Almost all the Ivy Leagues have alumni interviews. Cornell is a little different. They don't offer interviews for the vast majority of students. College of Architecture, Art, and Planning and specifically only the Architecture majors are required to interview and students in Fine Arts or Urban and Regional Studies majors have an optional interview and that's it. It might seem unfair, but Cornell does have another option for those who are craving something akin to the interview.
After you apply, a Cornell alum from the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) may reach out to you to schedule an informational conversation. With over 10k alums in CAAAN, they can offer upwards of 25k of these sessions to interested students. If you want an opportunity to talk to an alum, you can indicate interest through the Cornell-specific Application Status Page (information on how to set up the Application Status Page will be provided to applicants after their application to Cornell is processed). Since Cornell is so different, we wanted to break down what these sessions are, why they are different, and why you should still do one. We even have two tips for those who choose to do these sessions.
But what are these sessions?
These aren't interviews. At other Ivies, students will meet with an alumnus and then the alumnus will fill out a report and share it with the admissions office. However, at Cornell, these meetings aren’t evaluated. The Cornell alum won't share any information with the admissions office. These meetings instead are just tools for you to learn more about Cornell. Also, students who have shown specific interest in Cornell (aka ED candidates) are first on the list for who will receive offers for these informationals.
Why does Cornell not offer interviews?
They say it's because it isn't fair to interview some and not others and with over 65k applications each year, they simply can't interview everyone. None of the Ivies guarantee that they can meet with every applicant, so this makes sense. However, it can be frustrating for those who were hoping to show off their amazing conversation and interview skills. Just know that no one is receiving an interview.
Should I request an informational?
The easiest answer is couldn't hurt! No matter if the admissions office knows you did or not, it is never a bad idea to at least check the box to show you are interested in a school. These informationals can also be a great resource for students. For many students, this will be the first opportunity to speak with someone who went to Cornell. Having a conversation with them can give you great insight into the school and if you would like it there. Since going on a campus visit has been hard since the pandemic and Cornell (given its location) has always been a hard school to tour, this is an amazing resource to learn more about the school.
How do I make the most out of this conversation?
For interviews, we always say you need to prepare. It’s not a bad idea for this too. Our first tip for these sessions is to do some research. There are two reasons to prepare for a traditional interview. 1) To make you look good to the interviewer and 2) to get the most from the interview. For this informational, you don’t have to really think about #1, but you should still prepare because of number 2. Researching before this will give you more to talk about with your alum. Look into what you want to study. Do some research on opportunities that you would be interested in. The more you know the better the conversation will be. Doing some research will also help you with our second tip: have questions ready.
You should walk into this conversation with some appropriate questions for your interviewers. Try to stay away from questions about alcohol and hooking up for obvious reasons and try to stay away from questions that are easily googled. That one might seem less obvious, but it just is a conversation killer. For example, if your question is “Does Cornell have a business school?” it just makes you seem unprepared and your alumni might not take your interest in the school seriously. Since they aren’t evaluating you it isn’t the end of the world if they don’t take you seriously, but you will have a much better experience if your questions are well thought out and specific.
Really think about what you want to know about the school. Here are some questions that might get you started:
What is one thing you wish you did while you were at Cornell that you didn’t get to do?
What was your favorite/least favorite thing about Cornell?
Did you major in the subject that you thought you were going to major in when you first applied? If not, why not?
How easy is it to get involved with research as an undergrad?
Is it easy to get to know your professors?
Socially, what was Cornell like when you were there?
Was it a hard transition from high school to college for you?
You can also ask follow-ups, but coming in with a couple of questions already jotted down will help you make the most out of the experience.
Doing an informational is not required, but it can be a great resource for those who want to learn more about Cornell. If you take the CAAAN up on this opportunity, make sure you use it to the fullest. Remember that the alums who make up CAAAN are volunteers. They are doing this because they really love Cornell and want to answer your questions. Be kind to them and realize how great of a resource they can be.
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