<p>I used to be an AAR for Lafayette (many years ago). I would not worry about an AAR interview hurting your chances. I don’t thank admissions took our input too seriously. I think the most important thing an AAR interview does for a student is to show their interest in the college. The college viewed these more as a way to “sell” Lafayette to the student - not in a hard-sell, dishonest kind of way, but a comfortable way for kids to get answers to questions they might not have been comfortable asking an admissions officer (for example questions regarding social life). </p>
<p>After the interview we had a form we were supposed to send back to admissions. They wanted to know about the applicant’s level of interest in Lafayette. I recall asking questions about the activities the student chose to participate in in hs, why he/she chose them, what he/she liked about them/got out of them, did they plan to continue in college? What were their favorite/least favorite hs classes and why? If they had indicated a major, why did they choose that major? If not, was there an area of interest? Career plans (if any yet)? What attracted them to Laf? If they’d been to campus, what did they like/dislike and what were they unclear on? If not, what did they want to know about campus, social life, etc? By the way, there were no “wrong” answers. It was just another way for the college to get a more complete picture of the student.</p>
<p>(I take that back. One kid did give me the “wrong” answers. He only applied to Laf because his sister went there and his parents made him, he really wanted to go to Norwich. Every activity he had joined had been because that’s what his sister had done.)</p>
<p>AAR is a completely voluntary position. Because of that, Lafayette doesn’t have enough AARs (especially in certain areas of the country) to assign one to every hs. If you want an AAR interview, by all means contact admissions and ask if there’s a way you can get one. Not having an AAR interview because there is no AAR in your area will not in any way put you at a disadvantage. (Turning down an interview if an AAR contacts you may be construed as a disinterest in the college, however). </p>
<p>Again, I don’t think the college uses the interview results for much other than to get gauge a student’s interest level in the college, and maybe to get a more complete view of the applicant as a person.</p>