<p>Hi guys-
I am from India and a lot of buzz is going on that Harvard offers interviews to only those candidates they want to admit. How true is this?</p>
<p>It’s dependant entirely on the number of local alumni available, which can make interviews rare in areas outside of the US. It’s conceivable that certain categories of student (URM, legacies, perfect SAT scores) are more likely to be interviewed, but on average interviewees should be accepted at about the same rate as non-interviewees.</p>
<p>Thanks catisforfite. I’d love if anyone else like @gibby can help too</p>
<p>For the countries with limited interviewers (which includes India), interviews ARE selective. Not many are interviewed and those who are have usually got in (at least there is a higher chance). Such interviews usually happen in the last week of Feb and March, proving that the names have been forwarded after an initial review. There have been many instances when one person was interviewed in a city while even his friends who applied along with him weren’t. </p>
<p>No offense intended 
There is anecdotal evidence, agreed. But that doesn’t suffice for the sake of argument, Conscience13. I’d love to have some solid data- maybe past 2-3 years of Indian results of Harvard- like there is available of MIT that it accepts almost only international medalists. Or the verdict of a veteran who has been observing Harvard’s admissions deeply. Again, I’m not rebuking your point Conscience, but what you are saying is definitely not any kind of evidence. I’m not saying you’re wrong; maybe you’re right. And equal chances are you might be wrong. Thanks anyway! :> </p>
<p>Just a personal anecdote here on alumni availability and interviews- I and my friend both have applied to Princeton. He lives in Delhi, and I live in a fairly rural area which is anything but known in India. I was contacted 12 days before him. He too got the interview, but that was very late. The point I’m trying to make is that sometimes interview process is fairly random and has nothing to do with the strength/location of the candidate. This is not to mean that what I’ve mentioned corroborates my point in anyway. Just felt like mentioning it.</p>
<p>Does Brown too, as per you, have selective interviews?</p>
<p>Someone else please </p>
<p>I’m an international student and my interviewer directly said something of the sort - that only a few students get interviewed, and those are the shortlisted candidates for the region, so I’m pretty sure it’s true.</p>
<p>@BetterThanBest , The example you gave is regarding Princeton, right? Princeton interviews (or tries to interview) ALL applicants. Princeton does NOT practice selective interviews. UPenn and Brown also offer interviews randomly without pre-screening.
I was talking about just Harvard in my previous post. I haven’t really felt the need to start an in-depth research on this issue so I don’t have “evidence” that you ask for. What I have gathered is from talking to people. You can try to find “evidence”, but I am afraid to say you might find anyone who has got in without an interview. Even if they live in a far-away place, Skype and phone interviews are given. </p>
<p>I have applied to Harvard this year and I haven’t been offered an interview till date. I do know that a Harvard alumnus lives in my city though. Last year, the alumnus had interviewed probably just one person from my city (though many more applied). This person is now a freshman in Harvard. what @hexedly is saying reiterates the point that I am trying to put forth.</p>
<p>@hexedly …have you applied for the class of 2018? When were you offered an interview? Any idea if interviews are still going on?</p>
<p>I am not exactly sure whether it helps to have in interview in any way… but if they are considering you as a strong applicant, you will have an interview via Skype when there is no alumni in your country. What I want to say is that… even though it sounds harsh… if you don’t get an interview, you will probably not get in. If you get the interview… you will probably not get in either, but your chances are probably bigger… Bigger chances don’t mean that you will be accepted. There are a lot of talented people applying to Harvard and they only can admit a certain number of people. I just wanted to tell you that it’s not exactly 50-50. At least not for international students.</p>
<p>P.S. I myself had an interview a week ago with Harvard Admission Officer who was reviewing my application via Skype, because I live in a country where there is no alumni Thus, if they are truly interested in having you as their student, they will try to have an interview with you no matter what :)</p>
<p>@Karolaina …thank you so much for sharing your experience. Do you have any idea till when these international interviews will go on? I’ve read somewhere that some interviews happen in Mid-March as well! I’m sorry but I guess I am just too paranoid :P</p>
<p>I’m also an international. Out of the six Harvard applicants, only the guy with a 2400 and applied SCEA got an interview.</p>
<p>Hey, I am a 2018 applicant. Got an interview mid-Feb. My interviewer directly told me I’d been regionally short-listed (“you have a very good chance of getting in”) and I was pretty taken aback because I didn’t think it was the kind of thing interviewers would directly tell you. Of course, not sure if my interview went well, so no idea at this point. I have friends who have applied with me who haven’t been interviewed, and the other short-listed candidate from the city was interviewed on the same day as me. </p>
<p>Looking at what everyone has said, pretty sure Harvard is selective about intl interviews. </p>
<p>It’s definitely possible that they only interview candidates who make it past the first couple of rounds…but they can never openly say that on their website. The interviewers sometimes let such info. slip.</p>
<p>Where are you form hexedly?</p>
<p>from*</p>
<p>Anyway, Harvard technically isn’t lying.
On the website, Harvard claims that “The lack of an interview will not affect your candidacy.”. Basically, it’s not the lack of an interview that affects one’s candidacy, but the perceived lack of strength in application, which in turn also happens to cause the lack of an interview for intl’s, or at least that’s what anecdotal evidence suggests.</p>
<p>Yea, one of my friends got an interview and his interviewer said that if you do get interviewed, you’re being considered.</p>
<p>@Conscience13 well. I don’t know. I actually have applied to Harvard SCEA but was differed. The Harvard Officer contacted me in January about arranging the interview. It was somehow strange, because she said that it would be fine to have an interview even after 2 months (late March). I had an interview after a month They weren’t in a rush at all… Maybe it works the same way when they are offering interviews to other applicants. Let’s hope so!</p>
<p>I can’t help my urge to indulge myself in debates, especially when such an interesting one is going on. 
@disari21 - From the website you provided us “The lack of interview won’t affect your candidacy.”, I quote-
</p>
<p>^That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a good applicant. All it means is that thy require more info about you. Maybe they want some more data about one of your EC’s or maybe you couldn’t really clarify your academic interests clearly enough. This, in certain aspects, is analogous to asking the teacher about a little clarification in LOR. This indicates one thing for sure; they’re interested in you.
Just my $0.02.</p>
<p>One thing I can say. From what I know and what I’ve seen on College Board most of the applicants (well all in my case, but I haven’t met all of the applicants…) who get in have an interview. No matter where they live.</p>
<p>On college board? Where? How did you come to know of that?
I’d be more than glad if you’d present us with the link.</p>
<p>Hey has anyone from Hong Kong got an interview yet? Not sure when interviews will run until?</p>