I agree with gibby. In my kid’s interview invitation email, they explicitly said that Harvard ‘requires’ an interview to admit a student.
As far as I gathered, interview invitations do not necessarily mean that you are a high priority student, but no interview means not much chance. They conduct ‘late’ or AO interviews if they want to consider anyone who has some chance but didn’t get an interview due to alumni unavailability.
I don’t think this applies to other schools or internationals the same way.
I would go one step further: It’s all about graduating at the TOP of your college class. Let’s be real here: A student graduating in the bottom half of their graduating class from Harvard (and 50% do every year) does NOT have a better shot at a job than someone graduating with high honors from a well respected college such as Amherst, Williams, Pomono, Vanderbilt, Rice, UMich etc.
And for the record: students admitted to Harvard tomorrow need to understand something.
Just as course rigor varies among high schools, there are also varying levels of course rigor at different colleges. Harvard (and the rest of the ivies) – rightly, or wrongly – believe they are teaching to the gifted and talented students of this world, so to challenge those “best of the best” students, professors are encouraged to pour on the work.
For example, some courses normally taught over an ENTIRE YEAR at another college are taught during ONE SEMESTER at Harvard. Let’s take LS2 (Evolutionary Human Physiology and Anatomy), which is the Bio course recommended for students interested in pursing medical school. The course is jammed packed with things you wouldn’t be asked to do at another undergraduate college, like identifying every bone in the human body by week two in the course, something most students don’t have to do until medical school. Yes, it’s a fabulous experience for some students, but because ivy league professors have higher expectations of their student’s, not many students get an ‘A’ in LS2.
How many students on this thread think they can get an ‘A’ in LS2?? My guess is that those same students might more easily get an ‘A’ at another college taking the equivalent course. Some food for thought with one day to go!
At 7PM, EST, when my mind is racing towards scanning the decision letter, what should I look for?
Acceptance- Congratulations, we are delighted to inform, we are pleased to… etc;
Reject- Thank you for your interest… after careful consideration of …
Waitlist…?
Yes I would agree that those graduating with high honors at the highly respected colleges you mentioned ( Vanderbilt, Rice, Amherst and Williams ) likely have the same or better opportunity than the bottom half of Harvard. These same schools go after Ivy Caliber students with nice scholarship packages. So they are equally among the elite no matter the school and will almost always succeed on their own merits.
Always…Always keep in mind the fine line between those accepted and those who go to their second Top Choice school is imaginary as well and everyone will rise to their own desired level of achievement and hopefully satisfaction as well as most importantly happiness.
An interview cannot count against someone because not everyone is offered one. By making a high priority/low priority list they would be providing certain ppl with an advantage.
Honestly IDK how it works, someone told me this soooo idk
I also know people who got in without an interview.
For future applicants’ reference, if you are an applicant from countries with limited interviews and did not get an interview, you can not possibly get accepted.