<p>How Did Your Harvard Second Interview Go?</p>
<p>Most Harvard applicants, including those who are accepted, get only one interview.</p>
<p>I got 20 interviews. On a totally unrelated note, I also have 20 restraining orders.</p>
<p>If you actually want to talk about this - go to the Harvard board.</p>
<p>If you want to come off pompous, post here.</p>
<p>no-one's answered on the Harvard Board. Since this one gets more views, maybe I can get an answer on this question here. :)</p>
<p>do only likely to be accepted people get second interviews?</p>
<p>I don't know. The second interview is definitely a positive sign though.</p>
<p>Two people from our school got into Harvard last year and neither of them had a second interview.</p>
<p>My guess would be that it's for the more borderline applicants.</p>
<p>"The second interview is definitely a positive sign though."</p>
<p>Maybe, maybe not. It may just mean that they wanted a second opinion - that something reported by the first interviewer didn't quite add up with what is written on the app.</p>
<p>By the way...has anyone else had a second interview?</p>
<p>I heard that the second interview was offered to those whose first interview had a report that didn't make sense with the application or if it was negative.</p>
<p>I've chaired my regional alumni interview committee.</p>
<p>Second interviews occur only rarely. Most applicants -- including those who get admitted don't get them. It's hard enough in most places to find enough willing alum to conduct all of the first interviews that need to be made. Doing those interviews is time consuming as the person has to not only make time to do the interview, but also take the time to write a narrative report. </p>
<p>Harvard doesn't usually tell the interviewers why a second interview is requested.</p>
<p>However, from what I've been able to figure out, second interviews can occur for reasons like the following: the admissions committee is very split on the applicant, with both sides giving compelling reasons for a decision; Harvard is very interested in an applicant, but the interviewer had a negative report or gives a report that is so vague that Harvard can't make a final decision; Harvard hadn't rated the student that high, but an interviewer did for reasons that go beyond what's on the application (such as if an interviewer was impressed by a student's level of intellectual discourse, but the student's grades/ recommendations didn't reflect this); an interviewer didn't submit a report (such as if the interviewer lost their report or became too sick to send it) or an interviewer did something so inept that Harvard wants a second interview in order to leave the student with a positive impression of Harvard whether or not the student is accepted.</p>
<p>What if your second interview is with the regional head of admisions? Some kids had it with two/three alumni interviewers and others had it with the head of admissions straightaway. Is there a difference?</p>
<p>There is no difference. You get the interviewer who's available.</p>
<p>oh. Because I know that some applicants had to do an interview with 2 alumnis and then with the head of admissions while others just did it with the head of admissions.</p>
<p>Just a curious question. If the regional director of admissions is telling you about various [Clubs that the applicant would be interested in] offerings available at Harvard during the last minute before you do the handshake and leave, is it a positive sign? I don't see why they would do that if they were going to reject an applicant.</p>
<p>Up to when the acceptance notifications go out to applicants, changes still are being made in who gets in and who doesn't, so don't count your chickens....</p>
<p>...before they hatch. :). I'm still going to college though regardless of what happens in Late March and Early April.</p>
<p>The plural of alumnus and alumna are alumni and alumnae, respectively. 'Alumnis' does not make sense.</p>
<p>Yep, one alumnus (if male), two alumni. One alumna (if female), two alumnae. By the usual Indo-European language rule, if you have a mixed group of male and female persons who attended the school, they are alumni.</p>