. Many arrive late. Many are too old to know what is happening with curriculum/campus. Many happening on a work day so people are tired and distracted. So do they count or not ?

How dare the alumni of highly selective schools subject Big 3 seniors to such travesty! Didn't they ever hear of Big 3?

The Big 3 part has nothing to do with it. What does is having alumni showing up late, being misinformed, and otherwise grouchy. Hit the road.

Right, so why does OP mention it? I’ll guess it gets mentioned a lot when it isn’t relevant. ‘Hey did you watch El Camino? My kid at a big 3 said it’s great.’

The context is a familiarity with a pool of kids that are applying to more selective schools and experiencing more alumni interviews, than say a school where most students are gunning for the state flagship. My kids are more the latter, and I think it's of some relevance. Nitpicking is more grating than the comment.

State flagship alumni interviews? Is that even a thing?

[Anonymous]

I do not believe they matter much. Our son who had excellent grades, test scores, EC etc had alumni interviews with most of the Ivies he applied to. He is always polite, was punctual and followed up with thank you emails. He said he had a good rapport with a number of them and talked enthusiastically about his hopes and dreams. Some of them implied that they would be recommending him but that the admission committees rarely followed their advice. Some actually Said it was depressing to meet so many talented and qualified candidates who they liked but who were later rejected. Coming from this area is a disadvantage as there are so many accomplished students but many with either parent alumni or compelling stories of overcoming the odds to get thus far.

Our son was rejected from all the schools where he had alumni interviews (ivies and Stanford). It was crushing at first but he moved on as most ambitious students do. He enjoyed the alumni interviews, met some interesting and accomplished people (most were younger than 40), and he learned from them. He is thriving now and attended a school that is excellent in his STEM field. He enjoyed a balanced undergrad experience with excellent Rec and competitive sports. He is now in a wonderful grad school program.

The alumni interviews are unlikely to help your child if he/ she does not fit the criteria the schools are looking for (assuming qualified candidates - diversity, alumni connections, wealthy and successful Parents, gender if in majors heavily Dominated by one gender etc. However, they are a great opportunity to meet interesting and successful people and to learn from them.