<p>Just had my harvard interview today... it was awkward to say the least. I tried to make it as relaxed as possible, and to make him feel comfortable talking to me... anyways... we'll see how it goes.</p>
<p>My main question is aimed at the Harvard interviewers on this board.. or any student who has been interviewed. What is the best way to send a follow up/thank you message... an email, a letter or a phone call?</p>
<p>probably an email if it was awkward. that's what i did with my yale interviewer because i never wanted to communicate with her again.</p>
<p>The best way to send a thank-you is by using standard manners; a handwritten letter sent by the postal service. </p>
<p>Frankly, very few students bother to do this. I have, however, noticed a strong correlation between students who bother to do this and students who get in. This is not because, incidentally, my reports to Harvard are based on whether students send thank-yous. Typically, the notes are received after I send my reports. </p>
<p>I do think, howver, that students who take the extra time to write thank-you notes are likely to be students who find the time to go the extra distance in general, and that makes their applications stand out. They also may be the type of people who take the time in general to show appreciation, which may lead to their getting better recommendations from teachers and advisors.</p>
<p>I agree entirely with Northstarmom. About half my interviewees send follow-up notes.</p>
<p>I got a letter requesting an Interview, but the Interviewer hasn't called... The letter says that call the interviewer after ten days. I did, and it was an answering machine. So far she hasn't replied. As of now I've called twice and left two messages. I don't want to sound intrusive or annoying, but I'm really anxious now. What if i don't get a call and miss my interview??? Suggestions anyone?</p>
<p>Call the Admissions Office in Cambridge, ask for the admissions officer handling your region, and express your concern. They can look into it and - if necessary - see that another interviewer is assigned.</p>
<p>hand written note, get some classy cards at the office supply store, use a nice pen....people get emails all the time, but a nice thank you card is rare and will be noticed. I tell my Ds. to get the envelope ready before the interview, so it can be written and mailed right away.....have a stash of cards....</p>
<p>i dunno. i had my interview and it went really nice.
i managed to do most of the talking. the whole interview lasted 1 1/2 hours long and i managed to get my interviewer to laugh most of the time. will this interview help separate me in the application process?</p>
<p>i managed to get some advice from this harvard graduate who recommended i send thank you notes to each interviewer. he says its a sign of respect and shows you care about the college and have class. </p>
<p>so definitely go for the thank you notes. i prefer e-mail cuz my handwriting is too chicken scratchy. i dont want to make my thank you note too strenuous on my interviewer's eye. i'd send an e-mail.</p>
<p>hmm..ur interview lasted 1 1/2 hour?..thats great..my interview said it had to end after an hour...like it was a really big deal...i see a lot of bad signs heading my way:..o welllll..life..:rolleyes:</p>
<p>There is IMO no correlation between length of interview and whether the student will get in. One of the longest interviews I ever held was with a student whom I eventually rated quite low. The interview was so long because the student kept answering in momosyllables, and I kept trying various questions in a desperate effort to help her open up. </p>
<p>An interview may also go long simply because the interviewer has lots of free time or the student happens to be a great conversationalist. Being a great conversationalist, however, doesn't necessarily mean that the student seems to be a great match for Harvard.</p>
<p>Inexperienced interviewers also may not know how to gracefully end interviews.</p>
<p>Interviews may be shorter because of the interviewer's schedule or because the brief time allowed the inteviewer to get the info s/he needed.</p>
<p>Northstar...during my interview..i didnt feel like any of my personality came out..does that matter?..ahh yes..my interviewer ended the interview well..it was raining..and i think she siad harvard doesnt like to keep the students late on school days..w/e happens happens..:</p>
<p>Sexidesi, of course your personality came out. Whatever happened, some aspect of your personality was displayed.</p>
<p>well i guess...thnx North for replying..btw.do u think its too late to send a thank you letter?..maybe i'll call her up to see how shes doing..im not sure how to approach her..but i know i wanted to do something..btw my interview was around the first week of jan</p>
<p>It is never too late to send a thank-you letter. I do not suggest calling her to shoot the breeze. More than likely, she'd just be annoyed. </p>
<p>If you are accepted to Harvard, however, I do suggest calling her -- to let her know about your acceptance (Students get their rejection/acceptance info long before alum interviewers learn who was accepted), to thank her again for the interview (if she had said you were horrible, it's very unlikely you'd have gotten in), and to ask any questions that you may have as you make up your mind which offer to accept.</p>
<p>Thanks Northstarmom.</p>
<p>northstarmom- I had my interview (for another school, but I thought I'd ask you for advice since you seem to be knowledgeable about the process) at a local cafe. While I have my interviewer's phone number, I do not know his postal address or email. How could I send a thank you note? I know I could look him up in the phone book, but I wasn't sure if this would seem that I was "stalking" him or something. Also, maybe the reason he didn't have the interview at his house in the first place was that he didn't want students to know where he lived. Do you have any suggestions about what I could do to thank him? I was going to call, but I didn't know if that would come off as, like you said earlier, "annoying." </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I have the exact same question as WillyShakes( except the interview WAS for harvard)</p>
<p>How would looking someone up in the phone book to send them a thank-you be considered stalking? Sending a thank-you is simply common courtesy.</p>
<p>Now if you looked up the interviewer in the phone book and then showed up on their doorstep to deliver a bunch of flowers, that would be creepy.</p>
<p>Calling is too intrusive a way to say thank-you. </p>
<p>If you know where the interviewer works, you could send the thank-you note there. Another option would be to send the note to the person c/o the Harvard admissions office. Send it to Mr. XXXXXX, alumni interviewer, Harvard admissions address. They will have his address and will send it to him.</p>
<p>For everyone: Regardless of how bad your handwriting is, the most courteous, classy way to send thank-yous is with a handwritten note sent by postal service. Note: a purchased thank-you card in which you just sign your name is better than sending nothing, but still isn't as mannerly as a note written completely by you.</p>
<p>If you are really concerned about your handwriting, you also could word process a note and mail it. Bad handwriting, though, is no excuse for using e-mail unless you have, for instance, a physical disability making it impossible for you to handwrite legibly.</p>
<p>I'm upset- I really want to send a thank you ( I've sent emails for previous colleges), but I have no information on my interviewer except for his first name and a vague recollection of his last name. All of my informatiion ( his real first and last name) was on my computer, which completely died the other day (this is a different computer) and I only have his cell-phone number.</p>