<p>I had a Harvard interview about a week ago. I wore a suit (I am female), but it was with a skirt, not pants. No jewelry.</p>
<p>I knew zip about world news--they have a new German chancellor?! I didn't even know that...but the conversation never went to it. Nor did it travel to anything relating to politics or newsworthy events. I brought a couple "props" and talked about them, to show depth. Make sure you bring things you've worked really hard on, for an extended period of time.</p>
<p>The interview, and the question content, will always depend on the interviewer him/herself. It's basically the luck of the draw. I had a woman who was great at conversation and who, like me, is interested in English and was a journalist. So our interview went 45 minutes over the hour we'd originally set aside. It was great; I really felt like I nailed it. Important tips I would give anyone:</p>
<p>-You obviously know you have to be yourself. But don't be afraid to say things that you normally think the interviewer wouldn't want to hear. Just make sure you twist it to your advantage. </p>
<p>For instance: I made it quite clear that I was a devoted INTROVERT. Normally, that spells doom, right? But then I talked about how unfair I thought that was, and how I've been able to avoid peer pressure and how I've become involved in activities, but I'm still an introvert who would rather read in her room than go dancing at a party--I've remained true to myself. That went over really well, and I am being serious!</p>
<p>-Your interviewer will want your SAT Is and IIs. Bring them!!!</p>
<p>-Concrete detail is very important. As in your essay, show, don't tell. So instead of: "Yeah, I volunteer at this museum and tell people about the Jurassic period," you say, "Yeah, I volunteer at this museum and tell people about the Jurassic period; one time there was a group of kindergarteners coming through on tour, and I explained that there were no flowers back then, and by the time they passed back through my area they were looking over at the exhibit and pointing and saying, "Look! Did you know there were NO flowers back then???" " That makes your point much better. And your interviewer will remember it.</p>
<p>-Another seemingly paradoxical concept: Question YOURSELF during the interview. For example: "I love Terry Brooks, my favorite author, but I don't think he's infallible...for example, some of his passages are too long and detract from the pace." Or question yourself more directly: "Looking back on 'X,' I don't know if I could've done 'Y,' but..." That shows you see multiple sides of issues and are intellectually versatile in your questioning.</p>
<p>-Tell them the thing you want to do that nobody else in the world has done before. For example, "I want to start a new genre of literature!...I've always wondered why no one has done <strong><em>X</em></strong>." You question the system; you're someone who will change something. Harvard--and the rest of the Ivies--want people who will make a difference. </p>
<p>-If you've done something outrageous, but not something society would see as stupid or foolish, tell them! If you've brought pictures, show them! If you've incorporated that into your essay, so much the better!</p>
<p>-Tell them your plans in life, and how you might possibly change them if you encounter ___, (a new experience, person, etc.), because you want to keep your options open (only if you really do, though), and some new things you want to try at Harvard. (Then ask them about those things.) Make sure you tell them how you see yourself impacting others, and how your present mirrors your future. (This was actually what I did for my 'optional' essay!)</p>
<p>-Tell them some weird quirks you have: For example, "I hate coffee AND soda and I don't drink either of them!" (This is unusual, apparently everyone drinks soda now). Quirky (but not excessively strange) is good, in small amounts. But don't do it if it is completely random; find a way to tie it into normal conversation.</p>
<p>-Your interviewer will take notes. It is okay to pause and let them think about what they're writing. A really good interviewer, though, will probably be able to continue the conversation. If you have a shy interviewer--and this has happened--God be with you, and do talk, for you will probably have to drive the conversation and do most of the talking and questioning. It's more difficult then, but remember, small pauses can't hurt, especially if they're the interviewer's fault. You don't want to appear like you're going on and on for the sake of filling silence. It's golden, after all.</p>
<p>-Humility is important. But don't draw it out. If you need a "humble" line, if they start to praise you excessively for something, make it short and to the point, so it's not obvious you're TRYING to be humble. I.e., "Oh, those 3 800s in Math, Math IC, and Math IIC? Yeah...I'm good at math. I like it." Then: "This is why..."</p>
<p>-Of course, adversity is good. They love knowing how you overcame adversity. (My friends have a joke..."Not only do you have to be valedictorian, and President of 3 or 4 clubs...you also have to have had a bad childhood!!!" Not necessarily true, of course, but as I said...adversity is good. Especially if it's affected you profoundly.)</p>
<p>-Know your weaknesses...and admit them! Knowing your weaknesses is a strength!</p>
<p>-If you are interested in English, they will ask to see your writing. Bring your admissions essay, as long as it's creative, and have the interviewer read that! Then you can get an inside look at how a complete stranger who is REALLY reading your essay would respond! This is a neat trick, and if they laugh at your "hopefully humorous" essay, like mine did, you'll feel immensely relieved.</p>
<p>-Make the interviewer talk about him/herself. That sounds like it wouldn't work--after all, the interview is supposed to be about you--but it can get boring listening to someone talking about himself or herself for an hour or more, even if it's your job. So make sure you engage them. Find a similarity between yourself and your interviewer, if you possibly can, and run with that. Ask them how their own life is, having gone to Harvard. Ask them about their experiences there--this applies to anyone. Ask them what clubs they were in and if they would recommend them to you. Then when they talk, make sure it doesn't look like you're zoning out. That could be fatal. Of course, as long as it doesn't look like you aren't paying attention, you could really not be paying attention and be formulating your next question or something, but I think it's better to actively listen and have something to mention about them later on. The important thing about this point is that it shows you are a good listener who is interested in other people. Hmm...a good quality, anyone?</p>
<p>-Know the school. Obviously. Be specific. Study it for an hour or two before you go. Look at the viewbook, the website. Then when you go in, you can say, "So, about that Study Abroad program at Oxford..." or "Don't you think it's ironic that your motto is 'Veritas,' yet you have the Statue of the Three Lies?" Okay, so people have probably already noticed that last one. The questions about the school mainly come at the end after you've talked about yourself but, if you're clever, you can sprinkle them in in relation to your interests while you talk about yourself if you've researched the school well enough.</p>
<p>-Don't forget to ask how you did or how the interviewer thinks you'd fit in at the school! I did and I'm still kicking myself over that part of an otherwise-great interview.</p>
<p>Hope that helps, and not a lot of it was too repetitive for you people who have probably studied that extensively.</p>