<p>so i got an email for a meet and greet next week at a hotel, for all people who applied to harvard. any idea if alums fill out a report of the students they meet, or if it will help my app if i make a good impression? i would appreciate the opinions of harvard alums who do this if possible. thank you!</p>
<p>My son was invited to an event like this in our town last month. I doubt that there is anything like that systematic a degree of evaluation going on. Of course it is always good to make a good impression whenever you meet new people.</p>
<p>I would definitely try to work the room at a meeting like this. Be assertive (but not aggressive!!) and try and introduce yourself to all of the alumni. You really never know who has influence OR who might end up being your interviewer.</p>
<p>hey i also got this email.
did u guys also get an interview?
because i have a feeling that this may be instead of an interview?</p>
<p>The party should be distinct from the interview. Meet anyone you'd like to meet at the party, but be ready for a separate interview that will be considerably more formal.</p>
<p>I'm so excited. And eating food, I will definitely work the room :) I'm feeling a little more confident today after my cornell interview.</p>
<p>I was invited to a thing like this in December... It was at the home of an alum from the Harvard Club of Minnesota. I really doubt that the alums were actually evaluating the applicants; it just seemed like an opportunity to learn more about Harvard by meeting alumni, current students and other applicants. It's not like there is overwhelming pressure to impress, but you should for sure try to talk to many people, especially alums, because many of them are interviewers. They appreciate any interest you show in Harvard.</p>
<p>My Ds got invited to one of these in Atlanta. It was a very nice lunch at an Italian restaurant with a current student and an NPR correspondent alum giving their perspectives on the unique assets of Harvard. Clearly sales-oriented toward the applicants; not evaluative of them - an effort, I presume, to maintain an 80% yield rate.</p>