Kellogg waiver for interview. what do you make of this?

Question

Guys n gals, I recd this:

Rhyme/Pelihu, what do you make of this?

Dear ABCD.

Thank you for your request for an alumni interview. We currently do not have an available alumni interviewer in your area. Due to these circumstances, we are waiving your interview requirement so as not to delay the submission or processing of your application.

Please be assured that this waiver will in no way negatively impact your candidacy. The Admissions Committee understands and expects these conditions and will certainly take them into consideration when reviewing your application. The interview is a single factor in your evaluation and is by no means the most important criterion for admission. The committee will contact you personally if they feel they need further clarification on any aspect of your file.

We appreciate your interest in the Kellogg School of Management. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at (847) 491-3308 or send an email to ksm-aao@kellogg.northwestern.edu.
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Like does this really affect me or not? I am not sure.....any inputs?

I got the above emailm SOON after i checked my status on their. are they keeping track of ip addresses and log in times??

rhyme · Answer

You sound as paranoid as me! I doubt they "track" IPs and "haha lets not interview him because he checked his app!"

Odds are, its exactly what it says - you live somewhere where there are no alumni to help. Where do you live? 

I dont think itll negatively impact you.

pelihu · Answer

I have not yet submitted any applications, but I would take their message at face value. Kellogg likes to interview everyone that applies, but if they are not able to, then I would believe them when they say it won't count against you.

rhyme · Answer

Well put. Agreed.

Hindustan · Answer

I would hope as Pelihu put it, that it shouldn't count against me.

As far as IP Addresses are concerned, they actually do use it, not for what I mentioned but to track where the recommendations are coming from.

It is a known fact that some people write their own recommendations creating fake email id's and submitting them. Well, if they submit their reccos from the same IP and as well as their applications, then they for sure are doomed.

But I guess people doing this are not being honest, and will be caught in one way or another. 

But IP address tracking is a fact, in as far as I know from one HAAS graduate of 2001.

rhyme · Answer

Interesting point actually. 

My recommender submitted his rec for Cornell while visiting the city and crashing with me.

Hence, his rec, my ip.

I wonder if thats why I havent had an interview.

It's possible.

willget800 · Answer

WEll I am in the same boat. My recommender submitted from work from my PC.

Will that count against me?

Hindustan · Answer

I am not sure if that was or will be counted against you Rhyme.

I guess some guys/gals spoil it for the rest of us.....and that does suck big time. I am not sure whether all univs do it. Haas does it for sure. I won't be surprised if others follow suit.

darren1010 · Answer

I didn't know that the IP address involved.
As a matter of fact, my recommenders did write the LOR, then had someone translate it, then sent to me to see "if it's okie" (sound weird, but we have such a good relationship). If I say okie, they forward the email to me, and I just submit the LORs myself.
Can I fake the IP? Or have some of my friend in Singapore or somewhere do it for me? It's really funny if I bother my recommenders that much to submit a number LORs to all schools (I will probably apply for 6 or 8 schools).....

rhyme · Answer

You know I was thinking .... How many of us worked on our apps from work where the external IP is the same for everyone ? 

Maybe they don't use this as much as we think...

Futuristic · Answer

I just could not resist commenting on this. If this really is something being tracked, a lot of people might be in trouble.

Inside a corporate network, 2 computers (one of which is yours and the other your supervisor's) may well have the same external IP address (which is the one visible to anyone on the internet). The smaller the company you work for, the higher the probability that this is indeed the case.

I have strong doubts about this being used by schools. Technically, its plain stupid. Of course, I'll shut up if someone has proof

swgotz · Answer

There are so many ways this can backfire, some of which have already been mentioned. I have a hard time understanding how schools could/would use this as a definitive piece in the admissions process.

gmatmba · Answer

i submitted my own recos from my mac....im screwed

j/k - In no way do the schools hold this against you. Like rhyme said, what if your boss is submitting your reco from work (where you submitted your app from). Business schools cant assume things on the fly.

Hindustan · Answer

I don't have proof personally, but it is based on a reliable source who graduated HAAS. Whether this is used by HAAS right now, or by any other univ and the fact that univs use this to track, is probably exagerated. 

Similar stuff I can re count form my exp at Urbana Champaign, when lots of second yr transfer students form Manipal Institue of Tech India were caght for cheating in assignments (programming classes)

swgotz · Answer

I'm wondering if this is just an extra step for some schools, and if they notice recommendations from the same IP, they will pick-up the phone to verify.

gmatmba · Answer

agree

darren1010 · Answer

Okie, it's good to know actually. Now they will receive my LORs from anywhere on the world but US.

Hjort · Answer

If an admissions officer suspected that the LOR was fake based on the IP address, the logical procedure would be to contact the LOR writer to verify the statements she makes in the letter.

darren1010 · Answer

Haha, Hjort, I was just kidding. I surely have someone do that for me, just because I don't want to bother my recommender to much...

helg · Answer

I, for one.

Kellogg waiver for interview. what do you make of this?

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