<p>My D's interviewer called to set up an appointment for interview, and the person wants to see what other colleges she applied and all the essays she wrote for other colleges. Was anyone asked the same question?</p>
<p>Yes, I think that is a very common question. My daughter has just had her third interview and has been asked that question at each one. They all just want to know.</p>
<p>Ooops, I guess I didn't read the question through. No way should the interviewer be able to see essays written for other colleges. I don't think most interviewers see any of the essays -- including the ones to the school the interview is about. (Sorry for the confusion)</p>
<p>I thought, based on posts from Northstarmom, that this is a VERY unusual question in a Harvard interview.</p>
<p>WoW! Essays are so personal....this is uber wierd</p>
<p>:confused:</p>
<p>Ugh, this happened with my MIT interview. I didn't want to look like a prestige whore, so I left out a couple...</p>
<p>I think I'd just bring the essays for Harvard. (Perhaps that's what the interviewer meant anyway. I hope so!) I think for Harvard, it's not so bad that you supply the list of other places you are applying. It allows the interviewer to ask some questions about what you are looking for. For example way back when any interviewer would have seen that I was only interested in medium sized universities in cities on the east coast (the latter was my lack of imagination at the time). My son's list was all schools with good math/science/computer programming and top academics, but he was completely indifferent to location.</p>
<p>"My D's interviewer called to set up an appointment for interview, and the person wants to see what other colleges she applied and all the essays she wrote for other colleges."</p>
<p>I'm guessing the interviewer has not read the interviewer's handbook for Harvard, which does not want interviewers asking students where else they applied, and doesn't want interviewers rating students by factoring in how much they appear to want to go to Harvard.</p>
<p>My suggestion is for your D to bring the interviewer her Harvard essays. THat also will help the interviewer not go into depth about things your D has already told H.</p>
<p>As for telling the interviewer where she applied, your D should tell the interviewer what she wants to. If she'd feel most comfortable listing Harvard and her match/safety schools, she should do that. She's not obligated to tell Harvard a list of her schools, and with the country's highest yield (one that likely will increase this year due to the new financial aid policies), Harvard isn't interested in where your D applied.</p>
<p>My Harvard interviewer asked me, "if you don't mind, can you tell me what you wrote about for your common app essays?" I didn't find it an intrusive question, so I answered readily. However, if she had asked me to send her my essays.. I would have done that, but that would have been a little strange IMO. I haven't had any of my interviewers ask me what other schools I applied to. If I were asked, I probably would name a few of them (ones that make sense together) and definitely mention match/safeties, but not give a complete list.</p>
<p>My interviewer asked my which schools I applied to and didn't seem that interested when I emphasized that Harvard was my top choice. I think she wanted to know what kind of schools I was looking at...</p>
<p>Also, my interviewer asked me about the applications because she said she didn't want to write about the stuff I had already covered in my essays. So, these questions are standard, I think.</p>
<p>I think asking colleges applied is not unusual, but asking all of other essays is little odd. My D said she was asked to send them through email before she meets the interviewer if she doesn't mind. My D thinks the interviewer wants to know her better through her essays.</p>
<p>I personally feel that the question places undue stress on the applicant when asked during the interview. My son has had several interviews and has usually been asked for his list of schools (and a ranking, too, on a couple of occasions!), and each time it's been unsettling for him. His last planned interview was today (Harvard), and he was relieved to be asked what area of the country he was interested in (NE) - and not where else he applied. I agree that these questions are being asked not because the information is necessary to the evaluation; in fact these local interviews are not evaluative at all in most cases. Sometimes creating some discomfort may actually be intentional IMO, at least at the Ivy level.</p>
<p>I'll post my FAQ here about what NACAC rules say regarding asking applicants where else they are applying. Please note that whatever this interviewer is doing is definitely not general Harvard policy. </p>
<p>You could quote chapter and verse from the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admission Counseling:</p>
<p>
<p>B. Admission, Financial Aid and Testing Policies and Procedures</p>
<p>Postsecondary members agree that they will:</p>
<ol> <li><p>accept full responsibility for admission and financial aid decisions and for proper notification of those decisions to candidates;</p></li> <li><p>not require candidates or the secondary schools to indicate the order of the candidates’ college or university preferences, except under Early Decision plans;
</p></li>
</ol>
<p>and once you have done that, you could say, based on whatever is the truth, "Not wanting this to be construed as a statement of my order of preference, I am applying to"</p>
<p>a) "other colleges that appear to offer some of the same features as your college"</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>b) "a varied list of colleges to ensure that I carefully consider what is the best fit between me and each college"</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>c) "small liberal arts colleges with a focus on undergraduate teaching" (or whatever summary characteristic applies to all colleges on your list)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>d) "a list of colleges developed according to policies of my high school counseling office"</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>e) "[actual list] but this list should not be taken to be in preference order"</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>f) "a list of colleges that I would rather not mention here, so that we take extra care to follow NACAC principles of good practice."</p>
<p>Your own creativity can probably come up with some more choices. I do NOT see this question on many of the college application forms I have downloaded from the Web this year.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your resources and advice.s The thing is my D does not think it is intrusive to ask those questions, instead, she thinks positively. I agree that it is better to be asked in advance than at the spot so at least she can prepare the answers.
I hope it goes smooth this Thursday.</p>
<p>My interviewer from Harvard asked me what other colleges I was applying to...</p>