<p>I reaaally don’t want to do an interview primarily because I know I will freak out and I’m sure I will be a stuttering and nervous wreck which = bad bad impression.</p>
<p>Do they call you for an interview? Email you?
If they call you would it be incredibly rude to refuse?</p>
<p>I know this is a stupid reason not have an interview but I really think my application would be better if I don’t have one.</p>
<p>they'll call you, but unless you literally have absolutely no time, they'll find it somewhat unusual that you would opt against it. they might wonder why you tried to dodge a interview, so it'll prolly hurt u a lil, cuz most ppl make a good impression (i think / hope?) on the interviewers.</p>
<p>I'm still waiting for my phone call.....</p>
<p>"I reaaally don't want to do an interview primarily because I know I will freak out and I'm sure I will be a stuttering and nervous wreck which = bad bad impression."</p>
<p>If this is the way you respond to the thought of a Harvard interview, how would you respond to being called on in a Harvard classroom?</p>
<p>the interview's cool, do it. I contacted them for my interview, so I'm not sure when or if they're supposed to call you</p>
<p>is it better to call them? i want an interview....i feel like that's my only chance of having a chance (does that make sense?).....i may not have perfect 1600 and and perfect 36...but i really believe in my personalities....</p>
<p>call them if you're going to visit Harvard. if not...i guess wait? call? dunno.</p>
<p>my parents aren't even in the country right now...and won't be for at least 3 months....doesn't help that my sister decided to moved to an apt close to her campus last month....so i'm basically home alone...so i gues going to visit won't be possible for quite some time....</p>
<p>Northstarmom --</p>
<p>"If this is the way you respond to the thought of a Harvard interview, how would you respond to being called on in a Harvard classroom?"</p>
<p>Uhh... how can you compare an interview with getting called on in class?? lol</p>
<p>It's only inevitable that a planned interview that can have an impact on your application decision, perhaps to your first-choice school, is nervewracking. There's nothing wrong with that--- it's only human to get nervous.</p>
<p>But blueiris, I heard that these interviews aren't that bad. Just be yourself, which is easier said than done when it comes to an interview, but I'm sure it won't be as bad as you expect it to be.</p>
<p>"If this is the way you respond to the thought of a Harvard interview, how would you respond to being called on in a Harvard classroom?"</p>
<p>Uhh... how can you compare an interview with getting called on in class?? lol"</p>
<p>Easy. Both interviews and answering in class call on verbal skills and confidence. Someone who says that they would be so nervous in a Harvard interview that they'd rather not go is someone who would lack the confidence to speak up in a Harvard class.</p>
<p>Harvard is filled with very verbal, assertive people -- the type who welcome the chance to speak up about their ideas. I don't mean that everyone is an extrovert or party animal. Some people are introverted and shy. They still have the ability, though, to handle a interview. If they didn't, they wouldn't have ended up at Harvard.</p>
<p>A person who'd dissolve into a stammering mess at a Harvard interview really isn't someone who could handle Harvard. As I've said on other posts, it's hard to bomb a Harvard interview. Over the years, the one student whom I interviewed who bombed it big time was someone so nervous that she burst into tears when I asked her an ordinary question like, "How did you decide to apply to Harvard?"</p>
<p>She was a wonderful young woman, the star of her school, but she wasn't ready to handle a high pressure place like Harvard. I ended up mentoring her for about 5 years, including when she was at a much lower rated college, where even there, she struggled with confidence issues. She's now 30 and appears to be handling well grad school in a top 25.</p>
<p>Northstarmom --</p>
<p>"Easy. Both interviews and answering in class call on verbal skills and confidence. Someone who says that they would be so nervous in a Harvard interview that they'd rather not go is someone who would lack the confidence to speak up in a Harvard class."</p>
<p>Here we go again: (copied and pasted from my first response) It's only inevitable that a planned interview that can have an impact on your application decision, perhaps to your first-choice school, is nerve-wracking. Not saying that everyone will be nervous or that it's perfectly fine to be a nervous wreck during an interview, but it will inevitably happen.</p>
<p>You can imagine that anyone would be nervous for a job interview, but still be able to do your job well... it's just the thought of knowing that the interview will have a part in deciding your future.</p>
<p>Moreso than being spontaneously called on in class.</p>
<p>But really, who cares? This isn't really our situation--- it's blueiris' and I'm sure most people are more apprehensive before their interview and then realize that it's not that bad and begin to calm down when they actually have the interview.</p>
<p>"Here we go again: (copied and pasted from my first response) It's only inevitable that a planned interview that can have an impact on your application decision, perhaps to your first-choice school, is nerve-wracking. Not saying that everyone will be nervous or that it's perfectly fine to be a nervous wreck during an interview, but it will inevitably happen."</p>
<p>Of course virtually everyone with good sense is nervous when they go to their Harvard interview or to any interview for an opportunity that they want. It is normal to be nervous. That's a normal reaction to excitement and adrenaline. No interviewer with good sense would eliminate a student for damp hands, an occasional stutter or for having to ask to have a question repeated. </p>
<p>What's not normal is to burst into tears during an interview or to become so anxious that one is incapable of coherent speech. These are the kinds of behaviors that would signal that a high pressure place like Harvard is not an appropriate place for a student to attend.</p>
<p>If a Harvard applicant seriously would do anything to avoid a Harvard interview, then Harvard is not the right school for them.</p>
<p>A reminder that the below is what we're responding to,which to me seems a very extreme reaction:</p>
<p>" </p>
<h2>How do you get an interview? Do I have to? </h2>
<p>I reaaally don't want to do an interview primarily because I know I will freak out and I'm sure I will be a stuttering and nervous wreck which = bad bad impression.</p>
<p>Do they call you for an interview? Email you?
If they call you would it be incredibly rude to refuse?"</p>
<p>People for whom Harvard would be a good fit would use their anxiety as incentive to prepare themselves for the interview. They wouldn't be attempting to flee it.</p>
<p>if it makes you feel better, I didn't schedule and interview.</p>
<p>it's not as scary as you think, blueiris. it's even quite fun if you want it to. just talk to him/her as if you were talking to a friend. it will help if you practice loads before the interview; talk to friends first, then teachers, then adults, about your interests. my 2 cents.</p>
<p>If you're called on for an interview, take it. If not, call them! Do you really want to go to Harvard, or not? I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed my interview. It lasted about 2 hours and the conversation started and ended with Harvard, but somewhere in-between we discussed current events, sports and life in general. It was a fun 2 hours! I enjoyed it so much that I had no idea how long we had talked.</p>
<p>yes, I also enjoyed my interview, it went far over what it was supposed to be. I really liked my interviewer, so I guess that helped. try to develop a commonality with the interviewer...</p>
<p>Northstarmom --</p>
<p>"Of course virtually everyone with good sense is nervous when they go to their Harvard interview or to any interview for an opportunity that they want. It is normal to be nervous. That's a normal reaction to excitement and adrenaline. No interviewer with good sense would eliminate a student for damp hands, an occasional stutter or for having to ask to have a question repeated."</p>
<p>Yes dear, that's what I've been saying in all my replies. It's NORMAL. Don't look down on someone just because they get nervous. Whether or not if Harvard is right for them, it's for that respective interviewer to decide (and the adcoms).</p>
<p>Collegebound,
Where apparently we disagree is that you seem to think that the OP is normal for being so frightened of a Harvard interview that the OP was considering refusing to interview. That level of anxiety is not normal. </p>
<p>On the subject of comparing a Harvard interview to participating in Harvard classes, frankly, the latter IMO is the most intimidating. Undergrads tend to have a fierce need to show their intelligence in class, and it's typical for people to want to one up others in terms of showing off their knowledge. This particularly is true of freshmen, who tend to arrive with a need to show others that Harvard didn't make a mistake in accepting them.</p>
<p>That's very different than what occurs in an interview situation. The alumnus/a doesn't have to show off to the student, and isn't competing with the student. In fact, the college has asked the alum to handle interviews in a way so that all applicants (including the many who'll be rejected) leave with a good impression of Harvard.</p>
<p>Thus, a Harvard interview is likely to be far more of a warm fuzzy than is participating in a Harvard class.</p>
<p>Personally, I would be more open and relaxed if I were in a classroom. I've been in a classroom with highly intelligent "mighter-than-thou" people and in those cases, I was still not afraid to speak up. And I'm one of those people who are really nervous before going into an interview.</p>
<p>Northstarmom-- don't form generalizations. Just because someone may be afraid of going into an interview (and blueiris may have been exaggerating. While you take her to mean that she will be a nervous wreck during the interview, don't take that too seriously. Even if she would rather skip the interview, I think she just misunderstood and thought maybe that the interview was not a big deal in the application process and if she had the choice, she would rather skip it. Knowing what we all know now, the interview is indeed important and skipping it if you are able to attend, wouldn't be very smart). But in any case, remember that people are different. While someone may be scared going into an interview, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the same in class. Even the images and generalizations that go with the word "interview" just add to the feelings of nervousness. Speaking up in class varies from person to person. Anyone, from a Harvard grad to someone who graduated from a state school, can get nervous. We're all human, no one is better than the next. It's not that big of deal, so just drop it.</p>
<p>" While someone may be scared going into an interview, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the same in class. "</p>
<p>There's nothing wrong with being anxious or scared going into an interview! I keep saying that's perfectly normal. What's not normal is wanting to avoid an interview for that reason. There really are people who may have very high grades and scores, but are so shy that they would not be able to handle an interview -- at all. They might become speechless, burst into tears, etc. That's the kind of person for whom a much more nurturing environment than Harvard offers would be appropriate.</p>
<p>I can only go by what the OP said. I don't know her. If she was not exaggerating when she posted, it sounds like she's not a good candidate for Harvard, regardless of what her stats are like.</p>