However, one problem is that in many areas (such as rural locations), there are NO alumnae to do the interviews. Another problem is that in large areas like NY, NJ, CT, etc…, there are thousands of apps and it’s very hard logistically to organize things. As you could guess, some alums are more organized than others, so often being offered an interview is more a function of how together your local alumni coordinator is than if you “deserve” an interview. By this time of year, most of our students have had about half of their alumni interviews and are waiting for the others.

If you have NOT heard from a school that is high on your list, call the admissions office or check online to find out who the regional person is who sets up the interviews. Then you can call or email that person directly to ask whether they can fit you in. Interviews can take place as late as March and still count, but in general, the earlier the better. You don’t need to be a pest, but it’s not that big a deal to call to find out the contact info for your local interview organizer. Sometimes making the call can start a positive chain of events. In short, don’t panic if you haven’t been contacted, but take some action so you can have your interview early enough in the decision process to matter!

Even a student who is No. 1 in a top public school will not be accepted to top colleges if he or she has low scores on the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. Another thing to consider is the competition: at top private schools like Andover and Exeter, only the top students get into the very top colleges. It’s actually HARDER to be in the top 5-10% of the class at a place where almost everyone is qualified versus a big public school with some “dead weight.” In short, you should make this decision based on the options, comfort level, course offerings, sports and specialty offerings for your child rather than trying to outwit college admissions officers who will not be impressed just by a big name private school.

Most importantly, students will perform better – and be happier – at a school where they feel most comfortable. If a student truly loves Andover, and the family believes that the expense is warranted, then Andover is the right choice. If the local public school has great teachers, neighborhood friends, a full line up of AP courses, and a safe environment, then it may be worth more to a student than any of the famous prep schools.

RESOURCE: Sample Blogs

Vanderbilt: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Admissions/vandybloggers/

UCLA: http://blog.admissions.ucla.edu/

MIT: http://www.mitadmissions.org/blogs.shtml

Holy Cross: http://admissions.me.holycross.edu/

University of Vermont: http://adms.blog.uvm.edu/

Juilliard: http://blog.juilliard.edu/

If you come across an admissions blog you like, let us know on our blog: www.ApplicationBootCamp.com.