<p>Many of my peers received an interview from harvard this weekend. However, I did not. Does Harvard's decision to not choose me for an interview at the same time (if at all) suggest a lower chance of admission? How do these schools prioritize who gets interviews when?</p>
<p>The impression I had was that they try to get interviews for EVERY applicant, regardless of how likely/unlikely it is that they’ll be admitted. I didn’t think the time or order of interviews had anything to do with interest whatsoever.</p>
<p>The order they choose interviews may have to do with a number of things: the day you submitted your application, the area you live in, which interviewer you got assigned to. Heck, maybe the interviewer’s list of applicants is written in alphabetical order and your name is further down the list. Don’t take it as any sort of sign.</p>
<p>Please don’t take this as a sign of anything other than probably the difficulty that Harvard faces as they try to interview all applicants but deal with an unprecedented 30,000+ applications. As I understand it, each geographical area (or local Harvard Club through its School and Scholarships Committee) handles its interview assignments differently, but the common goal is to interview everyone. Applicants are assigned interviewees without reference to the relative merits of their applications. Factors in when you get interviewed and whom you get for an interviewer are as random as whether Harvard can find an interviewer near you who does not have any reason why they should recuse themselves from interviewing you (e.g. she plays poker with your mom). What if an applicant is not assigned an interviewer and never has an interview? The lack of an interviewer is not counted against you. </p>
<p>If it would make you feel better, feel free to contact the admissions office if you have not heard anything by mid-February. It can’t hurt to ask. If anything, you’ll look like someone who takes the initiative.</p>
<p>Don’t worry yet! They really* try to interview everybody. Perhaps they especially make sure that the most exceptional students are interviewed. But that has no effect on the chance of the other 99% of the applicant pool on getting an interview. </p>
<p>One of my friends received her interview a month before I did (which was two days ago), another still hasn’t gotten it even though he applied way before the Jan 1st deadline. It really depends. </p>
<p>by interests listed on app? by last name? by date of submission? who knows</p>
<p>I’ve recently heard several online comments that SOMETIMES they might TRY to match up interests too…throwing another glitch in. So, if you have several kids, all from the same school, all applied at the same time, all with similar stats, all in the same area…it COULD be because some were interested in the humanities and others interested in science. Some interviewers gave a preference to interview kids with similar interests. I’m sure that’s not always true, but it was new info to me, and might explain SOME of the “why not me?” My own D applied in late October (possibly Nov 1 ish), attended a December Harvard Club function where everyone seemed to be saying they’d been interviewed, but she didn’t have her interview until… 10 days ago (ish).</p>
<p>Also - be sure to check your spam mail. My D had AT LEAST one interview request go to spam.</p>
<p>I’ve chaired my region’s alum interviewing committee. The timing of interviews is pretty random often based on the alum interviewers’ schedules and preferences.
For instance, in my region, the majority of applicants were students planning to major in premed areas like biochem. THe majority of interviewers were college professors and others with backgrounds in the social sciences and humanities. Most preferred interviewing students with similar interests, so those rare such applicants were the first ones that I could match up.</p>
<p>Some students wouldn’t get interviewed until mid March, but Harvard still would consider their interviews.I know because I had to inteview some students that late, and even got follow-up questions from Harvard about my reports.</p>
<p>Some alums also preferred interviewing students from certain high schools (typically not wanting to inteview students from their own kids’ schools), so that also would be a factor.</p>
<p>After being matched with students, the alums also might take a couple of weeks before they got into touch with students.</p>
<p>does Harvard conduct interviews for Indian applicants?</p>
<p>Most international applicants aren’t interviewed due to the shortage of alum interviewers. Whether Indian applicants get interviewed depends on the availability of alum interviewers.</p>
<p>Hm… thanks for the info Northstarmom. I have a friend who is wondering about this and I will definitely pass the info along to him. </p>
<p>By the way, you mentioned that most international applicants aren’t interviewed, but what about internationals applying from inside the US? (he’s been living in the US for a few years now, but doesn’t have a greencard)</p>
<p>I don’t know what happens to internationals inside the U.S.</p>
<p>Bigb14, I’m in that situation. Harvard counts all students living in the US as domestic. My interviewer didn’t know that I was an international applicant; frankly, it didn’t matter.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply 
</p>
<p>I’m sure my friend will be happy to hear that.</p>
<p>It’s all based on the current address you provide to Harvard on your application.</p>