Yes. Absolutely. But for us, with no current insiders at the school to talk to it seemed like a good place to start. The kids that daughter zoomed with have been through this exact process, they attend the school, and if she gets an offer would most likely be on the same sports team as her so they can speak to team culture and coaches. It gives us another few data points to add into the decision pot.
She definitely connected better with some students than others. Some were incredibly articulate, and some filled the conversation with “you know” “like” and generally meh responses. In only one case has it significantly changed how daughter views her application to the school (I don’t even know if daughter would accept an offer even if it was the only who offered on her list).
Worst case, she just got significantly better at talking about what she’s looking for and asking questions of strangers over zoom. She was vastly more prepared for the official interviews.
But yet, lots of grains of salt.