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<p>I’m highly allergic to cats. I wouldn’t ask upfront if there was a cat in the house, but if I walked into a house for an interview and saw a cat, I would ask politely if it could be kept away from me / in another room since I was highly allergic. Anyone who wouldn’t accommodate would be a jerk, IMO. And I agree a dog should be kept away, in a separate room or in a crate or whatever. That’s just common sense.</p>
<p>^^ You make a good point, pg. What most people are talking about is just common sense. If a person has, for example, a severe fear of dogs or birds or whatever it makes sense that they would inquire as to whether there is one in the home, and if so, could the pet be kept elsewhere. If a person has a severe (as opposed to mild) allergy, well I’d prefer someone not go into anaphylactic shock while I am interviewing them, so I’d appreciate knowing if they have some severe allergy that needs to be accomodated. These are reasonable. I also think that if someone is concerned about being home alone with an adult interviewer, that asking if anyone else will be at home is not rude or inconsiderate as was suggested above, but was also reasonable. I dont think that most people would be offended, but would understand the reason for the question. Granted, this isn’t like meeting someone off of e.harmony or match.com or something, where it would be ill-advised to meet such a blind date at their home (or even invite them to your home). These are not analogous situations, and different levels of caution seem appropriate to the circumstance. But perhaps to some these are perceived as equal threat/risk levels. If so, then ask for alternatives. But don’t ask for an optional interview and then dictate all the rules. Bad form.</p>
<p>mummom, I’m still confused by this:</p>
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<p>Couldn’t you equally have gotten lost on a trip to a SB or cafe or other public venue in the interviewer’s neck of the woods? What is the difference in driving around to kill time at 7:30 at night whether your kid is at the interviewer’s home or at the SB? It seems that you think driving around to kill time at night is risky, but I don’t see how that risk differs based on where kid gets dropped off. And I don’t think it’s fair to suggest that an interviewer shouldn’t schedule an evening interview because it’s dark out.</p>
<p>jym, that’s the thing…the only rationale I can fathom that people are so concerned about alum interviews in homes is that they are equating it with meetings with random strangers in private residences. That type of experience would have risks for a teen. College interviews are not the same thing. They are not random strangers. They are representatives of a college who have usually done this before and it is all through a third party arrangement, with good intentions, as volunteers and service to the college. While nobody is immune to criminal behavior, it just is highly unlikely in this situation (let alone the meeting is on record, as well as parents know where the kid is and with whom). It is not like meeting a stranger on your own. You may not know the college interviewer personally, but they are serving as reps for the college in an official capacity. It is not like one’s kid is meeting someone they met on the internet or on the street or in the mall or in a cafe. These folks were arranged through the university to interview the student. Now, bad things can happen anywhere (look at workplace violence with people one knows), but the likelihood of bad things in a college interview is NOT a risk that has any documentation that I know of. But I have to think that the folks who fear these private interviews must be grouping them with meeting a stranger of any type, and not through a third party organization.</p>
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<p>Realistically speaking, is this issue likely to occur to applicants or their parents when the time comes to choose colleges?</p>
<p>Or is it something that the applicant is likely to discover only when the interview invitation arrives? At that point, the choices of colleges to apply to have already been made.</p>
<p>Marian, many admissions sites (on a college’s website) explain about interviews. But even if a student did not catch onto that through research, I know my college has RIGHT ON THE APPLICATION that the student may have an interview with an alum (no on campus interviews with adcoms) and to check off yes or no if they wish to be contacted to have one. So, the option even exists at that juncture to do it or not. When I call a student to arrange the interview, they are not surprised by my call as they expect to get it as they checked off that they want an alum interview locally.</p>
<p>I guess the OP decided not to check back to let us know what the daughter decided for the interview last weekend.</p>
<p>Scenario #1– Daughter speaking–“Mom, I have been contacted by Mr. Alum about an interview for IVY school. It’s scheduled to occur on Friday night at 6:30 p.m., at Mr. Alum’s house. I think that is not something I’m comfortable with.” Mom speaking–“Well, here are some options I see you might have------.” </p>
<p>Mom has Daughter make her own decision, Mom keeps her comfort level out of it and Mom honors Daughter’s decision. Daughter’s comfort level is met and Mom’s comfort level isn’t interjected into the mix of Daughter’s decision.</p>
<p>Scenario #2– Daughter speaking–“Mom, I have been contacted by Mr. Alum about an interview for IVY school. It’s scheduled to occur on Friday night at 6:30 p.m., at Mr. Alum’s house. Can I borrow the car or will you drop me off and come back for me?” Mom speaking–“Well, I’m not comfortable with that in-house arrangement. Here’s what you need to do. ------.” Daughter speaking-- “but, Mom, I’m OK with this.” Mom speaking-- “well, I’m not and you can forget that interview at that man’s house.” </p>
<p>Mom has made Daughter’s decision using Mom’s comfort level and Mom has totally discounted Daughter’s comfort level and decision.</p>
<p>I cannot see how at the age of these applicants it is appropriate to have a parent saddle the applicant with the parent’s comfort level if the applicant’s confort level is different than that of the parent when the circumstance is an alum interview for the applicant’s admission to the alum’s school.</p>
<p>To me, the Alum Interviewer can view a request for a different venue arrangement as pure logistics, the comfort level of the Daughter or the comfort level of a parent who is dictating the Daughter’s actions using the parent’s comfort level. I can see that different Alums will have different feelings based upon what they perceive to be the motivation of the applicant.</p>
<p>What I wouldn’t do as an Interviewer is change my normal arrangement of in-home interviews. I’d let those applicants who want a different arrangement request the change.</p>
<p>Marian, on a quick search, I found many examples on various colleges’ websites where they inform candidates that alumni interviews are an option:</p>
<p>Yale: [Alumni</a> Interviews | Frequently Asked Questions | Office of Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/interviews.html]Alumni”>http://www.yale.edu/admit/faq/interviews.html)</p>
<p>(by the way, please note: "Alumni interviews can take place at the ASC member’s home or office or at a public location such as a quiet caf</p>
<p>Reading many other threads on cc, applicants are frequently eagerly awaiting that call/email from the interviewer, wondering if they should call the school again, etc. The contact from the interviewer doesn’t come as a surprise. I get a message saying “Sally Smith, who lives in XXXXX city has requested an alum interview. Would you be available to do this? If so please advise us and we will send you her contact information.”</p>
<p>We are advised to suggest several times and dates. We don’t just announce the date and time that the interview is to occur, nor the location. Perhaps the student doesn’t tell their parent until all this is finalized- that is certainly possible. But the interviewer works out the arrangements with the student.</p>
<p>07Dad, exactly. The applicant can request a change of venue. I have applicants request what times in their schedule that an interview may work out and I try to arrive at a mutually agreeable time that works with their busy schedules. Likewise, if a kid asked me to meet elsewhere and it was not a far drive for me to do so, I would accommodate that (such as cafe instead of home but still in my town). But nobody has ever asked me about the location of the interview. All seemed fine with my offer to have them come over my house. Nobody questioned me, even though they do negotiate the day and time a LOT. They can see I am flexible and try to work WITH them. I don’t state a date and time. I ask them what is good for THEM and then see which of their times works for me. So, they can see I am pretty open and so if they truly wanted to meet elsewhere, I think they would also ask that. But NOBODY has ever done so.</p>
<p>cross posted with Jym…but I guess our experiences must be similar!</p>
<p>By the way, we even discuss their mode of transportation as I ask if it is possible for them to get here. So, in almost every case, I know in advance if a parent is driving them here or if they are bringing themselves. That is why I was also taken back by mummom who stated that she felt she had to hide her presence in the drop off and pick up stages and do it clandestinely two blocks away so the interviewer wouldn’t know she transported her kid to the interview. I KNOW ahead of time if the parent is driving or the kid is bring him/herself.</p>
<p>Inasmuch as this thread seems to be finally dying down, I want to reiterate the thanks that others have posted to the various interviewers (past and present) who have taken on the job of interviewing kids for their respective colleges. I think the overwhelming percentage of parents (and especially students) have no problem with a home interview.</p>
<p>I posted this link once before to a thread that has been going on in the College Admissions forum for better than two years. It is mostly posts by students after their interviews where something went wrong. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/424935-favourite-awkward-interview-moments.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/424935-favourite-awkward-interview-moments.html</a></p>
<p>Someone just recently posted a thread regarding a Starbucks interview and here is another one posted within the last couple of days on the above thread </p>
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<p>^^^That was one thing I did not like about interviewing in a cafe. Those at adjoining tables could overhear and it didn’t feel private. That is from my side as the interviewer and so I can’t imagine what the student thought of that. It was nothing like the “at ease” conversation in my living room that nobody can hear.</p>
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<p>Same could be said of anything, though. My son is interested in Gtown – oh, woops, just found out they are one of the few that requires 3 SAT II’s. Well, then he has a choice. Take them and apply, or don’t take them and don’t apply. Same could be said of particularly difficult essays or other factors in an application process.</p>
<p>Or, if a person doesn’t like Ford products he can choose not to drive. Extreme ends of a spectrum? Yes. There are many possibilities in-between.
Similarly there many reasonable alternatives to “If you don’t like alum interviews in homes, you don’t have to apply to that college”.
I’d ask that those who don’t feel comfortable with the in home visit should try for a reasonable alternative, and not to be afraid to politely ask. If there absolutely is no reasonable other option, or if the alum host refuses to interview a girl anywhere else, or any other way, then the student might choose to go ahead despite discomfort.</p>
<p>Exactly, younghoss. They just have to ask. They may get a change of venue. And if they don’t they can opt out of the interview and that is OK as the interview is considered optional anyway. But another alternative is to go anyway despite some discomfort. It won’t be the only thing they have to do in their young adult lives that involves some discomfort. If they are truly alarmed at the idea, I have to wonder how realistic they are about the possible danger and also how they will manage in much riskier situations alone at college amongst many strangers and situations. </p>
<p>PG…you are right…there are lots of aspects of the college admissions process that one might really not want to have to go along with…extra tests, extra essays, non-flexible audition dates, and so on. One has to weigh, after reading all the elements of the application process for that college if it is one they wish to apply to. All of this stuff involves choices.</p>
<p>I’ve interviewed for Duke University for years in an affluent area of Northern California. The reason not to go to an applicant’s home is to avoid all of the distractions that may be there (parents, siblings, dogs etc.) as well as any irrelevant information that may be conveyed about socioeconomic status and the like. We are encouraged to interview in our homes or at our office if we have one, but I commute across the bay and my office is very inconvenient for an interview. It would take a lot of a student’s time to get here whereas they can drive five minutes to my house. I am amazed at seeing 50 pages of discussion about this. Of course here I am adding to page 51.</p>
<p>I am going to add this option again- as it seems to be consisently overlooked. A telephone interview is an acceptable option as well, and better, IMO, than declining the interview entirely.</p>
<p>If a students HS sends a fair number of graduates to fairly elite schools I would expect a senior to know about these issues as they likely have friends a year older … discussions about college applications are a big topic at my kid’s school and discussions about interviews are inevitable … at my kids school it seems pretty unlikely a rising senior would be totally unaware this situation might arise. That said guidence departments could probably do a better job outling the process and the options for rising seniors … so they understand their options and are in better position to ask for changes that would make them more comfortable … amd as an interviewer I would be sure to mention my wife, kids, and pets to the student headed to my house</p>
<p>Many of these comments are humorous for the fact that some CC members are giving Ivy League alumni “deity” status.
At the end of the day, we all operate as human beings.
And it’s quite apparent who here has attended an Ivy League institution, and who has not.</p>