<p>Well, I told myself I wouldn't panic, but with SCEA results coming out in a week, I'm very worried. I haven't been contacted for an interview, when I know for a fact that I have alumni living in my town and in many towns around me. All the SCEA applicants to Harvard in my school last year had interviews, and had them relatively early in the SCEA process (around early to mid November). From what I know, I think I am the only person from my school who is applying to Harvard early action, and there's a person across town at the other high school who is also doing early action; he hasn't received an interview either.
However, an applicant in a city 25 minutes away from where I live received an interview about a month ago. </p>
<p>Harvard's website says: "When and where possible, applicants may be invited to meet with alumni/ae in or near their school communities. No candidate is at a disadvantage if an interview cannot be arranged." </p>
<p>The thing is, there ARE alumni around me. And it's not that an interview can't be arranged, I just haven't been contacted.</p>
<p>I've been holding off contacting Harvard about this because I didn't want to bother them, but should I call them now to try to schedule one? </p>
<p>Oh, also, how many people are accepted without an interview?</p>
<p>Alumni give interviews to students within a certain proximity to them, whether or not they are in the same town. (I drove over 30 min to my interview.) So it could be that this year there are no more interviewers left in your area, as they are given on a first-apply-first-serve basis. Especially since you are presumably from a small town, not a city like I am, and since interviews are not a necessary part of the application process, I wouldn’t worry. It’s totally random! </p>
<p>(Like I said, I’m from a city. Every applicant from my school has gotten an interview bc of that, even the extremely unqualified, below 1800 SAT ones.)</p>
<p>Well the town I live in has a little over 100,000 people so it really is a city. And I live right next to the largest university in my state (Oklahoma), and there is at least one professor there that is an interviewer (an applicant last year was interviewed by that professor).
But thank you! I was just wondering if there was an explanation for it and you gave me one.</p>
<p>AHHHHHHH so happy to hear this!
I’m in the EXACT same boat - all of my friends at nearby schools have gotten them, the guy who applied (and got in) last year had one, and none of the four kids applying from my school this year has gotten an interview. We’re all just…confused. This makes it much better. Know that I can empathize with the angst.</p>
<p>I feel the same way - I’m in NY, everyone at my school who applied early had an interview EXCEPT me. I have not been contacted at all. People who live near me have gotten an interview for H as well, so…I don’t know. I can’t help but think they’re just not interested and have already rejected me, despite consolations above…</p>
<p>“I can’t help but think they’re just not interested and have already rejected me,” Harvard does not pre-sort applications before issuing them to alumni groups to set up interviews.</p>
<p>Therefore your feeling of dejection is not based on anything factual. It’s was just a coincidence.</p>
<p>Second interviews are generally a good sign that you are a very competitive applicant… They just want to confirm some suspicions, because oftentimes they haven’t gotten quite a solid enough feeling of your personality from your file, from what I know. Of course, there are no promises here, but history says a second interview is generally a good thing. Good luck!</p>
<p>@Viewer It could also be because you’re in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is one of the smartest states in the country, judging by their high cutoff score for the PSAT. The admissions officer probably want to ensure that only the best students are admitted from the state, because they can, if they live in close proximity.</p>