<p>I got a call a few days ago for an interview from Harvard...is that normal? is it a good sign or do they interview all undergrad applicants? Also my interview is at a local hospital so what should I wear? and why at a hospital? This is my first ever interview so I'm clueless (I'm also the first in my family to go to college in America so this whole process has been really difficult for me....any insight at all would be very helpful!) </p>
<p>Do you know what kind of questions they ask? Should I take like a portfolio of my work (like essays, research projects, etc) with me??? </p>
<p>how long do interviews generally last??? and how much of a say will my interviewer have in my admissions decision?? finally will the interviewer have a copy of my application or should i print it out and bring it with me (cuz my essays on that were pretty awesome) </p>
<p>right well i know I've asked like a billion questions but I hope you guys will be willing to help me...plzzzzzzzzzz </p>
<p>oh n THANKS!!!!!!!!!!! :)</p>
<p>anacrusis: how would you know if an interview has no effect? Do you sit on the Admissions Committee and review files? You don’t, and you can’t possibly know whether a particular interview will have an effect or not. In many cases, it does; in many others, it doesn’t. Don’t give advice about something you don’t really know about.</p>
<p>destinyseeker: calm down! Harvard tries to interview every applicant. Because of the volume, they rely on alumni to conduct the vast majority of interviews. The interview should last about an hour. Your interviewer sounds like s/he is a doctor or other medical professional; s/he’s interviewing you there maybe because it’s better than his/her home. If you have some work or paper that you are very proud of, that is indeed your work, and you honestly believe it would help the interviewer see what kind of student you are, then bring it. You can bring copies of the other materials (essays, list of activities, courses) and offer to give them to the interviewer; don’t take offense if s/he doesn’t want the materials. Some interviewers ask for these materials ahead of time; others don’t want to see anything. The interview is your chance to put a human face on a pile of papers and statistics, so be prepared to engage with your interviewer. Hopefully you have thought about good answers to the standard kind of questions (what do you hope to get out of college, what are you looking for, what is important to you and why, etc.) and you will be relaxed enough to speak well and articulate your thoughts. Good luck!
(I’ve interviewed for Harvard a long time.)</p>
<p>dar5995 - thank you so much for the info…sorry for being super-inquisitive I’m just wicked nervous. I’m glad to hear from an authentic source…by the way if Harvard interviews practically every applicant does this mean that the interviewer has a copy of my application?</p>
<p>destiny…just do a search at CC and you’ll find TONS of old threads about this, including some from Northstarmom who is (was?) a Harvard interviewer. There is much discussion about this already, you’ll find loads of info.</p>