<p>I have an interview this coming Monday the 24th. I want to know the opinion of how much the interview counts, and if anyone who has had one got accepted. This is for those who have been interviewed but anyone else can give their opinion!</p>
<p>the general opinion is that Harvard considers the interview significantly more than other schools (most likely due to the competitiveness of the applicant pool)</p>
<p>I have heard that applicants who have not had interviews have lower chances of getting into Harvard</p>
<p>gee, i wonder why that is???</p>
<p>i can only speculate but it's probably because when everybody has the same test scores, GPA, etc. then they'd obviously try to look at your personal qualities through an interview
making sure you're not some overly introverted bookworm</p>
<p>I am a Harvard alumna interview. All students in the US who complete their applications get an interview unless no alumnus/a can be found to do the interview who is within a reasonable distance of the student. When students are contacted depends on their local schools committee, and has nothing to do with the strength of the students' applications. It has to do with the availability of interviewers.</p>
<p>Because 85% of applicants to Harvard have the stats that indicate they could be successful at Harvard, factors such as essay, recommendations and interview are very important in determining who is accepted. Another important factor is the overall composition of the class. Because of the overabundance of outstanding applicants, Harvard adcoms have the luxury of being able to select students for admission based on what's needed to create a well rounded class.</p>
<p>Thus, it may be that a student with rare characteristics -- URM, political conservative, residing in an underrepresented state or country, low income, first generation college, rural background, nationally ranked athlete, demonstrated interest in a rare major, national award winning tuba player -- will be selected for Harvard over many other candidates whose stats were higher. The accepted candidate, though, still will have stats demonstrating that the student can graduate from Harvard. </p>
<p>When it comes to interviews, horrendous interviews or extremely wonderful interviews can tip candidates in or out. Horrendous interviews would go far beyond applicants seeming to be a little nervous, which is normal and expected. Horrendous interviews would include things like being caught in lies in interviews (and yes, I have caught students in lies), saying something offensive such as making a joke against homosexuals or being so shy that the student could only whisper or give one-word answers. </p>
<p>Horrendous interviews also would include exhibiting such boorish behavior that the interviewer was repulsed. The one time I saw this was when a student's nose started running during an interview, and the student just let the muscus run down their face into their mouth. I kid you not. It is really OK to ask for a tissue or to excuse oneself to use the rest room. Someone who can't think to do this does not need to go to my alma mater.</p>
<p>What are absolutely wonderful interviews? I honestly don't know what can tip a student in when it comes to interviews. The people whom I have seen who gave extremely good interviews tended to get in. However, I did not see evidence that the interviews tipped them in because the rest of their application was very strong, too.</p>
<p>I don't mean that everyone who got in had 1600 SAT scores plus was class president and had some national awards. I have seen students with scores as low as 1250 get in. Such students, though, were rare, had far excelled what was expected at mediocre schools and from people whose parents aren't college educated. They also ,had also assertively sought out opportunities that resulted in national level achievements. They also are the type of students who shine in interviews because their assertiveness, wit and charm is what has helped them succeed at a level so far beyond what is the norm in their areas.</p>
<p>a couple of miscellaneous questions: I have my interview on Monday at a coffee shop. That eliminates the full suit as an option, so should I just dress casually? Also, I was wondering if the interviewer would ask whether I'd gotten accepted into other schools...I don't know if I want to say that I applied to yale EA and got in.</p>
<p>Something like a polo shirt or sweater and slacks would be appropriate.
Harvard asks interviewers not to ask students where else the students have applied or have been accepted. There are some interviewers who don't remember that rule, but, honestly, Harvard does not care where you have applied or have been accepted as long as you aren't holding a binding ED acceptance.</p>
<p>My interviewer asked me where I had applied. I really didn't like answering that. I wondered if it would change his opinion of me, which I felt was pretty strong. Oh well, I just answered it as "I applied to Stanford EA, Yale, Princeton, and a few other schools." Should I have told him each one specifically?</p>
<p>my interviewer insisted on an interview immediately after school...this means I will still be in sneakers and nice but casual clothing. Is that acceptable? </p>
<p>also, to Northstarmom, what do interviewers like to hear when they ask "Why Harvard?"</p>
<p>Maybe you should have asked the applicant you were interviewing if he/she needed a tissue, instead of just watching the disgusting thing happen and keeping that from your writing a good interview report!</p>
<p>my interviewer emphasized that the interview was only a small aspect of the application, and that its purpose was to provide the committee a true representation of the applicant. I think my interview [today] went ok, but I hope I didn't kill myself when I said my school wasn't very diverse after she asked, because really it's not. Oh well, everything is over now, and it's a great relief.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, you mention "demonstrated interest in a rare major" as an asset when applying to Harvard. Which majors are considered "rare"?</p>
<p>i think she meant Anthropology, Archeology, Sociology, stuff like that....NOT psychology though.....</p>
<p>Northstarmom...eep! i had an interview on campus already, but now I am being contacted for another one. is this a good or bad sign? i had two dartmouth interviews already, what should I think of this?</p>
<p>Northstarmom, can you give us more examples of disgusting things that have happened during interviews?</p>
<p>It's hilarious AND some might find it helpful.</p>
<p>is neuroscience rare?</p>
<p>I somehow doubt neuroscience is rare... a lot of people want to go into biology/medical fields who apply. on the other hand, only 4 astro majors graduate per year... hopefully that'll help me.</p>
<p>My interview hasn't been scheduled yet... Should I be worried? They should contact me right?</p>
<p>The only other disgusting things that applicants did (beside the one who let snot run into his mouth) was that I caught two applicants telling lies during the interview. I caught one when the applicant contradicted themselves, and I followed up. The applicant then tried to back out of their lie, which made things worse. The other applicant whom I caught in a lie tried to impress me by referring to some reading material that most people would not have heard of. </p>
<p>Unfortunately for the applicant, I was extremely familiar with the material, loved the material, and was thrilled that an applicant happened to mention it. When -- in true delight and joy at having met a kindred spririt -- I followed up with some comments, it was clear from the applicant's response that the person had not read the material. </p>
<p>Another thing that happened in an interview was sad, not disgusting. An applicant was clearly very rattled at being at the interview. I did everything in my power to try to make the interview a comfortable place. This, incidentally, is what Harvard wants alum interviewers to do. We all know that any individual applicant has only a 1 in 10 chance of admission. The interview may be their only encounter with Harvard, so we like applicants to feel it was a pleasant experience, not to leave feeling that they were grilled by an arrogant jerk.</p>
<p>Anyway, after doing my best to help draw out the student, who was tense looking and monosyllabic, I asked her a softball question like, "How did you decide to apply to Harvard?" and she burst into tears. </p>
<p>This was the one student whom I uneqivocally said in my report, "Please do not accept this student. She can not handle the stress of a place like Harvard." She was not admitted. I doubt that my report was the reason, however, since her scores were far, far below the Harvard norm. She was the top student in a horrendous school, and her scores did not even reach the national average.</p>
<p>She was, however, a really intelligent young woman, and I ended up mentoring her for years, helping her get a scholarship to a tier 3 college. She eventually transferred and graduated from a tier 2 college, and now is working on a masters degree at a top 25 college, where she is thriving and happy. :)</p>
<p>She truly is a very talented young woman, and I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up teaching at an Ivy or similar college some day.</p>
<p>NSM, that's a nice story about the young lady who you mentored. You must feel just great about her progress. :)</p>