Are Cornell or Dartmouth college interviews more important in admissions?

The biggest practical difference is that Dartmouth treats its alumni interview as a more meaningful evaluative piece, while Cornell’s interview options are usually far less central to the admissions decision. At Dartmouth, interviews are typically alumni-led and intended to add personal context to your application when available. At Cornell, the process depends heavily on the college within Cornell, and many interview-like interactions are informational, required only for certain programs, or not offered at all.

Between the two, Dartmouth interviews matter more in admissions. Dartmouth has long used alumni interviews as part of its holistic review when an interview is available, so a strong conversation can help reinforce qualities like intellectual curiosity, engagement, and personal presence. It is not the deciding factor by itself, but it is a real evaluative component rather than just a courtesy call.

Cornell is different because there is no single university-wide interview policy that works the same way for every applicant. But for many applicants to Cornell, there is either no interview at all or the interview is primarily informational and not a major factor in the final decision.

So if your question is which school gives the interview more weight in the standard undergraduate admissions process, the clearer answer is Dartmouth. For Cornell, you should pay close attention to the specific undergraduate college you are applying to, because that matters more than the Cornell name alone when it comes to interviews.