My daughter and I had one disastrous interview/school visit and I am wondering if it’s worth it to give feedback to the school about our interviewer. I went to school with someone at the school so I offered to call her and have her speak to my daughter but the kid hated her interview so much she said no way.
Should I leave it alone or do schools want feedback? I am slightly erring on the side of “none of my business” but who knows.
If the school explicitly asked you for feedback, then yes. If not, there is no need to.
@YoungThriver as a student applying to boarding schools I dont think your feedback is necessarily the feedback a parent is going to listen to. I hate to be harsh but nonetheless I think you are being a little presumptuous.
@dogsmama1997 I think it depends on the definition of disastrous and if your daughter actually would want to go there. If the answer is absolutely not-then I think feedback is probably a good idea.
@Center You’re right; I might have overstepped my boundaries a bit.
My daughter is not applying there plus I know someone who works there. The interview was bad enough that despite the school being a perfect fit (on paper) my daughter refuses to consider the school. I cannot imagine any parent having a conversation with this person and then thinking “yes, let’s apply.” To be clear every other interview we had was great, both of us felt like we were talking to old friends every other place we visited, and all the AOs raves about the kid so it’s not that we aren’t good at our end of the interview.
And, it’s funny, that’s the only school that sent us a survey after the interview but there was no place to explain what happened just give “bad scores” and say we aren’t applying because of the interview.
You can always share your feedback with us on CC :-@ We are good at listening and providing support! :-*
@Golfgr8 Lol. Aren’t I not supposed to out schools though?
I’ll give an example:
“What are you doing at X really well that defines the school experience here?”
“I don’t know what other schools are doing so I don’t really know”
“How do you help kids cope with the stress of being at such a rigorous school with so many smart peers?”
“Well, that’s really on you. You need to manage her ECs so they don’t overwhelm her.”
“What programs or clubs do you have that support girls in math and science?”
“No idea, I mean I think we have female math teachers.”
And the best:
“I sent my kids here so you know I like the school.”
Oh, ok, well if they are as articulate and introspective as you are we will apply to other schools. Thanks so much.
@dogsmama1997 …if you don’t have anything nice to say about a school, then sit next to me :)) I’m happy to listen…didn’t you read my post about kiddo being interviewed by Thurston Howel III…”tell me, GolfKiddo, where do your people summer?”
Uh dunno…the same place they winter? :-bd
IMO, as long as no legal or ethical boundaries were crossed, I would not bother with feedback. Was the interview consistent with the entire experience at that school? It’s hard not to generalize the interview to the entire experience; but every school is going to have a few bad apples or folks who may only be wonderful in their non-interviewing role at the school.
As someone who has worked with feedback in an institutional setting, I say yes, share it if you aren’t going forward. Most schools get most of their feedback from people who applied or who attend. Most would love to know why you had interest and lost it.
Share it, as long as your child has zero interest in applying. Most orgs want to better the process and feedback helps them do that.
@YoungThriver I think you should feel welcome to respond to any thread here. Each original poster can read comments and take or leave any feedback they wish. There is no age restriction in this group. I’ve seen a lot of adults post erroneous info here so being a parent doesn’t equal good insight. 
**MODERATOR’S NOTE:
To be fair, if the OP wanted the post to mostly be viewed by parents, with comments mostly by parents, she should have posted in under Prep School Parents. Personally, I did not think his advice was bad. Perhaps not what I would have said. Regardless:
The above quote is absolutely correct. Any member in good standing is free to post on any thread. The user asking the question is free to accept or reject any advice given,
Yup.
For what it’s worth, unless it was a serious issue (e.g., crime, ethics), I personally would let it go.
I gather that most of the admissions folks at schools in a region know each other very well, through revolving doors, conferences, etc. All it takes is for one AO at School X to speak to a friend at School Y who is also an AO about comments, and somehow you and your student are unfairly branded as troublemakers.
Totally unfair, and I’m the kind of person who would want to let loose on the school for the bad interview. However, someone told me when I was much younger to choose your battles carefully. These are now the words I’m teaching my own children. How much effect will it have in your daughter’s case at that school and what are the potential consequences at that school and perhaps other schools? That seems to be the essentials to your calculus.
It may be that the interview was so bad that you need to speak to someone at the school, so I won’t be so presumptuous to recommend what you should ultimately do. These are just some points to consider, which you probably already have!
I don’t think it’s a matter of getting someone in trouble and being a squeaky wheel but of politely explaining why the school came off your list. I would guess that you have the tact and finesse to do that.
Saying “we weren’t able to get a strong read on the commitment to girls in STEM” and is more than enough for the school. Even “we didn’t really feel like we were being encouraged to apply so felt we probably weren’t a fit” will say it nicely.