Why are interviews important in the college admissions process?

I've been reading about college applications, and I noticed that some schools require interviews. What exactly is the point of these interviews, and how much do they really impact my chance of getting in?

Interviews can serve various purposes in the college admissions process. Firstly, for the applicant, they provide an opportunity to personally connect with a representative from the college, usually an alumnus or admissions officer, and ask any questions they may have about the college or its programs. This can be a valuable source of information about the college's culture, academic offerings, extracurricular opportunities, and more.

From the college's perspective, interviews are a chance to learn more about applicants beyond what's in their written applications. While grades, test scores, and essays do provide some insight into an applicant's interests and abilities, an interview allows the college to get a sense of the applicant's personality, communication skills, and intellectual curiosity in a way that a paper application might not fully capture. It can also provide insights about an applicant's fit with the college's community and values.

As for how much interviews impact your chance of acceptance, this can vary quite a bit from school to school. At some colleges, interviews can be a significant component of the application review process, while at others, they're more of a formality and have a minimal impact on your admission chances. If a school states that an interview is "optional," it's generally a good idea to participate if you're able to do so, as declining or ignoring an interview can make it seem as though your application to the school is not a high priority for you.

However, please note that at many schools, whether you're offered an interview or not often depends on the availability of alumni or admissions officers in your area. If you aren't offered an interview, this doesn't reflect negatively on your application. For instance, some highly selective schools, like Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, do not offer interviews at all, yet they manage to select outstanding classes each year from their applicants.