<p>So recently the alumni in my area got in touch with me to schedule my interview. He's a lawyer and apparently has a pretty busy schedule, but it's going to be this week or next week at a local mall, and I was wondering if you have any advice?</p>
<p>I mean obviously there's the 'be yourself' advice, but I don't think he'd be impressed with my rants about feminism and anime...</p>
<p>So, any pointers?</p>
<p>Sub Question: How much does the interview actually impact your application?</p>
<p>I would definitely come prepared with an answer to “Why Harvard?” and show up on time (unlike me who got lost, held up by a train and bad traffic). My understanding is that it will have minimal impact</p>
<p>See it as an opportunity to tell your story – what makes you unique and special. Not sure what you mean about “rants” – you certainly don’t want to be obnoxious, but having interests that you care about deeply is a good thing, and even if your interviewer doesn’t share these particular interests, he’ll appreciate the passion (after all, one of the selling points of Harvard is that there are 1600 or so people in your class, many of whom bring unique interests to the table).</p>
<p>That’s funny, my interviewer was also an alum who’s a lawyer and met with me at a local mall. o_O</p>
<p>Prepare for the “typical” questions (what do you like to do outside of school? Why Harvard?). The “unique” questions or ones about your passions, you should be able to answer relatively easily, since they will vary greatly from person to person. Show your interests, but keep it concise rather than long-winded or rambling and try to use more everyday terms if your interests might not line up with your interviewer’s (I like science, but my interviewer right away was like, “Yeah, I’m not really a science person”). Best of luck!</p>