<p>On the Yale site there was a reference to an Alumni Newsletter which discussed the impact interviews have on an applicant. I would be interested in reading about the impact and process of harvard interviews. Any info on this topic? Do the interviewers from a particular area meet with anyone from the adcom? Are the candidates rated on a similar scale? Thanks</p>
<p>i think the harvard interview carries the most weight in the admissions process....with yale coming in at a close second</p>
<p>that would make sense given that out of all my interviews, my harvard one was the most intense.</p>
<p>Harvard is able to give substantial weight to interviews in part because it goes to great lengths to see that virtually every applicant gets one.</p>
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On the Yale site there was a reference to an Alumni Newsletter which discussed the impact interviews have on an applicant.
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<p>can you provide a link to this? thanks.</p>
<p>My Harvard interview was the longest of my three (HYP), so I wouldn't be surprised if slic is right...</p>
<p>The link you asked for is:
<a href="http://www.yale.edu/asc/newsletter/winter_2005.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.yale.edu/asc/newsletter/winter_2005.pdf</a></p>
<p>I thought that this section of the Yale newsletter was particularly telling in describing how a candidate can be very appealing, but still can lack what select colleges look for when it comes to making admissions offers.</p>
<p>While this is a Yale report, it could be a Harvard report as the same kind of factors are important.</p>
<p>I am convinced that when people post on CC that wonderful classmates were denied admission allegedly because of underqualified URMs or stupid adcoms, what really happened was that a decision was made as occurred in this example:</p>
<p>"Benjamin has a 3.9 GPA in a curriculum of moderate rigor at a
public magnet school. He has scored a 1540 on his SAT, and all
three of his SAT II exams are between 720 and 780. He scored a
33, out of a possible 36, on his ACT. </p>
<p>Benjamin is captain of the varsity basketball squad; treasurer for the student council; and has committed over 100 hours of community service. His essays are descriptive but lack depth, and the committee notes that there is little of Bens personal voice in them. </p>
<p>Recommendations speak to his character and note that his smile lights up a classroom. They intimate that he is exceptionally well
liked by his peers and the faculty, though there is little mention of his academic interests or promise.</p>
<p>The ASC report indicates that the interviewer was particularly impressed with Bens commitment to the basketball team and says that this particular subject was the main focus of their conversation. It is clear that Ben has a genuine love of the sport and that his teammates respect him greatly. </p>
<p>Though the ASC rates Ben a 9 and notes that Ben was easy to talk to and impressively well-rounded, there is not substantial evidence in her report to support this reader rating. </p>
<p>The text of the ASC report is helpful in that it confirmed Bens warm character, but based on the substance of their dialogue and the warm
impression their conversation left in the interviewers mind, it might have been better scored a 6 rating.</p>
<p>Ben has consistent and appealing personal character traits, and warm support from the school. However, in our competitive pool with only average academic rigor in his transcript, his charisma and
well-roundedness are not enough to distinguish him. Ben was not offered admission."</p>
<p>I think, too, that this statement by the Yale assistant admissions director also would be similar to statements that Harvard admissions officers would state about the importance of Harvard alumni interviews:</p>
<p>" In most cases, your interview reports confirm what is already evident in the rest of the students folders, and your feedback supports my evaluation. They can also add new perspective that warrants further scrutiny of the materials at hand. </p>
<p>As is probably starkly evident, the caliber of applicants that we see is such that no student can gain acceptance to Yale on the merits of a strong interview alone.</p>
<p>However, when a powerful candidate leaves us wanting more
or looking for a confirmation of the person we see, a well supported
interview will often inform the ultimate decision. While the interview
rating can give a general indication of the flavor of the interview,
the substance of the report is most useful for our evaluation."</p>