Colleges that Interview - Which Count

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

This absolutely sucks, btw.

I have two sons. The older one turned 18 end of September of Senior year. My current Senior is 17 and he doesn’t turn 18 until August.

The older one grew in confidence so much by the start of Senior year. No longer as shy, etc.

My current Senior is vivacious, hilarious and a captain of a sports team—but still very shy with adults and a bit awkward in conversations with adults he does not know, exactly how his brother was at the same age (but brother was a junior at that age).

I have seen a lot of the same changes beginning I saw with my older kid who now is a leader on his Ivy campus, but I really worried my current senior will blow all of his interviews because he is still shy and a bit unsure. Again—not at all with the many friends and classmates—he’s not anti-social.

I wish people interviewing understood this stuff, but most of the interviewers my other son had were younger without children or their children were very young- infants-elementary school.

Don't give it a second thought. The interview doesn't count.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing worse than an Ivy alumni interviewer. Just let it go man. Your college days are over. No one cares. Move on with your life and stop living in the past.

Nothing worse than someone who is jealous of an Ivy alum interviewer. I'm sorry you got rejected 20 years ago but it's time to let it go.

Lol that’s the last thing I’m jealous of. I just happen to think it’s pathetic.

Going to an ivy League school is pathetic?

Nope, not at all. But being an alumni interviewer is, especially if you actually think what you're doing has any effect on admissions. Any alumni interviewer who actually thinks that the admissions committee is going to pay any attention to some random alum with no qualifications as a interview and no more understanding of what adcoms are looking for than anyone else is just silly. An Ivy League grad should be smart enough to know that.

They just want to relive their glory days and have high anxious high school students suck up to them. Pathetic.

This is quite the copium. Admitted students who've read their admissions files once on campus have commented the AI reports were factored into deliberations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

This absolutely sucks, btw.

I have two sons. The older one turned 18 end of September of Senior year. My current Senior is 17 and he doesn’t turn 18 until August.

The older one grew in confidence so much by the start of Senior year. No longer as shy, etc.

My current Senior is vivacious, hilarious and a captain of a sports team—but still very shy with adults and a bit awkward in conversations with adults he does not know, exactly how his brother was at the same age (but brother was a junior at that age).

I have seen a lot of the same changes beginning I saw with my older kid who now is a leader on his Ivy campus, but I really worried my current senior will blow all of his interviews because he is still shy and a bit unsure. Again—not at all with the many friends and classmates—he’s not anti-social.

I wish people interviewing understood this stuff, but most of the interviewers my other son had were younger without children or their children were very young- infants-elementary school.

PP interviewer here. We do know that kids are in different places. They are nice kids, great kids. We see shy kids get in. You don’t have to be glib or extroverted. But quiet people are able to speak when it counts and have intelligent and interesting things to say. But you also have a duty to look at your kid and help them to find the best place for them. I have a break in interviewing this year because my kid is a senior and applying to schools. I love my Alma mater, but it was also very clear to me that even if he could get in, it’s not right for him. He would not fit in with the vibe of the place and also wouldn’t self-advocate to the level that he would need to succeed there. There are so many schools out there and if you stop looking at rankings on a list and look for the level of support, size of classes, etc where your kid will thrive, look at those. Most kids end up where they need to be.

LOL now the Yalie is using the Royal We, as if she speaks for all random Yale interviewers. Classic.

As a Yale School of Management professor has concluded, most interview reports and summaries reveal more about the predilections of the interviewer and little about the interviewee. Adcoms know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

And this is a perfect example of something that the adcoms will give zero weight to. Zero. Talk about delusions of grandeur!

They do have zero weight in the case of hooks, fact. With unhooked students, it's a different story. Every piece of the application matters, including alumni interview reports. They can effectively serve as tiebreakers in the case of similar otherwise strong applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

And this is a perfect example of something that the adcoms will give zero weight to. Zero. Talk about delusions of grandeur!

They do have zero weight in the case of hooks, fact. With unhooked students, it's a different story. Every piece of the application matters, including alumni interview reports. They can effectively serve as tiebreakers in the case of similar otherwise strong applicants.

citation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

I interview for Yale, and it’s this. After Yale flipped the interviewing paradigm a few years back (no longer trying to interview everyone) they also changed the reporting sheet and ask more guided questions of the interviewer. I rarely write anything negative but I may point out that it was very hard to get any kind of substantive non-generic conversation going. Some of the interviews epitomize “damning with faint praise”. Also, I see a lot of people who do only a few interviews get fed up and stop interviewing “because these two really great kids I interviewed didn’t get in”, but when you do a lot over time you realize that most of them in isolation are generally qualified and impressive and now you’re seeing the admissions office’s dilemma of how to winnow down the list. My advice to anyone who wants to know how to approach it is “be able to converse easily with someone not your own age, be interesting, and interested in things”.

Agree with everything in these two posts. Ivies might overlook a weak interview report if the file is otherwise fabulous, but a glowing interview report can help, especially in cases where the teacher LORs are rather generic (not uncommon, especially in publics). It might not seem fair, because these kids are young and still growing, but Ivies want to feel confident the small number of kids they accept will be leaders in their fields one day. That's why it's exceedingly hard to get in without demonstrated leadership, which normally translates to kids with excellent communication and advocacy skills. And intellectual curiousity, absolutely. They don't want to, and don't need to, gamble on kids who might not succeed on that level. The good news is that there are many different paths to success beyond Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

I interview for Yale, and it’s this. After Yale flipped the interviewing paradigm a few years back (no longer trying to interview everyone) they also changed the reporting sheet and ask more guided questions of the interviewer. I rarely write anything negative but I may point out that it was very hard to get any kind of substantive non-generic conversation going. Some of the interviews epitomize “damning with faint praise”. Also, I see a lot of people who do only a few interviews get fed up and stop interviewing “because these two really great kids I interviewed didn’t get in”, but when you do a lot over time you realize that most of them in isolation are generally qualified and impressive and now you’re seeing the admissions office’s dilemma of how to winnow down the list. My advice to anyone who wants to know how to approach it is “be able to converse easily with someone not your own age, be interesting, and interested in things”.

Agree with everything in these two posts. Ivies might overlook a weak interview report if the file is otherwise fabulous, but a glowing interview report can help, especially in cases where the teacher LORs are rather generic (not uncommon, especially in publics). It might not seem fair, because these kids are young and still growing, but Ivies want to feel confident the small number of kids they accept will be leaders in their fields one day. That's why it's exceedingly hard to get in without demonstrated leadership, which normally translates to kids with excellent communication and advocacy skills. And intellectual curiousity, absolutely. They don't want to, and don't need to, gamble on kids who might not succeed on that level. The good news is that there are many different paths to success beyond Ivies.

citation?

[Anonymous]

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/devaluing-college-alumni-interview/

Quote:

"So why is the alumni interview a component of the elite college admissions process? It's a way of keeping alums involved with their alma maters. After all, alums donate money to their alma maters. By allowing them to have a voice in the admissions process to these institutions, they remain connected to the schools that seek those critical donations.

It doesn't mean the alumni interviews carries no weight in the admissions process, that it's merely to satisfy the egos of alums. But it doesn't hold the outsize weight that many alums so often profess during these very interviews."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/devaluing-college-alumni-interview/

Quote:

"So why is the alumni interview a component of the elite college admissions process? It's a way of keeping alums involved with their alma maters. After all, alums donate money to their alma maters. By allowing them to have a voice in the admissions process to these institutions, they remain connected to the schools that seek those critical donations.

It doesn't mean the alumni interviews carries no weight in the admissions process, that it's merely to satisfy the egos of alums. But it doesn't hold the outsize weight that many alums so often profess during these very interviews."

Nobody is claiming they have outsize weight. But they don't have zero weight either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/devaluing-college-alumni-interview/

Quote:

"So why is the alumni interview a component of the elite college admissions process? It's a way of keeping alums involved with their alma maters. After all, alums donate money to their alma maters. By allowing them to have a voice in the admissions process to these institutions, they remain connected to the schools that seek those critical donations.

It doesn't mean the alumni interviews carries no weight in the admissions process, that it's merely to satisfy the egos of alums. But it doesn't hold the outsize weight that many alums so often profess during these very interviews."

Nobody is claiming they have outsize weight. But they don't have zero weight either.

Next to zero

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/devaluing-college-alumni-interview/

Quote:

"So why is the alumni interview a component of the elite college admissions process? It's a way of keeping alums involved with their alma maters. After all, alums donate money to their alma maters. By allowing them to have a voice in the admissions process to these institutions, they remain connected to the schools that seek those critical donations.

It doesn't mean the alumni interviews carries no weight in the admissions process, that it's merely to satisfy the egos of alums. But it doesn't hold the outsize weight that many alums so often profess during these very interviews."

Nobody is claiming they have outsize weight. But they don't have zero weight either.

Next to zero

citation?

[Anonymous]

Let’s stop feeding the lady who keeps trying to agitate people on this topic. I see it on another forum, too. Wonder if it’s the same person who kept trying to deny the existence of yield protection. Some people are best ignored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful, OP. There are Ivy grads on here who do the alumni interviews to feed their egos and keep living their glory days who will insist that their interviews "count" when the rest of us know that they're just being indulged and they don't.

I'm of the losers you're talking about and the admissions office showed us data that getting the highest interview score correlates with higher percentage of admission. I admit that's not necessarily causation, but when all of these kids are so impressive, there are cases when the balance can be tipped.

I do not care about this. What I enjoy most post-Covid is just getting to know these kids and telling them that they will do great things because that's who they are, not because the school might be lucky enough to choose them or not.

Having said that, it almost never moves the needle. OP, try your best, take it seriously, look for good advice online.
It has more potential to hurt you. Adcomms can justify a Denial from a negative comment in an interview.

Do you have examples of what applicants did during the interview that made you write negative comments? Thanks.

I think generally they really want kids who are motivated, curious, well spoken, make impact, etc etc

Sometimes you get kids where it's just like you are absolutely pulling teeth. I try my best to write good reviews whenever I can, and understand where they are coming from. But, for example, if they bring up the "activity that was most important to them" or their "favorite class in high school" and I asked some follow up questions, and they really have nothing to say beyond a vague sentence or two, that's not good. I probably wouldn't write anything very negative, but it won't be glowing / highlighting that this kid really has the attributes they're looking for.

This absolutely sucks, btw.

I have two sons. The older one turned 18 end of September of Senior year. My current Senior is 17 and he doesn’t turn 18 until August.

The older one grew in confidence so much by the start of Senior year. No longer as shy, etc.

My current Senior is vivacious, hilarious and a captain of a sports team—but still very shy with adults and a bit awkward in conversations with adults he does not know, exactly how his brother was at the same age (but brother was a junior at that age).

I have seen a lot of the same changes beginning I saw with my older kid who now is a leader on his Ivy campus, but I really worried my current senior will blow all of his interviews because he is still shy and a bit unsure. Again—not at all with the many friends and classmates—he’s not anti-social.

I wish people interviewing understood this stuff, but most of the interviewers my other son had were younger without children or their children were very young- infants-elementary school.

I have a kid like this (he actually has a diagnosed communication disorder) and this was my concern for interviews as well. He tends to answer in one words or short sentences. It could easily come off as lack of interest when it's not that at all. So, we practiced for interviews A LOT.

He did a lot of interviews. Of course, I don't know how they went. I would quiz him after and glean what I could. Despite all the prep, he answered "I don't know" when he got an unexpected question for his top choice. I pointed out, "you could have answered x," and she said, "I know but I thought that was too cliche." Ugh. Luckily, that school didn't count that interview and he did get in.

I feel your pain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/college-interviews/devaluing-college-alumni-interview/

Quote:

"So why is the alumni interview a component of the elite college admissions process? It's a way of keeping alums involved with their alma maters. After all, alums donate money to their alma maters. By allowing them to have a voice in the admissions process to these institutions, they remain connected to the schools that seek those critical donations.

It doesn't mean the alumni interviews carries no weight in the admissions process, that it's merely to satisfy the egos of alums. But it doesn't hold the outsize weight that many alums so often profess during these very interviews."

Believe me the alums do not think they hold outsize weight. We often talk about how few of our applicants got in, despite glowing reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s stop feeding the lady who keeps trying to agitate people on this topic. I see it on another forum, too. Wonder if it’s the same person who kept trying to deny the existence of yield protection. Some people are best ignored.

Not trying to agitate. Merely trying to educate.