Has anyone been interviewed over Skype by a Harvard admissions officer, as opposed to a regular alum? And if so, how was it? There are alums in Northeast Ohio, but I am getting interviewed by my regional representative.
Since they will or are in the process of reviewing my application, is this significant? Will it impact my application more? Finally, will they have read my application beforehand?
If the interview goes well, this means you are most likely in.
@redsofa In what way would this offer indicate that?
A great interview does not guarantee admission. Anyone interested in H has got to understand it’s much more than that.
Ummmm. no. That’s not how it works. One can have a great interview and still be rejected.
And vice versa, one can have a lousy interview and still get admitted. I’ve seen that happen.
Not sure most kids, even when qualified for a tippy top, know what a great or a lousy interview is. But if you come across as a kid who can’t look the interviewer in the eye, balks at a handshake, goes blank when asked why this college, etc, your shot goes down, no matter what. They have too many applicants and a lesser impression during an interview stands out.
Afaik, H only involves Admissions reps in interviews in a limited number. They have thousands to conduct, total. Maybe in your area, there aren’t enough alums volunteering. Maybe the college wants to draw in a few more kids from there. Or maybe they just want to give some new AO a chance to observe. and you got the luck of that draw, so to say. You don’t know. Rather than put energy into trying to see if this is some tipoff, focus on being the best interviewee you can be.
OP got an AO interview through skype, not an usual alumni interview. It is a sign that a senior officer is interested in admitting OP, so there is a very very good chance they’ll get in.
Couple this with OP’s exceptional profile as depicted in the chanceme thread, and I agree.
In any case, I just had my interview at 2:00 and everything went great and according to plan. It was shorter than I thought it would be because she had to attend a meeting at 2:45, but she claimed that I really did my research.
Fingers crossed that’s true for the OP. But I am aware of an applicant for the H class of 2021 that had the skype interview for REA even though they lived in area where an alumni interview could have been conducted. The applicant thought the skype went very well yet got deferred in December and waitlisted in March ultimately enrolling elsewhere. The point being…focus on being personable and a good interviewee bc there is no 100% done deal when applying to a school such as this one. I know it’s anxiety that makes folks ask in a forum “hey what are my chances?” “hey, is this a good sign?” “hey what does this mean?” but hopefully everyone understands that no one on this site knows the answer to those types of questions. AOs make recommendations but the applicant still must be voted on in committee. It’s not one person who decides.
An interview is an interview, no more, no less. No tea leaves to read.
Adcoms don’t have favorites they treat to specialized interviews. True, OP has some good stuff in the chance thread. He’s right to apply. But the rest will hang on the fuller institutional needs. And nothing odd in the actual app.
Yes, best wishes.
Now, go do something else, set the worries aside. 
@lookingforward Will do!
In my five years of having interviewed for Harvard, I’ve never heard of a “tiered” interviewing, i.e., one interview being more weighed than others. Never. Not just Harvard but anywhere else. It’d be wise not to read anything into it. Whether the OP is admitted to Harvard or not will not be determined by the interview itself.
Interviews and essays cause a lot of anxiety but they don’t make or break an applicant: Harvard looks at the big picture and also tries to assemble an interesting class, so sometimes it is more about what you will contribute in a given year than about the individual.
@compmom As a perfect example of a person who does not yet know how much s/he does not know, that user is a HS student and an international one at that. Take the post for what it’s worth.Hint- it’s worth nothing. 
I was being diplomatic
Sometimes one can be too subtle.