I just got emailed for a second interview from an admissions officer. I thought my first interview went pretty well but nothing out of the ordinary from my other ones. I am totally freaking out because I imagine this is a determining factor at this point. I’ve read other threads on this, but to people who have had 2nd interviews… What were they like? Harder or easier? Normal questions or no? Thank you
OP, relax. It is as likely that paperwork got misplaced as that this is the “determining factor.” At least try to think of it that way; there’s no upside in getting very stressed. Good luck and enjoy it.
Thank you @IxnayBob. I don’t know why I reacted so irrationally at first, it’s only been a couple hours and I feel better
@Mathandmusic914, it’s a stressful time for everyone. A credible candidate for Harvard will have no shortage of wonderful college options, whether or not Harvard is among them.
@IxnayBob I appreciate you saying that, I do in fact have some other college options already on the table, and I am happy with those. I can’t help but wonder though what’s holding me back as a borderline applicant. If only I knew! But I’ve accepted that it’s out of my control. I’ll just do my best and really make sure I’m prepared.
Look at it from another perspective. Think of a high school musical director who is choosing a cast for a show. Let’s use “Urinetown” as the example. The director needs to cast so many males, so many females, so many sopranos, altos, tenors etc. They need to cast for particular roles – and they need to pair people together. While the musical director could cast a girl in the role of “Officer Barrel,” at most high schools, that role is going to go to an overweight male who can sing the notes. You could be the absolute best, most talented actress in your high school, but chances are you will NEVER be cast as “Officer Barrel.”
Admission to a top college works pretty much the same way. You’re going up against some of the most talented students in the world for a role – and based upon your screen name, that would seem to be the student who excels in math and music. So, nothing is holding you back; you’re not a borderline applicant. There are just lot of talented people who might be able to play that role, and Admissions is deciding whom to cast.
@gibby wow… I never really thought about it in that way exactly. Thank you for the insight. I do feel prepared to answer the “what will you contribute to our community?” question on tangible and intangible terms.
Now there’s a section on part of Harvard’s app where you select the types of activities you’re interested in participating in at Harvard (5 of them) and rank them in order of preference. Do you know how important this is? I wouldn’t change the activities I selected, but I would definitely change the order in which I ranked them. The way I prioritized them in my first interview was totally different than what appears on the app. Just curious if that’s an area of dispute.
About being cast for a specific part, I do happen to be from a state and area with very few Harvard applicants. Not sure how that might relate to a second interview.
This is one of the random things about the applications process. Admissions is trying to build a class, so they do not want to recruit 300 freshman who play the violin, as they need diversity in their orchestra’s. Ditto with other EC’s. In building a class, I imagine some students might not get chosen because they have too many student’s interested in the same EC. But that’s something that is totally beyond your control, and changes from year-to-year depending on the competition, so I wouldn’t give it another thought. At this point, it is what it is!
Ok thanks! @gibby. You’re right, it is what it is, and a well-rounded class is key. I forget that sometimes.
If he/she notices the inconsistency between what’s on that part of the app and what I say in the interview, I’ll just be honest and explain that I’ve given it a lot of thought and allowed my plans to evolve and change naturally.
I just had my second interview with an admissions officer today! It was basically just them asking slightly more specific questions about your application (EX: elaborate more on how you became involved in X activity?). They did ask the “Is there anything else I should know” question. It was over Skype for about 20 minutes.
It probably means that we are on the fence. Especially if your alumni interview went well.
Thanks @eastcoastplease2015 ! Yea I’ve been thinking about how to best answer that question (it’s so open-ended!!!), as well as “Why Harvard.” Regardless of the admissions decision I think it’s pretty exciting that we’re being seriously considered!
Had my second interview yesterday. It went well! I was surprised at how relaxed it was and how general the questions were. I thought I would have been interrogated or asked about something really specific, but nope! We talked about my classes, my high school, my current ECs, and my general plans for college ECs.
So to those with upcoming second interviews, know that it won’t necessarily be super intense!
Hi, Mathandmusic! I just received an email today from my regional adcom for a “brief skype interview” to help them get to know me better “inside and outside of the classroom.” It said that this would be separate of any interview I had done with an alum in my area. Is this the type of request you received as well? I’m currently freaking out over this because I am absolutely terrified of interviews (also the question that’s plagued many minds on CC - what does this mean??? - is messing with my mind).
Did you also receive a skype interview or was it conducted in person on/off campus? And do you know if the interviewer was an alum or the adcom? How long was your interview?
Any help from anyone who has had or is in a similar situation would be much appreciated!
What this means is that your regional admissions director wants to get to know you better, so s/he can present your case to the full committee in the best possible light. They are looking for more ammunition, as it were. So, first things first, RELAX. Chances are your regional admissions director attended Harvard as an undergraduate, so think of it as having a chat with a Harvard student. If you’re stuck for conversation, ask them questions – What was your concentration? What professor did you like the most? What were your extracurricular activities? Looking back over your 4 years, what was your fondest memory? I bet somewhere in there is some common ground that will help you bond with the AD and be able to share your story with them. Best of luck to you!
Do most accepted students get second interviews? I’ve never heard of them before.
^^ No, most accepted students do not get second interviews. Generally second interviews, which are most often conducted by alumni, are an indication that the first interview was inconclusive or lost. However, when an Admissions Officer requests a Skype interview so late in the admissions process it usually means that they AO wants to get to know the applicant prior to presenting them to the full committee. The hope is that the conversation will enhance what is already known about the applicant and allow the AO to reassure the committee of the student’s maturity and “character.”
Huh, thanks! Hey, how do you know all this stuff? Are you involved with admissions? You’re like the guru of this board.
^^ My daughter graduated from Harvard in 2014, my son graduated from Yale in 2015. Between them they were accepted to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Williams, Middlebury, Pomona, Wesleyan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and SUNY Binghamton. When your kids get accepted to that many top schools, you learn how the system works.
Wow, that’s an impressive list. Thanks!