Are interviews a sign of admission for Harvard? My friend literally applied as a joke with a low GPA, SAT of 1090 and ACT 22, and Harvard scheduled an interview with an alumni? Or is this just one of those things they do with ALLL applicants? So confused and you can imagine how overwhelmed she felt.
No, just based on availability. Interviews are an opportunity for students to tell admissions about something they may not have shown in their application.
Harvard tries to interview all US domestic applicants and a limited number of international applicants (based on the availability of alumni in that country): https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/application-process/what-we-look/interviews
If this was a joke, maybe your friend wants to withdraw. The interview will take someone’s time and energy. On the other hand, if your friend wants to attend, the interview will be a chance to talk to someone about the university. Unless there is something extraordinary about your friend, chance for admission is just about zero. I can’t imagine wasting admissions’ time with a frivolous application, and think it would be nice to tell them honestly.But everyone has a right to apply and to an interview if available.