Harvard University Class of 2022 RD Thread

With 40,000+ applicants, I don’t think Harvard is looking for diversity- it is naturally there in the giant applicant pool.

Hi everyone! Does anyone know when the alumni interview reports are (or were) due? I was recently offered an interview by phone for the coming week and am wondering if it’s normal that I was contacted this late in the admissions cycle. Thanks!

@teenspiration101 There are A LOT of Late Interview threads on CC which might help provide some context. Are you an international from a Limited Interview country? If so, I feel like you’re probably on the borderline, and they need one more data point to make a judgment, so the Interview report deadline probably doesn’t apply to you. Also, is it with an alumni interviewer or an adcom?

@afterthought Thanks for replying! I checked the CC threads, but couldn’t find info on a domestic interview this late for Harvard. I had the interview today with an alumni interview, and I’m located in the northeast region of the U.S. Do you think it’s possible that they were borderline on my app and wanted to arrange one before making a final decision?

I also had a late interview as well and was wondering what it meant too. It was my first interview and it was on March 4th with an alumni interview who said she got a couple of last minute names on the 3rd and had interview reports due to the admissions office by that upcoming Monday (the 5th). I’m from the south if it helps!

I had an interview on Feb 10th or 11st, but Harvard sent me an email five days ago requesting another chat to get to know me better. This time the interviewer was a senior AO. Any thoughts on why there were two interviews? btw, I am an international student already admitted to another Ivy on the SCEA round.

From what Ive read before, late/second interviews usually mean you are borderline and they want to get to know you better to advocate for your admission. Its a good sign.

My son was contacted for a second interview for Harvard as well…and was ultimately admitted. He had already been admitted to Yale SCEA and his Yale admissions came up in his interview. FYI…

@encadyma @madam Will you tell us what kinds of questions they asked during the second interview that was different from the first? Were there specific questions to a certain EC or other activities they wanted to elaborate on?

@noanswers, my son got the impression that the 2nd person who interviewed him was trying to help him get admitted! This woman asked him to elaborate on some of his accomplishments (and ultimately emailed him after he was admitted.) I think the decision on you is likely split and the person tasked with interviewing you will be an advocate. Don’t be nervous…to have gotten this far in the process says a lot about your very strong overall application. Be you!

@madam @noanswers The Ao didn’t ask me to elaborate on my EC at all. Just asked me about my background, what do i most look forward to in college, what’s my goal after college, how excited I am about having a roommate and how I handle stress from school. I was admitted to Yale SCEA and it came up in my first interview (when they asked me what my plan would be if I am rejected by Harvard), but not in the second one.

@Harvard2022maybe What’s a “likely” letter? My son applied RD, however, Harvard contacted him last November for an early interview because he was an “Early Action” Applicant. I thought that was REALLY odd. So his interview was last November right before the Thanksgiving holiday. The interview was a fabulous experience for my S. It went really well. I just thought it was VERY STRANGE (and I’m re-reading the email right now for accuracy) that Harvard had him in the EA group. Any thoughts on this?

@CatherineF A likely letter is an official notice from the admissions committee that they have voted to admit you into their next freshman class. Majority of the these LL are given out during the SCEA round mostly to athletic recruits. I believe a few more are sent during the RD round as well to non athletes. However, the email you received for the interview would not be a likely letter. The letter will specifically state the applicant has been voted by the admissions committee to be admitted.

@CatherineF Your son probably applied RD at the time when most other applicants were applying SCEA. Harvard thought your son was also applying SCEA, so the interview was scheduled early. A likely letter is something entirely different and is basically an early acceptance letter.

@CatherineF Likely letters are usually given to top 10% or less of RD admits, which means fewer than 0.3% of the very lucky and super strong RD applicants. LLs typically come out from late Jan to early March.

when is the ivy decision date this year?

March 28th @aussiehopeful22

Are decisions finalized yet? I would like to update admissions on a recent award at the state level.

Did everyone receive the email about Harvard Summer School a few days ago? I’m assuming it just went to everyone on the mailing list and doesn’t mean anything.

Have to admit my heart skipped a beat when I saw “Kick-start your career at Harvard”!