<p>I was just reiterating what I could glean from my talk with my admissions officer. It goes like this - if you happen to live in one of those cities with an active alumni concentration, you’re relegated an alum interview and if not, the same is conducted by your admissions officer over Skype. Hence, unless you chance to live in a far flung area with atrociously deplorable connectivity issues, you WILL be interviewed. These interviews are arranged for people the regional subcommittee has shown an interest in and serve the purpose of helping them choose their final pick of candidates, whose cases they will advocate in the Final Committee Meetings, that commence early March.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t think the interview is of any great value for admission.</p>
<p>However Himanshu, your “circumstance” - if you will - is different from ours. In the UAE, interviews are more freely available. Further, you have to make the initiative to contact an interviewer. In India, that isn’t the case. You are contacted for an interview if “additional information” is required. </p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: International Interviews](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/interviews.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/interviews.html)</p>
<p>Now what that means, we’ll probably never know. I just don’t think an alumni interview would be an extremely important factor for admission. But when you’re competing with such a large applicant pool, it might just come down to the intangibles.</p>
<p>i have to agree with adit2195.
and also, we live in same region and he got an interview while i didnt not
if he has got a harvard interview, i should too. but they prescreen indian students and interview only whom they think they shall be talking on a 90+ probability rate.
and the history of CC forum does proveth the fact that if you dont get an interview, you’re rejected 101%!
(and also that if you get an interview, you get admitted (or waitlisted, RARELY)</p>
<p>The last line seems a tad too high on assumptions and represents, in my opinion, an unnecessarily optimistic view.</p>
<p>to each his own.
i wrote that after having had a talk with Harvard (indian) admitted students of the past few years ( atleast 8-10?) each of them was interviewed and each of that verifies the fact that if interviewed= you get in.
as i said, my view is based on extensive research and after talking to plethora of harvard admitted indian students.</p>
<p>People, I think we’re all forgetting something here. Harvard doesn’t ask applicants for interviews. Applicants must contact the interviewing committee in their area (contact info on Harvard website) if they wish to be interviewed.</p>
<p>^ that does not stand true for India, where it is infact Harvard that initiates contact for an interview and not the other way round.</p>
<p>Alright then, I wasn’t aware of that. This is how it happens in the Middle East though, and my interviewer said that everyone is interviewed, but clearly, that isn’t the case.</p>
<p>Hey there! </p>
<p>So, what’s the final verdict about interviews? What kind of questions do they ask, if anyone of you have been interview.</p>
<p>adit2195 got in at Harvard. So, the fact stated by rew202 is 100% true.</p>
<p>It is quite simple:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Almost all admitted students were interviewed.</p></li>
<li><p>Not all interviewed students were admitted.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Conclusion:</p>
<p>Being interviewed does not translate DIRECTLY into acceptance. Maybe, being interviewed is a better predictor of acceptance but I’m not convinced.</p>
<p>I know one thing for sure… Especially after the full process. Its that harvard and other reallly selective colleges interview awesome candidates , like 1 month before the results to affirm their appreciation for the candidate</p>