Hey everyone,
I will be applying to Harvard this fall, so I want to get a better idea of the interview. Typically, what types of questions does an interviewer ask? Also, how much weight do you think the interview has on the admissions decisons.
It’s way too early to worry about this. Have a nice spring and summer. Be yourself in the interview.
Don’t be a robot that’s for sure. It is great you are thinking about this now. Have you begun to think about how you are going to approach the personal statement?
A lot of the stuff they ask you will be similar to what the common app asks of you (like activities, courses you’re taking), but it goes further in depth like why you do the things you do and what really interests to you. Beforehand, think about what you’re passionate about and while you shouldn’t rehearse questions, you should have general ideas of what you might say in the back of your mind. You’ll most likely also be asked why you think you belong at Harvard or what it is that makes you a fit. Do your research.
What you’d expect. Why do you want to go to Harvard? What are you thinking about majoring in? What activities do you participate in high school and why? Don’t overthink it, my son told his Harvard interviewer Harvard wasn’t his first choice (MIT was) and he got in anyway. (And didn’t get into MIT!)
Vast majority of Harvard interviews are done by alums who later submit the reports to admissions. As such, some interview details make it to the report some don’t, it all depends on the alum who wrote the report after the interview.
Are these reports by alum read by the AOs and factored into the decision? You bet, because I have seen a report and comments on it by AOs during their decisions.
This link may help. It’s for Yale but the types of questions will be the same. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/2046409-yale-interviews-p1.html