<p>I can tell you NSM is a credible voice. she knows what she is talkin about because she is alumni of an Ivy League school and has conducted numerous interviews. her advice is really helpful if you know nothing at all.</p>
<p>NSM, For such a northeast sophisticate, you have a lot of really ignorant ideas about life here on the Bayou. Our kids have about as much access to liberal drivel as they want, including NPR & the ultra-leftist press. Despite that, most prefer to stay here in the warm and sunny south and "get by" at Duke or Rice or Vandy or Tulane or Texas, etc. So when you see that there just aren't that many kids from here applying to your school, don't assume it's because they aren't qualified; imagine it just might be that they're not that interested!</p>
<p>Pesedrish,
Considering that you're a moderator, it is very surprising that you launch personal attacks. My long experience with moderators here is that they have been very thoughtful people. Your responses truly are a surprise.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, you continue to distort what I have posted. I never said that southerners are not qualified for admission to Harvard. What I did say is that particularly when it comes to people from small/rural places in the Deep South, they choose not to apply. As a result, they are highly desired applicants because the university wants to have students who reflect all types of diversity.</p>
<p>Fine, but please make a note of this for future reference: we have good guidance counselors, we have good teachers, we have lots of college graduates and, God help us, we have easy access to NPR.</p>
<p>May I add to the topic of Ivy applicants from the South? I know of no one other than myself who, this year, is applying to Ivy League schools, but one of my friends is applying to MIT.
I think Southerners are just as capable of succeeding at these NE schools, but I don't think many want to move far away. I can relate to their sentiments.<br>
NSM, you said you wouldn't say where you're located or where you conduct interviews, but I have a question for you and anyone who wonders why we Southerners don't apply in large numbers to the NE:<br>
Have y'all ever lived in the South?<br>
I haven't had enough experience in the North to make any conclusions, but I must say that Southerners are some of the friendliest people alive (please keep in mind, though, that I haven't had much interaction with people from other regions of the country). The weather is awesome, and there are schools here with a good reputation. If y'all could live here for a few months, I think it would be truly difficult to not understand why so many people choose to stay in the South.<br>
I'm not sure if I really added to your discussion...I just wanted to post an FYI.</p>
<p>PSedrishMD: Make a note of this: I spent almost 20 years living in the South, including states in the Deep South. You don't know me from Adam. Drop the condescending attitude, and stop distorting my words.</p>
<p>I dont like how this thread is going. Full of prejudices and no real discussion, just pure argument and enemities forming. Guys, dont worry about it and just drop the whole argument. Its just a discussion board! =)</p>
<p>LAgal,
In general, southerners don't apply to places like the NE and New England for the following reasons: They follow the pattern of most people in this country, who, understandably prefer to stay relatively close to home for college; They also don't want to trade in the sunny skies and warm temperatures for the brutal winters and gray skies of much of the rest of the country.</p>
<p>Many also, understandably, don't like the personality of the North. People tend to be most comfortable around people who act similarly to themselves. There are major regional differences in our large country. The wit and rapid speech of the NE can seem snide and rude to people from other parts of the country. The slow speech and openness of the South can seem naive and fake to people from elsewhere. People in general tend to trust and welcome what is most familiar to them.</p>
<p>I think it's wonderful when students are willing and able to explore a new region for college. Even if that new region is only a couple of hundred miles away, the students are faced with adjusting to a new culture. The skills that they learn by having to adapt to something new are skills and a perspective that will be valuable to them for the rest of one's life. These can be hard things to learn if one waits until one is late in life to live in a new part of the country or world. In general, the older we get, the more difficult it is to adapt to new situations.</p>
<p>NSM: You may count on my responding anytime you suggest that one of our young Southern ladies whose interests lie outside the political sphere perhaps belongs in modeling school rather than at your fine institution!</p>
<p>What types of questions should I ask at the Harvard interview? I know I am not supposed to ask any questions answered on the website or other materials, but I'm afraid that, if I ask something too specific, he or she might not know the answer.</p>
<p>LaGal,
Where else are you applying? To me, the best way for anyone to Harvard EA is to do one's best with the application and interview, and then proceed as if one knows that one will be rejected. This means, make sure that you are doing thoughtful applications to some other universities that would offer you a similar experience to what you want from Harvard.</p>
<p>It does not sound like your guidance office is used to students like you and your MIT-applicant classmate who are applying to distant top-10 schools. For this reason, I am giving some more advice about other places you might consider.</p>
<p>I know that there are excellent southern schools that you can consider, and I am guessing that you are applying to some of them. I am suggesting that you also consider some of these other schools which, if you want to have a Northeastern experience during your college years, would give you some of the things that Harvard would. </p>
<p>If one has a yen to explore other parts of the country, often one's undergraduate years are one's best chance to do this, and to do it in an open minded way. It can be harder later because one might be in a committed relationship, and then have to make decisions based on one's partner's desires, too. If one is going into a competitive field like medicine, one might have to go wherever one gets into professional school.</p>
<p>Anyway, take a look at Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and University of Pennsylvania, and consider applying there, too. They all offer the big city NE experience, plus are strong in the sciences. I think all also have excellent history departments.</p>
<p>I am making the assumption that since you live in Louisiana, you are applying to Tulane and LSU, where I would guess you'll probably get a nice merit-scholarship offer from their honors colllege. Other schools to consider in your region are UF, which is higher ranked than LSU and may also give you nice merit aid, and Rice, which in addition to being excellent is also one of the best buys in college education. </p>
<p>One more tip about your interview: People who do alumni interviews do them because they have a genuine interest in young people and because the interviewers like helping young people at an important stage of the students' lives. </p>
<p>Thus, don't expect the Grand Inquisitor.Instead, expect to have a pleasant conversation with a nice person. </p>
<p>Since it sounds like you may not have had many opportunities before to talk to a person who is an alum of an Ivy, take advantage of the opportunity by getting answers to questions that you may have about the general experience. It is a good idea to learn about the alumnus before the interview. Google can be your friend. :)</p>
<p>It also can be nice for you to take the initiative at the beginning of the interview and to ask the person when they graduated and what they majored in. This is not being nosey. The alum will be happy to answer such questions, and knowing the answer may give you some idea of things that you might want to highlight in your conversation.</p>
<p>Other questions that you might consider asking are: "How did you make the decision to go to Harvard? What other colleges did you consider? What did you like best about your experience? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently? How did going to Harvard influence your life? What advice do you have for incoming Harvard students?"</p>
<p>It's also a good idea to find out where the person was from originally. If the person was from a place similar to your hometown or state, you might want to find out how they handled the culture shock, and if they have advice for you.</p>
<p>Remember, even if you end up not getting accepted, the information still will be useful as you go to college. Also, if it ends up that you and the interviewer have a lot in common, that interviewer may end up being a mentor to you, whether or not you get into Harvard.</p>
<p>One last tip: Immediately after the interview, send a thank-you note. In it , not only say thank-you, but include any additional info about yourself that you wish you had remembered to mention during the interview. (It is typical to think of such info just after the interview ends!). As part of your thank-you, include a specific reference to something that the interviewer said or did that helped you either know more about Harvard or feel more sure about why you want to go there.</p>
<p>My experience has been that even though interviewers are volunteers who go out of their way to provide the service, very few students bother to send thank-you notes.It is a courtesy that will make you stand out. Even if you don't get in (and for some reason, I have noticed that those who send thank-yous are more likely to get in), you may run into the interviewer again, and the interviewer may be in a position to help you. It is not unusual for alumni interviewers to be involved in other activities concerning young people.</p>
<p>Collegeperson,
Ask whatever questions you want answers to. If an alumni interviewer doesn't know the answer to a specific question, they probably can tell you how you can get the answer. The alumni interviewers tend to be best at questions that relate directly to the experience of being a student at Harvard, and how Harvard may impact one's life. Don't let this, however, keep you from asking other kinds of questions. They may know the answer.</p>
<p>Good luck LAGal-be yourself. Next year you will be sooooooooooo happy at a school-I promise.</p>
<p>LA
(Still in CA but not LA. The sticks of 909 rejects, the 951)</p>
<p>NSM, thank you so much! You are such a great help!<br>
Other schools: I am definitely looking at UPenn and Columbia. Tulane is also on my list, but I'd rather not apply to LSU. Just about everyone from my school goes there, and I think that, if given a choice between LSU and Tulane, I would much rather attend Tulane. Also, I'm guaranteed admission into Tulane and dream of attending Tulane Med. Rice, too, is on the list; but Tulane, Rice, and Emory are pretty much the only southern schools I'm applying to. I did a project on Johns Hopkins last year and confirmed my suspicions that it's pretty much a pre-med factory. I'm not sure that I would be very happy at such a school--also, it's in Baltimore, which deeply bothers my mom. Do you have any thoughts on schools like NYU, Brown, and Princeton?<br>
I do have a question for the interview, though. Would it be advisable to walk in with a pen and notebook and take notes on what the interviewer says? I'm scared of forgetting useful or interesting information before I have a chance to write it down. </p>
<p>lamom,
Thank you, too! I definitely need all the luck I can get. (Deep breath) :) This process is so frustrating but so exciting at the same time. I wonder what I will do when I'm in college and have no more searches to do or SAT's to take. What will life be like? Lol...I hope I will be happy at a school; I just hate not knowing what school it will be.</p>
<p>I can give you more advice if you say more about what exactly you want out of your college experience. What attracted you to Harvard and to the other colleges that you mentioned? Have you visited any schools?</p>
<p>How are you set for money? Will you need financial aid? If you need financial aid, make sure that you also apply to a school where you know you'll definitely get accepted to, would be happy to go there, and can afford to go there. That's why I was suggesting UF and LSU.</p>
<p>I think that your idea of taking notes is a good one. I suggest that you tell the interviewer why you're doing it, though, so they don't think that perhaps you're a paranoid student taking notes on them to use to sue if you don't get in. I am not joking: There are some students and families who threaten to sue when the kids don't get in.</p>
<p>When I interview students and others, sometimes the notes I am writing down are notes to myself about what follow-up questions to ask. It's easy for me to get so captivated by what the student is saying that I forget questions that I had planned to ask.</p>
<p>Remember, too, that it's normal to forget to mention some things during an interview. Include that info in your thank-you note, which I suggest that you send immediately after the interview.</p>
<p>Harvard came up as a school I should consider on a college search I ran. I can guess, though: Being Asian, I'm very interested in Asian studies, particularly Asian languages. Harvard is one of the few schools I know that offers more than just Hindi and Sanskrit when it comes to Asian language majors. The variety of clubs and organizations has held my interest; being from a small town, I never before had imagined that one school could have people with such diverse interests. Also, I love the Northeast and think location has much to do with my attraction to Harvard. Boston is the ideal college town, which helped me fall in love with the school. I did visit Harvard last summer and absolutely loved the campus. I heard the stories about the statue and the main gate through which students only walk twice. I heard about Mr. Summers' writing personal notes on dollar bills and so much more. THe housing system is incredible, and I like the idea that if students bring a recipe, the cafeteria can cook the dish. Technology is cutting-edge, and I could never before have imagined beign able to work with professors who are showing up on CNN every time you turn around. Research opportunities also seem plentiful. Do those reasons help any?</p>
<p>"Being Asian, I'm very interested in Asian studies, particularly Asian languages. Harvard is one of the few schools I know that offers more than just Hindi and Sanskrit"</p>
<p>What other schools offer these options, and are you applying to them? What language or languages do you plan to take? Are you considering being an Asian studies major? It is possible to be premed and to do something like that.</p>
<p>"The variety of clubs and organizations has held my interest"</p>
<p>Which clubs and activities particularly interested you? Do you think you might want to join them?</p>
<p>"Research opportunities also seem plentiful."</p>
<p>Are you also looking for other colleges with such options? I know that Emory seems to offer lots of research opps for students, including for freshmen.</p>
<p>" heard the stories about the statue and the main gate through which students only walk twice. I heard about Mr. Summers' writing personal notes on dollar bills and so much more. THe housing system is incredible, and I like the idea that if students bring a recipe, the cafeteria can cook the dish. "</p>
<p>These are all what I call "icing on the cake" reasons, not substantive enough to make them the focus of one's decision. </p>
<p>Anyway, what I get from what you posted is that you'd like: A school that offers good courses in Asian studies, particularly Asian languages; a school that offers lots of opportunities to do research; a school that's in a big city (I could not figure out exactly what attracts you to Boston as "ideal college town" was too vague.) a school that has cutting edge technology, a large proportion of students who live on campus and that's in the NE.</p>
<p>You also might want to see if BU and GWU match your interests.</p>
<p>BTW, the myths about John Harvard's toe and the gate that students only walk through twice are things that I heard about long after graduation. I don't remember us ever talking about such things on campus. Either things have greatly in the decades since I graduated or things that are interesting to tourists aren't that interesting to the students on campus.</p>
<p>Will financial aid be a consideration for you?</p>
<p>Financial aid is not a consideration. </p>
<p>Yes, I understand that the stories about the toe, etc. are "icing on the cake" reasons, but I was amused by them. </p>
<p>Asian languages: I'm interested mostly in Hindi, which a lot of schools (UM-Ann Arbor, Emory, Yale, UPenn, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, and many others) offer. However, some of the South Indian languages (Tamil, I think) are less common. I'm actually not considering an Asian studies major--well, I'm not sure yet. I want to either minor in that or switch and do a major in Asian studies and minor in history. I guess it depends on how I feel about the subjects once I've taken more courses on them. I've only had one history class (AP American) and no Asian language classes, so I'm not sure yet. </p>
<p>I am definitely interested in joining many of the clubs, namely the South Asian Dance Company (who would have guessed? :)), Pre-Medical Society, BOND, Dharma, French Club, South Asian Association, Harvard College Bowl, many of the public service groups, maybe some political groups (to be better informed and maybe ignite more of an interest)...pretty much the clubs that I'm in right now that exist on a college level. I also hope to be on some publications/communications groups. </p>
<p>Yes, I am also looking for research opportunities, and that's actually the only thing that makes me skeptical about Harvard. Can undergraduates actually pursue research, or is it reserved for graduate students? Are undergraduates somehow considered inferior and pushed into the shadow so that the professors can best concentrate on grad students? </p>
<p>About Boston: Harvard's campus is so beautiful! I spent a week doing a summer program on Tuft's campus, which was also remarkable. Driving through Boston, I noticed how close everything is. The city seems to have been built for college students with everything imaginable in walking distance. Harvard, as I recall from my tour, also allows students to cross-register with MIT and other area schools to take classes that Harvard doesn't offer (and I can't imagine any). Also, I heard during the tour about one of the tour guide's friends who, as an UG, was the only one in his class, but that wasn't it--the class had two professors! I was and am soooo excited!</p>
<p>GWU is in D.C, right? I did look at BU, but something about it just didn't excite me. I guess it is a little weird that I love Boston so much, yet Harvard is the only nearby college to which I'm applying. But I will take a second look at BU and see if I can remember why the school turned me off.</p>
<p>Hi NSM-
I have an interview on tuesday. I am curious, does the manner of dress (casual, formal, semiformal, extremely casual) really matter to the alum? I know it may it be a personal preference for the alum, but is there a common mood amongst all of you interviewers? Because I believe I would act more like myself if i wasn't wearing a tie.</p>
<p>NSM - I rember that you posted on one of my threads on the old CC discussion page. Good times. </p>
<p>First of all, I'd like to comment on the Southerner discussion. I am from Western North Carolina. Two students from my ordinary public school are applying to Harvard, three to yale, three to princeton, several to other Ivies. So we do apply - we just don't get in. People at our school tend to think this is because Northerners "look down" on the South, but really, I think we just don't have the kind of environment that fosters as much academic enthusiasm as Northern schools do. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, I am applying RD to Harvard. Harvard is the best; it's worth trying to get in. Some questions about my interview in the semi-distant future:</p>
<ol>
<li>I'm rather undecided on my major/area of interest. So I can't say "I want to go to Harvard because of its, for example, Arabic program." How do I deal with that? Although I am vaguely interested in history as a potential major. Pat Buchanan is on my buddy list. It's one of my proud accomplishments. I'm fascinated by policy-shapers and history-makers.</li>
<li>I've never actually visited Harvard. And, though this makes me sound like a rural hick, I've never actually been to New England. I've simply never had the opportunity. Will the interviewer think that I don't know enough about the school?</li>
<li>I'm applying to a lot of schools. Meaning 12. I feel the officer will look down on this and think I don't care about Harvard; actually, I'm applying to a third of them solely to try to get scholarships. How should I go about saying this without making him/her think I don't have a firm grasp on my goals? Mainly, I'm looking for a big-name university venture into academia. I want to be surrounded by brilliant people and brilliant professors who are the top in their fields. I do not want to go to a school where I am one of the smartest students there. That's a rather vague goal. I'm afraid the interviewer will think I just don't care enough, but I've known very few people who have gone to top tier universities, and I my opinions of schools are largely based on my soulmate's - the college books.</li>
<li>Are there any major "don'ts" for an interview? Could you by any chance give a list of things NOT to say? Any other major "do's" besides the thank you note?</li>
<li>Could you give me the general categories of questions interviewers ask? What do they ask about my interest in the school? My application? My family? My views on world issues? How are we ranked and evaluated?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you so much for helping us confused students with these matters. I have learned so much invaluable information from discussion boards. You have been rather helpful, whether or not you remember me. I will let you know where I end up.</p>
<p>(And while I'm at my list, does anyone know if the "thick vs. thin envelope" assumption about acceptances and rejections is true?)</p>