Alumni Interviews - Lack of Consistency and Quality

[Anonymous]

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 ?

[Anonymous]

Good question - my HYPS tells alumni that they need to fill out a short form afterwards. Sounds like alumni interviews are similar to the way they were 25 years ago. I remember interviewing with a Duke Law School grad who had no idea about what it was like to be a Duke undergrad. The alumni associations do the best they can. At worst, your DD has someone to add as a contact.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

Usually the interviews are more for the alumni than the students. Keeps the alumni a part of the school and donating.

[Anonymous]

Don’t believe they matter.

[Anonymous]

It’s an alumni engagement activity more than anything. Amazing that some schools still put kids through them and open themselves up to being associated with a lightly trained alumni who might make outdated or inappropriate comments.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Some of you are amazing. The universities have a commodity that you want (admission) that is hard to get (around 5% admission rate). Dealing with adults, being expected to function through an interview, and possibly having your snowflakes deal with someone who is not perfectly curated by you (gasp, may not have all the same word choices that you would make) is part of life. At this point, you have to sell the schools on you, not the other way around. You want a campus tour, take a campus tour.

I agree that the interview doesn’t really help you get in, but boy can it keep you out. Most of the kids I interview show up on time and are polite, and some of them haven’t even been programmed to death and can hold a conversation. But the ones who ghost, can’t figure out how to respond to an email, or otherwise behave immaturely have it noted and admissions goes on to the next candidate. And the interviewer is not impressed by your school - we see a ton of kids just like you, and for all you know we went there and sent our kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some of you are amazing. The universities have a commodity that you want (admission) that is hard to get (around 5% admission rate). Dealing with adults, being expected to function through an interview, and possibly having your snowflakes deal with someone who is not perfectly curated by you (gasp, may not have all the same word choices that you would make) is part of life. At this point, you have to sell the schools on you, not the other way around. You want a campus tour, take a campus tour.

I agree that the interview doesn’t really help you get in, but boy can it keep you out. Most of the kids I interview show up on time and are polite, and some of them haven’t even been programmed to death and can hold a conversation. But the ones who ghost, can’t figure out how to respond to an email, or otherwise behave immaturely have it noted and admissions goes on to the next candidate. And the interviewer is not impressed by your school - we see a ton of kids just like you, and for all you know we went there and sent our kids there.

It’s not about Big 3 or snowflake. It’s about some fairness and consistency to a process. How about the alumni being trained, bring on time, having knowledge about the school. These seem like a fair bar.

You’re an ivory tower d.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

My DD (regular public school kid) did an alumni interview last weekend. She was also unimpressed by the experience. The gentleman had really no idea how to engage according to my daughter.

[Anonymous]

Get over it! Kids job is to show up on time, be polite and prepared. Try not to sound like a robot.

These are largely exercises that can only derail an applicant. Even if the experience isn’t great from the student’s perspective, they will have demonstrated their interest in the school.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

They’re pointless. I quit doing them.

[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.

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.’

[Anonymous]

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 ?

“Friends report”? Really?

Not a real post, or one worth serious consideration.