Alumni volunteers make interviewing program worthwhile

But which one is Keyser Soze?

Houston alumni interviewers Carlyn Burton 02C 02G, Kumasi Adoma 01C, Eric Barvin 07C, Cheronda Bryan 04B, and Bonnie Dilber 04C (left to right) aren't telling.

When Kumasi Adoma 01C of Houston sat down with the first of three Emory applicants she was scheduled to interview on Saturday, February 28, she warmly greeted the slightly nervous high school senior with a big smile. By the time their 20-minute conversation was over, Adoma’s smile was beaming just as brightly as it had when she started. The student’s grin in return was one of relief, happiness, and excitement, all related to her time with Adoma, one of hundreds of alumni volunteers in three cities participating in the second year of Emory’s alumni interviewing pilot program.
           
“I went in thinking that this is a conversation about something I’m familiar with and excited about,” said Adoma who was one of 15 Houston-area alumni to interview students that February day. More than 40 alumni interviewers in all volunteered in Houston, beginning in the fall. Add in the other cities of San Francisco and Chicago and the total number of alumni interviewing volunteers grows to more than 250.
           
“Knowing that I didn’t have to be the linchpin about whether the students got into Emory or not took the pressure off,” Adoma continued. That relaxed approach was evident during her day of interviews.
           
Adoma asked insightful questions based on each of her students’ interests. One was passionate about science, another about business, and each conversation was distinctive without losing one bit of its depth. For instance, when one student brought up a passion about international study, Adoma, whose degree is in international studies, shared a personal story about her own Emory study abroad experience (in Japan) and off-handedly (but with definite purpose) added in statistics on how many Emory students take part in the program.
           
“It really illuminates the differences in your maturity level when you were applying to college and the things you were thinking about,” said Adoma, good-naturedly implying that her interests as a high-school senior applying to Emory probably didn’t include studying in Japan. “It’s fun seeing how advanced students are now.”
           
The increasing sophistication of Emory’s prospective student body is one of the reasons the alumni interviewing program was rolled out in a two-year pilot phase in 2007–08. Many of Emory’s peer institutions include a personal interview with alumni as part of the application process. The system contains many benefits. For students, it provides a personal touchpoint that informs them about the University community. They also can ask detailed questions about Emory and get answers from those who know the institution best: alumni.
           
For alumni, interviewing is an excellent way to engage them in the life of their alma mater. They can talk about their personal experiences at Emory (something most any alumnus enjoys doing) and also connect to the students who are following in their footsteps.
           
For Emory’s admission officers, interviewing puts a human face on the frequently cold and clinical application process. An interview can help Emory’s admissions professionals determine whether candidates are good fits for the University and in some cases can move a borderline candidate into the “accepted” pile. However, the admission office is quick to stress that prospective students who do not interview are never penalized.
           
Prospective students are definitely interested. Some 350 students met with alumni in each of the three cities. About 250 alumni across the three cities volunteered, and while the interviews were exclusively for undergraduate admissions, every Emory school was represented and there was a broad range of ages and backgrounds among the volunteers.
           
“This program really pulls volunteers out of the woodwork,” said Laura Zimmerman, assistant director for regional programs and the EAA’s alumni interviewing program lead. “It builds a sense of community. And it’s not just Emory College alumni or young alumni who are interested in interviewing. This is something alumni 30 years out want to get involved in. Participation in the program also frequently leads to alumni getting involved in other local chapter activities.”
           
The interviewers also devote a lot of energy to the program itself. Adoma and Lewis Kalmans 91C got Houston started, and Monica 02C and Brad Miller 01C were the volunteer leaders in San Francisco. Keith Brin 94C 95PH and Felicia Ross 94C returned as Chicago co-chairs for 2008–09 and following guidance throughout last year’s efforts, successfully conducted both interview days independent of onsite staff assistance. According to Ronnie McKnight, senior associate dean of admission, there was no dropoff in the city. Both alumni and prospective students remained engaged, and that kind of sustainable growth and independent volunteer management is crucial to nationwide viability of the alumni interviewing program.
           
“The pilot phase has been a time to figure out if the program is beneficial and if it’s manageable,” said McKnight, who is one of the creators of the program. “What we’ve learned from the three cities is that it’s beneficial from both a student and an alumni perspective. But we’re still figuring out the logistics, so we plan on continuing our phased rollout, primarily because the more cities we add, the more challenges we’ll face.”

If new cities are anything like Houston, the alumni interviewing program has good days ahead.
           
“I feel fortunate and honored that Houston was chosen as one of the cities where this program was piloted,” said alumni interviewer Cheronda Bryan 04B. “I think there is a great opportunity to grow the number of applications that come from the Houston area to Emory and Oxford, and I’m fortunate that I was able to participate in this and that the EAA considered us. I definitely encourage any other cities offered this opportunity to take advantage.”—Eric Rangus

Listen to a podcast with Houston's alumni interviewers.