<p>Yeah… of the four people (that I know of) from my school SCEA-ing, only 2 of us got interviews o.0 And each of us got a DIFFERENT interviewer, so there are definitely enough alumni to go around… </p>
<p>But I agree-- I feel that the interview is the least significant part of the admissions process. It’s just to make sure you’re not an anti-social freak who only knows how to study :)</p>
<p>I had my interview today, and it went well–or at least I like to believe. It was at the alumna’s house, and she asked about what I am interested in majoring. I discussed my research for a little, and then the topic went quickly to her, and she talked for like 5 minutes nonstop! I tried to interject and converse, but she never paused! When I had the chance I connected what she was saying back to my experiences, and at one point she started asking me more questions and got interested I believe. The interview only lasted 30 minutes–she actually stopped herself in mid-sentence, and said “it’s been 30 minutes any questions?” After leaving I was unsure about it, but I’ll just stay positive and hope she liked me.</p>
<p>Nikkor–I can’t tell what the logic of your local ASC Director is. Maybe you’ve been assigned an interviewer who is out of town/busy at work and just hasn’t contacted you yet. Perhaps your ASC Director didn’t check his/her incoming applicants on a daily basis and therefore s/he saw your name and the name of your friend who applied half a week later at the same time and happened to assign your friend first and not you because of lack of volunteers.</p>
<p>NJChick–Some interviewers only do one interview a year. There may not be as many volunteers out there as you think, even in NJ.</p>
<p>Bottom line: The ASC Director knows nothing about your file or your likelihood of admission except in very, very rare situations. It really means nothing other than volunteer issues if you don’t get an interview. Please, please, please don’t stress about this.</p>
<p>“Very, very rare situations.”</p>
<p>What kinds of situations might those be?</p>
<p>Here’s a “rare situation” that might indicate Yale’s interest above and beyond:</p>
<p>Let’s say one region has been assigned 50 interviewees. 30 of them are completed and submitted on a timely basis with 20 still outstanding. Nearing the deadline, the ASC director gets a call from his/her regional admissions officer. The call goes like this: “Hey, great work on the interviews so far. I know there are still a few to be done and our decision deadlines are fast approaching. Can you make best efforts to have Joe Smith, Jane Doe, Mary Kim, Tom Wilson and Liz Assad interviewed?”</p>
<p>What’s the obvious conclusion? That these five named applicants are being more seriously considered that the others. Perhaps those other fifteen have already failed the first cut or perhaps they’ve already been accepted – who knows. But for sure, the ASC director could logically conclude that Yale wants more info on some specific students.</p>
<p>I hope this scenario makes sense – not that it’s much value to you applicants out there. I illustrate this to just let you know how procedures happen sometimes.</p>
<p>The other obvious scenario is when Yale informs the local ASC that some applicants have been sent Likely Letters. Yale still wants these kids interviewed – not to gain more info but really to help sell Yale to them (since other schools probably have issued them Likely Letters too).</p>
<p>Do schools send likely letters for SCEA for non-athletes?</p>
<p>@T26E4: You really think some applicants aren’t given interviews because they’ve already been accepted for sure? 
I haven’t got an interview (I’m Canadian) and I seriously doubt I will receive one considering it’s pretty late already. I personally think I’ve already been cut even though I thought I had a good chance. sigh</p>
<p>My friend had his interview on Dec. 4th last year.</p>
<p>^ oh wow okay. That reassures me a bit haha</p>
<p>I think what T26 is saying (and I agree with him) is that an interview rarely has anything to do with admissions status. However, once in a while, the admissions will ask for a specific candidate to be interviewed because that person is very borderline. In my neck of the woods, it’s highly unusual–maybe not even once per year–that the admissions office makes such a request.</p>
<p>Thanx for clarifying my note AA. You’re spot on. In my ASC, this occurred 2-3 times last season. I recall some others for some other years too.</p>
<p>The deadline for the interviews is December 1st, that’s a given. For one to take place on the 4th, there must have been some extraordinary circumstance. I doubt this happens very often, an exception was most likely made. Don’t bank your hopes on this slim possibility. It’s better to speculate that you simply aren’t being offered one than to maintain that unrealistic expectation of a “late interview.”</p>
<p>Okay so to clarify, interviews are not given to applicants on a short list…? Do you guys know of EA applicants who were not given interviews but were accepted?</p>
<p>I have been interviewing for several years. I echo T2 and AA (and what a regional admissions person said at a local event). The ASC person and the interviewer have no knowledge of your application details. The interview is far less significant that the rest of your app (“only rarely will it change the trajectory of an application” said the admissions officer). It is most often a chance to add a slight positive or slight negative to the overall file. The Dec. 1 deadline, in my experience, is hard and fast (a Dec 4 interview is something unusual). Once, near the middle of November, I was contacted about one interviewee. The admissions office communicated an interest in the student. He was a very unusual applicant for a few reasons which I won’t share, but the admissions committee clearly had an interest in learning more about him before making a decision. Don’t worry too much. Be yourself and take the opportunity to meet an alum. That being said, be prepared! Don’t ask about anything you can find on the website. FYI, I do about 4 - 6 interviews a year, never from my home school district, sit out the year I have a senior (regardless of whether the child is applying or not), and interviews can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as an hour.</p>
<p>More anecdotes. In my ASC region, interviewers are strongly urged to get reports in by 12/1, but there is a grace period to get them in by 12/5 if the volunteers are slammed. An early December interview would only mean a huge crop of EA applicants in my region.</p>
<p>I have been first asked to interview someone shortly after the February 15th “interview deadline” so it can’t be all that rare for this to occur. In my ASC I have been routinely assigned students from within my school district but would decline an assignment for someone I knew of already. I also recused myself when I had a child with a pending application but I would certainly not sit out if my child was not applying. I suspect most of us interviewers like to be a part of this process and my ASC is one that struggles to meet the demand of granting enough interviews despite the efforts of our excellent local director.</p>
<p>The interview request for the one likely letter I saw actually said not to make a big effort to interview that candidate since they were already as good as in barring exceptional changes in his/her circumstances. I’m sure they would use the time at local Yale Club events to recruit this individual after official notice went out. Otherwise my experience is in line with T62, AA, and momof2.</p>
<p>I just had my interview last night!! Interviewer was cool and nice enough.</p>
<p>We met in her hotel room, and I refused when she kindly offered me water. She was really casual. 2 hours long, she scribbled notes whenever I mentioned anything interesting (ended up with 3 A4 pages of notes)…We had the same interests (literature, film) and really went into depth on these topics. </p>
<p>All her questions were pretty standard and she totally drove the entire interview, which she later said she loved doing.</p>
<p>Only problem was when I talked about a science research project I couldn’t remember the technical terms in English (I’m international)…So besides that, I felt GREAT!!! until she said when I was at the door “It was wonderful talking to you” (she had already repeated this several times) “I’m sure you’ll end up somewhere, one way or another.”</p>
<p>What on earth does that mean??? Like saying “I’m sure you’ll not get into Yale” nicely??? Or was she referring to the schools on my list (She had asked me what other schools I was applying to)??? Or is that just AOish talk???</p>
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<p>Don’t obsess over that. It was nothing more than an encouragement, commenting that you would end up somewhere great, even if it wasn’t Yale. She wasn’t speaking in code and saying you were not Yale material.</p>
<p>Got my interview today, finally. But my really qualified friend who lives in a seperate zip code from me hasn’t gotten one yet, so for those of you who were worrying like I was about interviews - don’t. I really don’t think it means anything if you don’t get one.</p>
<p>@lindazhaang
Getting an interview doesn’t mean you’re any more qualified. I’m not sure about the other question though.</p>
<p>Does anyone else know/estimate the percentage who were accepted WITHOUT interviews?</p>