<p>so applied Harvard EA which is a scary thing to begin with. but what i'm really scared about is my interviewer. </p>
<p>He seems pretty high powered. He works in a relatively well known law firm. The interview is going to take place in his office building in his office. He said that it would be EXTREMELY informal, but I feel like I would be out of place in his building in jeans....? and he also seems kind of apathetic towards me in his emails, although he said that he was looking forward to meeting me. I'm not sure what we would talk about either, since I'm more of a math and science type...at least he likes classical music</p>
<p>how do i prepare for the worst, is basically my question?</p>
<p>Eh, don’t sweat it. My interviewer spent literally twenty minutes/half an hour trying to get me to agree to join a Dungeons and Dragons group in college, since I like science fiction/fantasy books. I spent that twenty minutes/half hours being like…how do I most politely and evasively say NOPE NOT ONE CHANCE? Then the other half we talked about art. I don’t know anything about art. I didn’t fail, I think, but it was extremely awkward. And here I am.</p>
<p>Also, do you know the chance I’d get along perfectly with every person in this school? Literally zero. I am not going to be the “type” every other undergraduate wants to be friends with. In fact, I don’t adore every single one of my peers. And yet I can recognize, generally, that they deserve to be here, and why. The alum is just somebody who graduated, but it’s perfectly analogous. You don’t need to get along like long-lost siblings for him to give you a good report.</p>
<p>-That said, there are actual alumni interviewers who inhabit this forum as well, and if they say anything to contradict anything I’ve said, they are correct and I am not.</p>
<p>I agree w/ your hunch…don’t wear jeans. Just try to relax and go with it. I’m not sure how he’d seem apathetic in emails, but he’s probably just a busy person with lots of emails to deal with…</p>
<p>I agree, do not wear jeans. And also, BE YOURSELF! They want to know YOU! And they can see right through it if you are trying to be someone else, whomever that is. :)</p>
<p>If you want to wear jeans, and wearing jeans will make you feel relaxed, wear jeans. If wearing jeans will make you nervous because you are worried about whether you are dressed appropriately, don’t wear jeans. There isn’t a law firm in the country that doesn’t have clients wearing jeans parading in and out of the office all day, and no one will care about what a college interviewee is wearing. (Provided it’s not filthy rags, or over-the-top provocative. You should wear something clean, and it should cover your shoulders, chest, midriff, legs, and everywhere in between.)</p>
<p>As for the tone of the e-mails, he’s probably just being professional. Don’t worry about it. If he didn’t basically enjoy meeting kids like you, he wouldn’t be interviewing.</p>
<p>Lots of great advice from current students, alum, parents and other interviewers from…hmm…that other school…:D</p>
<p>@OuchDork: Don’t sweat it too much. It’s notoriously difficult to judge tone in writing, and esp in emails–I doubt he’s being detached on purpose or aware that he’s appearing to be apathetic. As for jeans or no jeans, I’m gonna offer a slightly different opinion. I think it’s always better to be at least ‘equally’ dressed as your interviewer. That is, if this is taking place in a law firm where are the partners and associates are wearing suits, you (may) feel very self conscious before and during the interview. I’m not saying alum interviewers try to intimidate their interviewees–but interviews, no matter how causal, are never balanced in terms of power. If he’s in a suit and you’re in jeans, it might just feel that way even if he has no such intentions. </p>
<p>But maybe I’m over-thinking the issue. And I’m also rather used to and like wearing suits…</p>
<p>Orch, what is the nature of the e-mails? I can’t imagine writing e-mails (plural) to an applicant. Are you asking him questions, or is he just trying to schedule the interview? Unless you are peppering him with questions necessitating the e-mail exchange, I agree with the others.</p>
<p>I meet my applicants at a coffee shop, and I tell them beforehand it will be very informal. I would say most do dress nicely & conservatively, which I always appreciate. I think ^ has the best advice.</p>
<p>You should try to relax and be yourself. In all honesty, the impact of the interview is limited and it is only a small part of the big picture. However, you should dress appropriately just like you would dress for a job interview.</p>
<p>Orchdork- You concluded he must be ‘highpowered’ by his law firm, so it would be logical to conclude he is a very busy man. He may not have the time or inclination too be overly friendly in emails. Believe him when he said ‘I’m looking forward to meeting you’.</p>
<p>Interviewers may have six to ten students to interview each year, every year. Be grateful they do this for your benefit. If you, as a math/science person, find it terribly challenging to find some common ground for a stimulating discussion, you may want to consider applying to tech schools instead of liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>fauve: I’m not sure if you’ve had a similar experience, but the most impressive techies and mathematically/scientifically inclined people I know are also some of the most curious and well read people I know. Many can carry a conversation about Alexander Calder or the Peloponnesian War as easily as they can a debate about the superiority of Python over Java.</p>
<p>Why are you saying NO to jeans?
A nice shirt, nice jacket , jeans and nice shoes - doesn’t it look good?
To me it looks really classy…someone dressed like this would make a much better impression on me compared to a person dressed in a formal suit…</p>
<p>I agree with Kelowna’s wardrobe advice. My husband (also '87!) has been doing interviews for years and clothes are NOT the focus. </p>
<p>Try to show your passion for whatever it is that you do best, and what you want to study at Harvard. My daughter’s now a senior (NOT applying to Harvard), so her dad explained to her the entire purpose of an interview: you are telling the school why they need to accept you. You’re saying how you’ll contribute to the community intellectually, or by getting involved in campus programming, or you’ll bring glory in some other way. How can they possibly pass up someone as amazing as you??!</p>
<p>Honestly, interviewing for Ivies has been a pretty heartbreaking endeavor lately. I have interviewed for Brown for 20+ years, and while the caliber of interviewees has remained high, the chance of their getting in keeps decreasing. I wouldn’t blame the guy if he’s a little frustrated–but as I said, sell yourself as this phenomenal person that Harvard NEEDS, and he’ll give you the best write up he can.</p>
<p>BTW, don’t sweat it about the office. The poor guy probably doesn’t have a lot of free time, and your coming to his office is the best he can do.</p>
<p>Although I agree that clothes are BY FAR not the focus, the fact that it’s being held in an office suggests that most people there won’t be in jeans. … Certainly a business suit isn’t required for the student, but a step up from blue jeans would still be my advice, to just avoid drawing attention to your clothes.</p>
<p>If interviewing with the same person, but in a coffee shop, jeans and a non-t shirt would be fine.</p>
<p>Regarding what to wear, JHS (post #5) has it right. Wear what makes you comfortable. Clients wear jeans in law offices regularly, and sometimes attorneys do, too. What you wear matters less than if you’re comfortable.</p>
<p>Also, don’t put too much importance on the interview. These are more informative than evaluative. A friend of mine does alumni interviews for Harvard. For the first few years she fancied herself part of the admissions committee, but over time she’s come back down to earth; alumni interviewers are goodwill ambassadors for the college who might alert the college to a dishonest or overtly antisocial applicant, but otherwise the impact of their input is minimal.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks guys! I think i might go in black pants and a polo or something, i’ll figure it out :P</p>
<p>Idk, i’m probably just being overly analytic or something. The way this meeting was scheduled was so different from how my MIT meeting and Rice meeting were scheduled. He just kind of TOLD me exactly where to go, haha.</p>
<p>Windcloudultra- my comment about the sci/tech angle was in response to the OP’s statement that he (OP) " didn’t know what they would have to talk about" since the lawyer was not in science. I was not proclaiming that all sci types are devoid of general conversational abilities.</p>