You still need to make finger print in person at the Consultate anyway. Check out the U.S. embassy's web site and you will find it. CITIC's information is outdated on this point. You need to be very cautious on this. (I thought about it as you do, but I eventually decided to go the consulate myself and I got it the second day. You have to bother to go to the consulate anyway, no matter interview or not.)