How are interview dates assigned? (Is there a ranking system?)

Yes, interviews are scheduled based on ranking. The best applicants are scheduled on the first interview day. The worst applicants are scheduled on the last interview day.

Just kidding.

We actually schedule the interviews based on who has the highest GPA.

Just kidding, again.

Interviews are scheduled based on the responses to the "human condition" question. Interesting essay responses get priority in the interview process.

Again, just kidding.

Ok..... seriously....  It's fascinating to think there are theories as to how these interviews are scheduled. (It kind of makes me sad that some applicants become obsessed with trying to figure out what every little detail means -- instead of using that precious time to actually prepare for the interviews.)  It's odd that some people don't realize that this is a multi-day process. Someone will always be first, someone will always be last. I sometimes think that those who are so afraid to go last lack the self-confidence to actually do well in an interview. They've already doomed themselves before stepping foot onto campus. I believe that if you are comfortable, confident and well-prepared, it doesn't even matter when you are interviewing. I think of our amazing current students and say to myself "It doesn't matter if they would have interviewed morning or afternoon, Thursday or Friday or Saturday, first or last...."  For every ten people who tell you it's better to interview first, there will be ten people who will tell you it's better to interview last. Let it go. Prepare for the interviews and don't let outside distractions veer you off course.

Hopefully, this post will put to rest all the speculation as to how the interviews are scheduled. In a nutshell (because it's really nothing more than a nutshell) here goes:

• We have five interview days -- one Saturday, one Thursday, and three Fridays.
• Towards the end of December, when we have narrowed our applicant pool down considerably (and determined the names of many who will be invited to interview), we do a data export.
• The data that is exported is simply "Applicant's CURRENT city".
• To be respectful of travel issues, we TRY to schedule most of our out-of-state applicants on Saturday. Not always, but mostly.
• For the Thursday interview, we try to schedule as many "San Franciscans" as we can. Not always, but mostly.
• Once we have many of the interview slots on those two days filled, we simply start filling in the remaining interview slots for the three Fridays -- sometimes in alpha-order (because that's how the list is printed) but not always. If we have x-number of spots and x-number of applicants, we just fill in the little boxes on the Excel sheet. LOL!  Yes, it's THAT simple!

And because I'm obsessed with FAQs..... 

1. Are there some out-of-state applicants interviewing on other days besides Saturday? Yes. We try to do our best given the interview limitations we have.
2. Will there be some California residents interviewing on Saturday? Yes. We try to do our best given the interview limitations we have.
3. Will some San Francisco residents interview on other days? Yes. We try to do our best given the interview limitations we have.  
4. Will there be non-SF residents interviewing on Thursday? Yes. We try to do our best given the interview limitations we have.
5. Will the date an application was submitted have any bearing on when they are scheduled to interview? No.
6. If I'm scheduled to interview on the last day, does that mean I have a lesser chance of being admitted? No. If an applicant is a good fit for our program, it doesn't matter what day they interview. A good fit is a good fit.
7. What if my file hasn't been reviewed yet, is it too late? Nope. We will still schedule a spot for you -- likely on a Friday. But could be a Thursday. Or even on a Saturday.
8. Am I more likely to get admitted if I interview on the first day rather than the last day? That's crazy. You're obsessing over stuff we don't even think about.
9. Can I request what day I want to interview? No. Interviews are preassigned. Please refer to your interview invitation for more information. 
10. I just can't stop obsessing over the meaning of why I was scheduled to interview on a certain day. What can I do to take my mind off of this? Send me a personal email and I will provide you with at least two things you can do with your time -- which is guaranteed to be better spent. Seriously, I will do this! Just send me an email. =)

I think that pretty much answers everything. What did I miss?