<p>^^ College, if you read the link I provided, you’ll see that I see interviews as being two-way streets.</p>
<p>If you schedule the interview with an Alumni Interviewer, you’ll have an opportunity to do some things you won’t have otherwise. The opportunity will allow you the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Chance to demonstrate interest in Emory (which we know is very important)</li>
<li>Chance to make a GREAT impression on an involved Emory alumnus, who in turn conveys his/her positive opinion about you back to the Office of Admission</li>
<li>Chance to ask an involved alum his/her impressions of Emory and what it was like</li>
</ul>
<p>The one thing you have not conveyed here is your actual INTEREST in attending Emory, vs. the impact of the interview on your chances for acceptance. You have to understand that this type of impression is the kind that does NOT sell to the admissions people. Perhaps it’s just me, but if I were on the admissions staff, and an applicant turned down a chance to interview, it’d be a red flag to me. Why wouldn’t you want to do the interview?</p>
<p>Now, just to allay any concerns on your part, the interviewers are trained and prepared. They recognize that you might be nervous, but really, there’s no reason to be anxious. There’s no test, and there are no right and wrong answers. The interviewer simply wants to avail you of somebody who can answer YOUR questions (e.g., academic courses, majors, professor access, social life, dorm life, food, etc., etc.). The alumni interviewer will also want to hear something akin to, “I love Emory and want to go to school there!”</p>