<p>Can any Princeon alumni help with this question? Do thy only get names, contact info, major, or do they also get to see our fav movies, books, word ect?</p>
<p>Alumni interviewers only receive basic contact information from the university. They do not see your application, SATs, transcript, intended major, favorite books, etc. The purpose of the alumni interview is not to sit in judgment of the applicant but to provide information about the applicant to the admission officers and to answer your questions about Princeton.</p>
<p>The alumni interview is less important than your grades, rigor of courses taken, SATs, and teacher recommendations. The university says that the interview comments are considered. </p>
<p>I consider my role as an alumni interviewer is to provide information to admissions that may not have been previously disclosed. For example, if your grades dropped one semester because of family difficulties, if you have received an award after your application was submitted, or personality characteristics. For example, I interviewed one candidate who reported to work at 5:30 am and worked several hours before school. I wanted admissions to know of her strong work ethic and time management skills.</p>
<p>^ Thank you for answering, PtonAlumnus!</p>
<p>However, I saw a student’s post detailing an interview process claim that the interviewer said “I was told you are applying to the department of Biology…”</p>
<p>Is there a possibility that the info interviewers see are different from one another?</p>
<p>PtonAlumnus is correct. Interviewers only receive basic contact information from the university and no interviewer receives additional information. In the situation you are speaking of, it is possible that the interviewer knew someone who knew the applicant and received information in that matter. Alternatively, interviewers might google applicants and get information that way.</p>
<p>That is certainly possible.</p>
<p>The information provided to alumni interviewers at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc may be different from the information provided to Princeton alumni interviewers.</p>
<p>The Princeton alumni interviews are organized by the the alumni groups around the world. Princeton University sends information about applicants to the head of the Alumni Schools Committee (ASC) in each region. The head of the ASC sends interview assignments to alumni that have volunteered to interview applicants. It is possible that there are slight regional differences.</p>
<p>I have interviewed applicants for over a decade and I have only received basic contact information. It is possible that the university sends more slightly more information about the applicant to the regional head of the ASC. Since the university does not want alumni interviewers to have the impression that they are making the admit decision I am sure that alumni interviewers do not receive transcripts, SATs, etc. </p>
<p>When I arrange an interview time and place I ask the applicant their intended major and EC interests so that I can provide information relevant to their interests. </p>
<p>Most applicants are contacted for an interview early in January. Some applicants are not contacted until February. It is simply the luck of the draw when you are contacted for an interivew.</p>
<p>Thank you very much, midatlmom and PtonAlumnus!!</p>
<p>As a Yale interviewer, we get contact info, high school attended and if the student indicated a possible major area of study. That’s all.</p>
<p>We run ours very much like PTon. Shoo-ins and zero chancers are treated equally. LOL</p>
<p>One side note: this situation can arise – two years ago, our area was swamped w/applicants and a handful were left unassigned nearing the deadline. Our regional officer called our area coordinator and requested, by name, that several of the students not yet interviewed to please be interviewed. It was obvious that this handful was still under consideration and Yale wanted more info. For those not asked for by name, their fate (admit or reject) had already been decided. Unusual scenario but it happened.</p>
<p>What is the time-frame for Princeton interview and other IVY’s RD interview? Already started? I heard somebody already had his interview with Princeton alumni.</p>
<p>I suspect it varies depending upon when you apply and how on top of things the local alumni group is. S submitted his Princeton application last weekend, and got an email today telling him that he would be contacted shortly by a particular alum to set up the interview.</p>
<p>What do you as an interviewer do when a student has already received a likly letter? Also, have you ever asked to see a teacher who has given a recommendation?</p>
<p>@trackpop</p>
<p>I don’t think that interviewers know whether or not a candidate has received a likely letter. A student I will be interviewing soon has a likely letter, but I only know this because I live in the same community as this person and it is common knowledge. </p>
<p>I contacted this person about an interview and didn’t bring it up. He didn’t either and we set up a time. I figure I will bring it up at the interview and then once the fact is confirmed I will use the time to answer any questions he may have about the University, life as an athlete, that sort of thing. </p>
<p>If he had brought it up, I would have asked if he still wanted to get together to talk. If not, I would have been fine with that and when I filled out the report on the student I would let the University know why he declined the interview.</p>
<p>So basically your son can do the interview or not. I would let the interviewer know about the likely letter though just as a courtesy.</p>
<p>Thanks Soomoo. Have you ever heard of an interviewer wanting to talk to the teachers? I note, no one at my S’s school has ever gone to Princeton.</p>
<p>Re timing, they are doingnthem now, my son just had his Princeton alum interview.</p>
<p>Princeton does not want the interviewer to cover information submitted by the applicant or for the applicant. I personally would not contact a teacher unless the teacher was a long time personal friend. I might contact the friend only because they would know that the student was applying to Princeton & probably would know that I interviewed a student that they had recommended. More of a courtesy to the teacher.</p>
<p>The role of the interviewer is minimal; we are not charged into doing research on the applicants. The purpose of the interview is to present a friendly face in a angst filled process, to help admissions understand the applicant better, and to answer questions about Princeton.</p>
<p>Your son should look forward to the interview as an opportunity to learn more about Princeton. Each year Princeton accepts about 400+ students from high schools that have not had a applicant accepted at Princeton in the last five years. After freshman week where you went to high school or what you did in high school is of little interest to your classmates.</p>
<p>OK. So what do you recommend that my son tell his interviewer who explicitly asked for him to organize a meeting with his teachers?</p>
<p>I have never heard of this. I understand that your son is a recruited athlete who has received a likely letter. If I were you, I would probably have your son mention this to the interviewer in a very pleasant fashion and ask, since it would be extremely difficult to set up such a meeting with teachers, whether the interviewer has any specific concerns? If the interviewer continues to insist, I would contact the admissions office (whoever signed the letter) and ask what to do.</p>
<p>First, congratulations on your son receiving a likely letter. </p>
<p>Second, likely letters are difficult to obtain and means that your son has been admitted unless he makes a major mistake. Admissions Dean Janet Rapelye wrote In the likely letter, we say that as long as you continue to perform at the same high level the only reason I would not send [an official notice of admittance] would be if they were not achieving their high school goals. But short of an academic failure, we honor that. Its up to the student to honor their side of the academic commitment. </p>
<p>Remember that alumni interviewer’s are not trained by the university and what each interviewer decides is appropriate can vary substantially. </p>
<p>Just because I do not understand your son’s interviewer’s desire to talk to teachers does not mean that I would believe that they have any bad intent. The most likely reason is that the interviewer is new and has not established a routine or understands our limited role. </p>
<p>My suggestions is that your son contact the coach. Your son has an inside helper who hopefully can talk to both admissions and the alumni. The Ivy League has very tight restrictions on the contacts alumni can have with recruited athletes. </p>
<p>I would personally enjoy talking to teachers because many applicants are very outstanding and I would like to know more about their achievements.</p>
<p>I would try to maintain a open and friendly dialog with the assigned alumni interviewer. They are still a source of information about the university and can potentially help in summer employment or other opportunities.</p>
<p>Thanks Midatlmom and PtonAlumnus!</p>
<p>All you need to know about the Princeton Interview:
[YouTube</a> - Fresh Prince of Bel-air Will’s Princeton Interview](<a href=“Fresh Prince of Bel-air Will's Princeton Interview - YouTube”>Fresh Prince of Bel-air Will's Princeton Interview - YouTube)</p>
<p>darn; i guess we will have to go out and buy a new jacket.</p>