Do you feel like the interview truly helped your child's admissions?
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Anonymous
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My DC's grades are okay. Top private, but not many weighted classes offered. ACT is 33. DC has done a tremendous amount of things that a holistic college could see, but others may not. Not basic ECs (although they have a lot of those too). More are events they led, things they have created in and outside of school to help people/schools, as well as extra things particular to the major they want to take in school. I feel like interviews would be a great time to hear that as opposed to paper. And DC is not fake, but passionate and tries her best. Can really hold their own when talking with adults.
But I don't want to go thru this step too much if the outcome doesn't really matter. Has anyone that been thru this think it really helped? |
Anonymous
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Depends on the school -- where does your child plan on applying?
You can see in the common data set whether interviews are weighted very heavily or not. |
Anonymous
| My DS interviewed at W&M. I think it helped with his admission. W&M does not require interviews but will consider them if you do one. He's an excellent public speaker and is very polished and confident when meeting new people. His grades & SAT scores were on the low end for their admitted students. He's a non-hooked kid: caucasian, upper middle class, both parents have college degrees (one an advanced degree), not an athlete. |
Anonymous
| Interviews are practically worthless.....they can't help but they could definitely hurt. |
Anonymous
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I think that some interviewers (it was a mix of alum & Admissions office staffers) wrote very strong notes of support for my child (based upon their reactions during the interviews). I am totally unclear, however, about whether or how much the schools took that into account.
In retrospect, it may not have been necessary (though at the time it felt important to us)....but it was good experience for her to sit through multiple interviews. She dressed up, we rehearsed, and she had to answer often challenging questions in real time. I think it gave her more confidence overall. |
Anonymous
| At some places I believe it does make a difference. CMU interviewed DC and then pulled me in for a chat for over an hour on campus They care a lot about kids knowing exactly what they want to do as transferring between their colleges is difficult or impossible. He got into their CS with minimal exposure to CS in HS and no related ECs. Although he had top grades and scores, it had to have been the interview. I knew of kids in his school that I would have said were much better qualified and had CMU as first choice. IMO if the admissions staff makes time for in person interviews, it matters. |
Anonymous
Your source/evidence for this? FWIW, my DCs have applied to schools with and without interviews. In some cases, the interviews were helpful in clarifying the DC's interest in the school--one kid was very put off by the officious style of the interviewer; another interviewer asked questions that DC felt were bordering on inappropriate. DC18 asked for an interview with a prestigious SLAC where chances for admission were slim--DC was accepted based on feedback from interviewer that DC was a 'perfect fit.' So, interviews can help in some instances. But all interviews are not created equal. Some colleges just do a pro-forma; best to have your DC check with their admissions officer to find out how the interview is weighted in the process. |
Anonymous
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I would say yes. My DC applied to 5 schools that did interviews and the only one he got denied for was the one where he didn't feel the interview went well.
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Anonymous
| Interviews won't help you getting in but it can hurt you. |
Anonymous
| In information sessions our family has been told that the school recommends interviews but that a so-so interview won't hurt you. We heard a similar statement as several info. sessions for SLACs. We take that to mean the prospective student should do the interview if they are serious about the school. Of course, if you applying early decision you are showing that you are serious but for a very selective school our DC wants to take the extra step. |
Anonymous
| My dd is interviewing everywhere she’s applying that offers it. Unless your kid freezes up or tries too hard, I don’t see how it can hurt. |
Anonymous
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Yes, they can help a lot.
My DC had good but not great grades and excellent SAT scores. DC did an on-campus interview at his first-choice school, where he was admitted with great merit aid (which enabled us to swing it). DC now works as a tour guide there and as such got permission to look at his admissions file (without teacher recs, since rights to see those were waived). His interviewer, the assistant director of admissions, raved about DC in her notes. It appears that it helped a lot or at the very least, pushed DC's application over the line to the big merit aid package. |
Anonymous
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God only knows what is really true, because his interviewer was very skilled, but he seemed totally enthralled by my kid's main extracurricular activity. Kid's been involved with a niche thing for 12 years in every aspect of the activity at all levels and my kid can talk on and on about it.
Kid got in, and got aid. We were not expecting that. |
Anonymous
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Some interviews are done with alumni that now live in your area. Unsure if they help you. I think they are for the student to find out more about the school. On- campus interviews done by professors and admissions staff can be more helpful. These people have more clout.
As for your child's uniqueness, use the personal statement and additional essays to talk about her interests. |
Anonymous
Former Ivy alum interviewer here - none of the students I interviewed got in. I stopped because it was clear it was a waste of time. It didn't matter what I wrote in the cases of the students I really liked. Those I gave lukewarm or negative feedback obviously didn't get in but given my track record with the ones I liked I'm not sure it made much of a difference. It probably is different for smaller schools. |