Meaning of Interview Time

Applying to College
1

I’ve heard a lot of rumours, and was wondering if there was a meaning behind the time of interviews.

I heard that early interviews are bad because they mean that there is a discrepancy in your application… is that true?

Also, do late interviews mean that you are typically a stronger applicant?

Thanks.

2

You are overthinking this.

3

\begin{stupidstuff}
An interview within 2 days before the deadline means you procrastinated and it is detrimental to your application.
An interview within 3 to 7 days before the deadline is optimal.
An interview within 8 to 14 days before the deadline signifies a discrepancy, and is detrimental to your application.
An interview more than 14 days before the deadline signifies that you wanted to just get the application over with and you don’t really care about that college, so it is detrimental to your application.
\end{stupidstuff}

Seriously, timing of interviews doesn’t matter, as long as it’s before any interview deadline. Timing can be messed up due to other factors such as important events, or interviewer slow to respond, etc.

4

Your rumors make no sense. Interviews aren’t opportunities to verify discrepancies. The interviewer has NEVER even seen the application to know if any discrepancies exist.

A later interview likely means that the interviewer was slow to set things up. Could it be possible that the “home office” really wants student A, B and C to be interviewed? Sure. But how would you know it’s this versus an slow or disorganized interviewer? Just relax and stop trying to analyze this.

5

We hear lots of the schoolyard rumors here like the one that says you have to have some volunteer experience to show you will give back, or the one that says four-year commitment to something like band is a key to admission. But implying the time of an admission interview reflects the status of your application really takes the cake!

6

I have interviewed for years. I truly mean no offense, but the “rumors” in your initial post simply are garbage.

7

For Brown: earlier applicants get their names sent earlier to the interviewer coordinators who then send them to the interviewers however then it’s up to the interviewer to contact you and we don’t really know anything about you at that point (and certainly not enough to have any idea of your candidacy) so as @T26E4 said, the efficiency/organization of your interviewer and their coordinators is the only thing that determines how quickly you get an interview.