<p>I don't know what these interviews ended up meaning. The Harvard guy who interviewed my son was pretty bored with his excellent track record in mathematics, but he really perked up when my son started talking about surfing. So, that's what 90 percent of it was about. Surfing, and the best surf movies.</p>
<p>LOL... I think it depends on the interview, unless it's with real admissions staff I don't think it carries much weight, its just a way to add things to your file. I've had two so far I think (Yale and Brandeis) and I still have one left to do (clark), but I'm not that worried about it... as I say they carry very little weight because the interviewers are unfortunately a little biased. DON'T EVER GET INTO POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS IF YOU CAN HELP IT!</p>
<p>My D's Yale interview was in a local Starbucks. She told me it was very low key. The interviewer was a grad from the mid-90s. They had an enthusiastic discussion about the shool, my D's interest in the school and her ECs. She came home totally pumped. After she was accepted EA, she sent an email to her interviewer and he called to tell he how excited he was that she was accepted.</p>
<p>"DON'T EVER GET INTO POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS IF YOU CAN HELP IT!
"</p>
<p>Bad advice, at least when it comes to my school. A student with a strong, demonstrated passion who could back up their political leanings with facts and demonstrated commitment would be viewed positively even if their leanings were not the typical liberal leanings of students at the college. In fact, the student's being a committed, passionate conservative probably would add to the college adcoms' being able to create a well rounded class.</p>
<p>well i got into a political discussion with my interviewer and it turned out pretty good i think. we obviously didn't agree with each other on all the points we discussed, but that just made it more interesting. I thought the political discussion was the best part of the interview.</p>
<p>Axfr,
What you experienced in the interview was a taste of what I think makes Harvard so special. Harvard provides a very rare opportunity to be around a diverse group of intelligent, informed people who are passionate about their interests, and can engage in respectful discourse about their interests. This is not the norm at most colleges or in society in general.</p>
<p>NSM
One of the factors that attracted me to Harvard was the idea of a diverse and vibrant student community. I find it exciting to encounter people with a variety of experiences, interests and backgrounds. But is Harvard really different from Princeton, Yale and other Ivies in that respect? Having studied in Cambridge, do you believe that Harvard's community is "more special" than other elite American LACs'?
Many applicants state the reason I mentioned above when asked why they applied to Harvard. But if that's there only motivation, then they'd probably do just as well at an other Ivy, wouldn't they?</p>
<p>axfr,
What I think makes Harvard special is that it attracts intense, energetic, independent, vibrant people who have intelletual passions and who act on those passions and speak up about them. Harvard's location adds to its atmosphere since Harvard is in a large, sophisticated metropolitan area in which many people have the values and behaviors that Harvard is noted for.</p>
<p>I can not make direct comparisons to most other LACs and colleges since I don't have the intimate kind of experiences with them that I had with Harvard. I imagine that there are some other colleges that attract similar types of people. I just haven't seen such a college myself.</p>
<p>What I can say is that the Harvard atmosphere is not something that the majority of people would enjoy. I think that the majority of people, including the majority of Harvard applicants, probably would experience Harvard undergraduates as being "egotistical," "unfriendly" and "brash," and perhaps even "boring" instead of "intense," "independent" and "confident," which is how I see it. </p>
<p>Students who want a more warm and friendly and less intense environment would probably be happier at Yale, Stanford or Brown. Each Ivy (and each college for that matter) has its own individuality. Students who want more school spirit, would be happier at a Michigan. (There probably also are Ivies with a lot of school spirit. I just don't know enough of their atmospheres to mention them).</p>
<p>I think that each college has something special about it. Whether that specialness matches a student's needs depends on the student.</p>
<p>It sounds like Harvard would match your needs and interests. I hope you get in. If you don't (and, sigh, we know the odds are always long), I hope that you applied to colleges in a way that will allow you to go to a college that gives you the atmosphere that you want.</p>
<p>ok thanks for the info Northstarmom! your posts are always helpful ;)</p>