<p>I was really stressed out last night over my interview for Harvard. I expected some tough questions and intense discussion. Yet, my interviewer asked me none of that. He didn't care about finding out who I am. He just wanted to get his job done. He couldn't wait to leave. At the end of the "long" "interview", he said, "I'll write you a good note." </p>
<p>Am I screwed?! Why didn't my interviewer take his job seriously?</p>
<p>...because some dont simply feel theyre obliged to interview and dont care?</p>
<p>Interviewers' jobs are not to ask you tough questions or to engage you in intense discussion. A Harvard interview is not an inquisition. The interviewer's job is simply to find out about your academics, extracurriculars and character and then to write a narrative about the interview and rate you on those characteristics. </p>
<p>To me, it sounds like your expectations were very unrealistic. I also am not sure about how you know the interviewer was not interested in finding out who you are. It would help if you gave some examples.</p>
<p>Also, lots of how interviews proceed depends on the student who's being interviewed. Some students are passive about the process, and in general that hurts them because interviewers can't read their minds and ask exactly the questions that lead the students into revealing their most stellar attributes.</p>
<p>With the exception of the interviewers who do things like use up all fo the time with monologues about themselves, usually assertive students can find ways of using the interview to highlight their strengths and character.</p>
<p>northstarmom...although that it understandable, in the 3 interviews i have had so far I got into somewhat personal stuff. so idk, it just depends on the luck of the draw i guess.</p>
<p>The purpose of an interview is to get into personal stuff, but that doesn't mean an interview should be like an inquisition. Also, much of what's discussed depends upon the openness of the student, not the questions that are asked.</p>
<p>Some students answer questions tersely and constantly peer into the interviewer's face as if to figure out if their answer is OK. Other students are open and expand on their answers as if to say, " Here I am. Take me or leave me."</p>
<p>Some students rehearse their answers and rattle them off as if they are on Jeopardy. Others seem to speak more naturally, and seem to be having a conversation, not trying to pass some kind of test.</p>
<p>I did. I did talk about myself. But he just wanted to leave very badly at the end of the first 15 minutes(you could tell). But I kept him for another 40 minutes. I don't think he got into some personal stuff. There was so much more I needed to tell him but he just had to leave. Maybe it was my fault for not being "aggressive". But my interviewer for another school was so good.</p>
<p>academics-he didn't ask me what classes do I enjoy
ec's-he didn't even say "tell me some of your ec's". he did have my resume in front of me. but he didn't ask any questions.
character-he just wasn't interested in me or what I had to say.</p>
<p>how long does the narrative have to be?</p>
<p>also, he was jotting down some notes as we were talking.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure it's common for the interviewer to write down notes. Sorry that you had such an impersonal interview!</p>
<p>" I did. I did talk about myself. But he just wanted to leave very badly at the end of the first 15 minutes(you could tell). But I kept him for another 40 minutes. I don't think he got into some personal stuff. There was so much more I needed to tell him but he just had to leave."</p>
<p>How much time were you expecting? Most interviews last from 30 mins to an hour. You need to make your points quickly. If you had a 55-min. interview, that should have been plenty of time to make your points.</p>
<p>If he was basically just listening and taking notes, the field was wide open for you to talk about whatever you wished. If you didn't talk about what you think was important, that wasn't your interviewer's fault.</p>
<p>yea i really dont prepare for interviews at all. just talk about whatever im comfortable with.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, I agree. I've replayed the conversation at least ten times in my head since last night and finally realized that I didn't make the most important points across. My interview for another school was such a success because of the interviewer, so I expected my next interviewer to be like him. I guess what I learned from the lesson is that I should take control of the conversation next time. I shouldn't let the style of my interviewer dictate my performance. </p>
<p>Since he said that he'll try everything to help me, it won't hurt too much, will it? He said twice that he'll write a good note and said that my EC's were very strong. It's just that we shared no common interest. Of course, I didn't really try to probe in what he liked. Instead, I kept talking about things that interested me.</p>
<p>Also, I honestly didn't know an interview was supposed to last from 30 minutes to an hour. Both of my previous interviews lasted ~90 minutes...so I guess that led to a wrong expectation on my part.</p>
<p>Do interviewers judge you on things like how much eye contact you make and how firmly you shake their hand?</p>
<p>Oh also do people ever get accepted into Harvard purely on the strength of their written application + recs, even if there is an interviewer in the area?</p>