<p>legitamate - Don’t get worried. Be sure to pop in a bottle of pepper spray in your daughters purse/bag. Also, instead of worrying about all this prep her for the interview.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>@ soozievt </p>
<p>I’m just imagining this scene out of a comedy of errors…
The student did just diss the female alum’s alma mater in front of her unwittingly. I’m not sure if that part of the interview would have been revealed to the interviewer’s wife had the interview happened somewhere else.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it. I had students unknowingly diss my own sons’ high schools and ECs. I didn’t hold that against the applicants. </p>
<p>For all applicants know, when they talk against other schools, they may be dissing their interviewer’s beloved grad school…</p>
<p>Note to students: You can talk up the interviewed school (and why you’re such a good fit) without dissing other colleges, the same way you might talk up a best friend without dissing your other good friends.
A good skill to have!</p>
<p>It all worked out fine. The student liked both schools, that’s why she applied to both. I don’t think when she was applying ED she thought she was going to apply to school B. She ended up getting into school A during RD.</p>
<p>D had fifth interview today. I took her into our nearby European capital to where she would meet the alum in his office–a converted flat. I could’t help but think about this thread and chuckle to myself as I waited in the car.</p>
<p>It turns out that she was greeted at the door by a young man (maybe a son) and led straight to the conference room where she spoke for an hour with an older man. She never saw or heard any other voices or women there.</p>
<p>Could this have been a dangerous situation if the alum had perverse intentions? Absolutely.</p>
<p>Would I let her do it again under the same circumstance knowing she could be alone with men in this situation?
Absolutely.</p>
<p>D thought she had missed the opportunity for an interview with this school because she contacted this alum way past the deadline and he said, “sorry, too late”. Yesterday, he called her to say the school had contacted him and asked him to set up an interview with her this week. Of course, she jumped at the chance for a meeting as the school makes clear that it is an advantage in admissions to have one, (they actually give the different admit rates with and without an interview on their website).</p>
<p>Sooo, yes, all things considered, she would jump again at that chance, knowing the circumstances ahead of time.</p>
<p>Great story, oldfort! Thats why it is recommended never to put down another school. Ya nevah know!</p>
<p>I think there’s room for understanding and sensitivity on both sides. </p>
<p>While the home option is suggested by my alma mater as a first choice , the guidelines for alum interviewers indicate that an interviewer has discretion and can take convenience and comfort, including that of the student, into account when deciding the venue. I’d be curious to hear how other schools word the advice on this subject. But really, it seems that the school is objective and would carry no bias against a student on this issue. And IMO they shouldn’t. The reasons could be cultural or religious (which begs the question as to how many people on this thread fall into this category - I suspect most do). And the request, even if made by the student, could be coming from the influence of the parents and have nothing to do with the student’s views at all. I once interviewed a young woman whose first generation parents were generally opposed to her going away from home for college. They “allowed” her to interview at my alma mater as the exception. The student felt very differently, wanted to go away from home to experience living on her own, and expressed eloquently all the reasons why she felt she would be a perfect fit for this school. None of the conversation provided any indication that she was of the same mindset as her parents. </p>
<p>But as this thread proves, there are plenty of interviewers (including me before I read all this) who might have been taken by surprise and/or put off by what might seem on face value to be an overstepping demand on the part of a student. As many other interviewers on this thread have mentioned, I’ve never had anyone question the location - including those who live at quite a distance. Perhaps the schools really ought to make it specifically clear to interviewers (especially after this thread! ) that they may very occasionally run into this issue, so that if it does happen, there won’t be any unfair bias. I know that my guidelines clearly say that I’m not supposed to take things like style of dress, piercings, etc. into account at all. It should work both ways and an effort made to accomodate, if possible (which may not always be the case). </p>
<p>On the other hand, what those who are against home interviews need to take into account from a practical point of view is that as it stands, your views are opposed to pretty common and standard historical practice as far as the selective colleges are concerned. Since there’s a good chance none of this has been brought to the attention or spelled out for interviewers, there is always a risk as to how any unusual request may play out. As reflected by the opinions on this thread, the chances that such a move could easily be seen in a negative light are far more likely than the theoretical risk of anything bad or even mildly improper happening during the interview itself. </p>
<p>But for any for whom this or an allergy etc. truly is an issue -please plan ahead and do not spring a special request on an interviewer at the last minute. Although we are given the names of the students and numbers of the students ahead of time and anticipate their calls- they are supposed to contact us directly. The interviewer generally gives the student the chance to make that contact , but if they are running out of time near a deadline they can call the student to schedule. In that case, especially as the student has already had weeks in which to make this call, interviewers are not going to feel that it’s very reasonable for the student to start making special requests, regardless of the reasons for them. As this thread proves, many are not going to feel that way to begin with!</p>
<p>I am reporting in on my daughter’s before working hours meeting with one of her bosses: They met, at the office, one hour prior to opening. (cue soft ambigously dangerous music). She picked up a few bagels and cream cheese, just in case. (Hey, we’re Jewish…gotta eat). They met in the parking lot and he (the boss) was carrying two coffees! (OMG…the music inferring danger gets more ominous). The coffee maker in the office was not yet operational. </p>
<p>They sat…they bageled…they talked business. (more music reaching cresendo!) and he OFFERED TO HELP HER WITH HER PROJECTS! Will represent her (us actually), and gave directions. She said thank you, called me…and went…alone…to her office.</p>
<p>Cue pastoral music…life goes on…</p>
<p>LOL elle… so glad it went well. roll credits.</p>
<p>65 pages on one of the world’s least likely “dangers”. Nutty. There is FAR more danger in the drive or ride to the house. Sorry for adding to it.</p>
<p>Even for schools for which the interviewers contact the students, and not the reverse, it still could be seen as an overstepping of bounds to request a location different than what the interviewer is suggesting. It would be understandable and acceptable to request a phone interview after explaining that a concerned parent doesn’t want a student interviewing at a stranger’s home. To ask for a change of locale, though, seems very rude. Requesting a phone interview would presumably be just as convenient for the interviewer, and also leaves it up to the interviewer about offering to meet at a coffee shop or similar place.</p>
<p>I think it’s important for students not to appear presumptuous as if they are in charge. For instance, I remember making arrangements to interview on a Sat. morning high school students who had applied for an interview program. The interviews were conducted by top executives at a company, none of whom usually worked on Saturdays. They were doing this on a Saturday morning, however, to make it as convenient as possible for the students.</p>
<p>One student called the morning of the interview and left a message on a top executive’s phone saying that due to band rehearsal, the student wouldn’t be able to come at 8:30 a.m. (the scheduled time), but would come at 1 p.m. The student came across as arrogant and demanding, and was told so when the student breezed in at 1 p.m. If the interviewers had not still been interviewing, the student would have been greeted by a locked door.</p>
<p>NSM, I don’t disagree with most of what you said, and I agree that it shouldn’t matter whether first contact is made by the student or the interviewer. However, if that were the case, I think it could also be considered presumptuous and arrogant to request a phone interview, something which as far as I know is not even an option as far as my alma mater is concerned. It could also come across as the student not being willing to meet in person in any case. If I knew a student in that position, I’d recommend being upfront as to the reasons, as you state, but then I’d ask if there were any possible alternatives and leave it up to the interviewer to suggest them. </p>
<p>Personally, I really dislike the whole idea of telephone interviews, although there are times when a school would consider them to be better than nothing. You miss a lot.</p>
<p>I agree. My son can barely talk on the telephone, even with friends. It just isn’t his means of communication. I still see the bills, and I don’t think he makes a call a day, but will have hundreds of texts, while his sister probably averages five calls and a couple of texts per day.</p>
<p>The democratic answer (small d) might be for colleges to offer Skype interviews, set up in confidential locations through the Guidance Office at public schools. Then students might have a chance to talk to alums, even if they live in rural locations. The phone is problematic, because it isolates the voice and takes away the chance for some face-to-face interaction. Short of the REAL face-to-face, maybe videoconferencing is a future approach.</p>
<p>Before one says, “not every school has Skype; not every individual has Skype…” there was a time when “not every home had a telephone” or TV, either. I just assume we’re going to get to where videoconferencing becomes a universal possibility.</p>
<p>I’m sorry I forgot to roll credits! To all those in the unions that I neglected to thank: (and the underpaid assistants who are not in union but are in credits) ROLL THEM!!!</p>
<p>…and no animals (ours) were hurt of injured in the making of this film or in any interviews. They were enscounced in the den.</p>
<p>And yes, 65 pages to impune the integrity, purpose and the intention of people who are trying to help is AMAZING.</p>
<p>^ Some, but not all.</p>
<p>I think the thread is active after 65 pages because the topic happened to hit on a huge chord. It involves well-meaning parents letting go of their children into a larger world. Safety and risk. Disagreements over parenting styles. Also people are curious about alumni interview processes. A chance to hear them discussed by all 3 (interviewer, interviewee, parent) is unusual.</p>
<p>" However, if that were the case, I think it could also be considered presumptuous and arrogant to request a phone interview, something which as far as I know is not even an option as far as my alma mater is concerned."</p>
<p>I think that if the student apologetically says that their parent wouldn’t allow them to interview at a stranger’s house, and then asks if a phone interview is possible, the alum would be understanding. I agree, too, with you and others who say that while better than nothing, a phone interview is not as good an opportunity to assess a student as is an in person experience.</p>
<p>Actually, I’d prefer not to interview at all then to interview over the phone. It’s annoying, the signal is sometimes bad, it’s harder to clarify any statement without body language and facial expressions and eye contact etc. I think I might actually unconsciously rate someone more poorly over a phone interview, and that’s just not fair to the applicant.</p>
<p>roshke - thank you for post #968.</p>
<p>ellebud >>> And yes, 65 pages to impune the integrity, purpose and the intention of people who are trying to help is AMAZING. <<<</p>
<p>This could easily be reworded as *And yes, 65 pages to berate, condescend and humiliate parents and their children. *</p>