What is the Alumni Admissions Organization?
The Alumni Admissions Organization (AAO) assists the Full-Time Office of Admissions by conducting evaluative interviews of candidates who are unable to visit campus. The interview helps to assess an applicant's level of maturity, interpersonal skills, career direction, and work experience -- qualities that the Committee considers essential to a successful career at Kellogg. Members of AAO also reach out to admitted students to increase yield.

We need your help!
In 2008-2009 the Alumni Admissions Organization interviewers conducted over 3,000 interviews – approximately 60% of all Admissions interviews. The demand for alumni interviews continues to rise, especially outside of the United States, and we want to avoid overextending our current alumni interviewers. Typically, AAO members are more recent graduates of Kellogg’s Full-Time Program (graduating within the last seven years). The exception to this practice occurs in locations where demand for interviews is higher or where there are fewer alumni.

What is the time commitment?
The entire admissions interviewing cycle, which consists of three rounds, lasts from mid-September through the beginning of May. We try to assign no more than seven interviews to an alumni interviewer during an admissions cycle and no more than four interviews per round. In some areas alumni may only conduct 1-3 interviews per cycle. The volume depends on the demand in the area and the number of alumni interviewers available. You can let us know if you have a preferred interview load by emailing ksm-aao@kellogg.northwestern.edu.

How do I join? What happens after I join?
If you'd like to join AAO, please:

-Click the “Join Now” button below. You will be guided through the registration process.
-After you have joined, click on the link that states Update your Profile, and then update your AAO Preferences. This is the information that will be released to candidates, and it is important that this information be accurate. AAO Preferences is separate from the general Alumni Directory, and we rely only on your AAO Preferences to make assignments.

Twenty-four hours after you have joined, you will have access to AAO Private, https://kelloggalumni.northwestern.edu/Affinity/AAOPrivate/. This site contains key resources for interviewers and we ask that you read our Handbook, as well as the Frequently Asked Questions and Interview Inquiry Guide: What Can and Cannot be Asked of an Applicant. You can also reach AAO Private by going to the alumni homepage, selecting “Clubs and Groups”, then 'Special Interests', and then “log on to see my groups.”

Assignments typically begin to go out late Auguest to early September. If you live in a high volume area then you may be receiving an assignment soon after you join! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at ksm-aao@kellogg.northwestern.edu Thank you for you interest in AAO!

Who can I contact if I have questions?
Feel free to reach out to us!