How important is it to interview with the colleges you plan on applying to? The list of schools I plan on applying to are:
CUNY Queens College
Syracuse University
Skidmore College
Brandeis University
Wesleyan University
SUNY Binghamton University
Hamilton College
Vanderbilt University
Brown University
Dartmouth College
For most of these schools, interviews are only considered except for Syracuse where it is very important and Hamilton where it is important. Which schools do you think I should interview with and when exactly should I have my interview? I can’t travel to majority of these schools so I know I will most likely have to set up an alumni interview. Given all of this, what exactly should I know about interviewing with colleges and the roll it plays in the admissions process?
My advice can be summed up like this: If the interview is optional, do it ONLY if your personality will help your chances. It may well be better not to interview if you get nervous and shy in those situations. It won’t help you at all if you’re not somewhat outgoing and engaging. If you’re passive and dry, no one will be impressed. So ask yourself how comfortable you are meeting new people and starting conversations with strangers. You have to be able to put yourself out there a bit without seeming pushy or insincere. It’s a skill some people have innately and which some people have to develop. But there’s no point in diminishing your chances if you’re not going to be an active interviewee. No one gets into college solely because of a great interview but many people have been rejected because they were boring and forgettable.