<p>My daughter got her call for her Harvard interview; the male alum wants her to meet him in his home. Is this unusual?</p>
<p>Don’t know if it’s unusual or not, but I wouldn’t feel good about my child doing it. I think in all my son did 3 alumni interviews and they were at coffee shops or in conference rooms at a workplace.</p>
<p>It’s not unusual.</p>
<p>I didn’t do it when I interviewed for Harvard, and I wouldn’t do it now. I prefer a neutral site–both because I think a neutral site is better, and because I don’t have to tidy up a neutral site before somebody comes over.</p>
<p>But this happens thousands of times every year without anything untoward happening.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to a very long thread from about a year ago on this topic: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1450299-interviewer-wants-meet-his-house.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1450299-interviewer-wants-meet-his-house.html</a>. You might find it interesting to read.</p>
<p>That thread isn’t as long as this beaten dead horse
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/855533-do-i-allow-my-daughter-go-home-ivy-alumnus-interviewed.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/855533-do-i-allow-my-daughter-go-home-ivy-alumnus-interviewed.html</a></p>
<p>Oh, I’ve never seen that one! I sampled a few posts–and, wow–but I don’t have the time or the energy to slog through all 51 pages.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the links to the other threads; both give me different perspectives that I hadn’t considered. I already planned to drive her and wait outside; now I feel more comfortable with the interview being in his home. Hopefully all goes well!</p>
<p>@caligirl14: It’s not unusual at all. I interviewed for a few schools back when I was a senior in high school (nearly a decade ago), and all were at the interviewers’ homes. One male and one female. </p>
<p>I personally would not interview applicants at my own residence (and have not), and I feel most younger alum would feel the same. However, many older alum have been doing this for many years and it would be unrealistic for them to change established habits. Harvard (and I suspect at least some–if not a majority of–peer schools) does not prohibit alum from interviewing at their residences, though the adcom does recommend interviewing at a ‘neutral’ location if at all possible. </p>
<p>I think the odds of anything unexpected happening is quite low, though I know some parents may think/feel differently. Again, the undergraduate interview is generally more personal and casual than a professional, or professional school interview, and should be seen through such lenses.</p>
<p>Glad you are looking at this realistically, caligirl. Parents need to begin letting go of their stranger-danger paranoia. A Harvard alumn is contributing his or her time to HELP your young adult in the admissions process. If you are fretful about son or daughter spending 30 minutes in a admissions-assigned alumn’s house, how are you going to feel about professors’ office hours (student alone with an adult)?</p>
<p>Save your worry for your student’s behind-closed-door contact with intoxicated members of the opposite sex; team or club hazing; alcohol-poisoning; and 2 a.m. walks on dark streets–those his or her future high risk situations.</p>
<p>Professors are careful to leave the door open during office hours. Who would risk losing their career due to unfounded allegations from a disgruntled student?</p>
<p>I looked at a few posts on one of the threads linked above, and I’m stunned by the overprotectiveness of so many parents.</p>
<p>Harvard alumnus interviewer here.</p>
<p>At least in NYC (where I am) we are specifically told not to have interviews in our home no matter our gender or the applicants’ gender. I am pretty sure that this instruction is not limited to NYC, but not 100% positive.</p>
<p>i am sure that in most instances an at-home interview is not problematic, but if you’re particularly concerned about this you may want to have your daughter call Cambridge, explain the situation, and request a different interviewer. Under the circumstances, I’m confident Cambridge would not have a problem with this.</p>
<p>@csgnyc: I’m not surprised that this is the case for NYC. Aren’t many of the NYC interviews done at the Harvard Club? </p>
<p>The most recent handbook update does not prohibit home interviews, but it’s suggested that if possible, a more neutral location be selected if the applicant and/or applicant’s parents express any misgivings.</p>
<p>@WindCloudUltra The Harvard Club is available for us to use (even if we aren’t otherwise members) but I try not to use it – it’s a little stuffy and maybe intimidating. Most of my interviews are at Starbucks or the equivalent.</p>
<p>I haven’t looked at the handbook updates in a while so you may be right about not being prohibited, but I’ve repeatedly been given the clear message not to do the interviews at home just to avoid any problems. When I applied many years ago, many of my interviews were at the interviewer’s home without incident (although I still remember that my Yale interviewer had what appeared to be dirty laundry out in the open).</p>