Dartmouth is very upfront about the fact that the interview is both informative and evaluative
My D was an alumni interviewer for many years. IIRC, their report is pretty in-depth and they certainly do not write them like “they don’t matter”.
[quote=Dartmouth Ambassadors Program]
When writing your report, do:
Provide any insight and context that you learn which may not otherwise be available to the admissions office
Talk about the applicant’s intellectual/professional interests and the motivation for these interests
Highlight impressions or observations about the student and his or her potential contributions to the Dartmouth community
Include specific anecdotes or quotes
Assess the applicant’s personality, maturity, and ability to communicate ideas
http://dartmouth.imodules.com/s/1353/directory/index.aspx?sid=1353&gid=350&pgid=11060
[quote]
You can google to see the list of colleges where interviews are evaluative