<p>They say not getting an interview won't affect the decision, but I'm reading about people who got two interviews. Is the interview a lot more important for Harvard? Is it detrimental at all that I'm not getting one (i submitted all parts of my app last minute and I know a couple people from my school who got interviews)?</p>
<p>It will not affect your decision if an interview cannot be arranged (i.e. severe illness). If other people at your school have had interviews, you definitely could have had an interview as well.
The admissions office will not most likely be wondering why you chose not to have an interview, while others at your school did. </p>
<p>My interviewer said the interview was obligatory for everyone.</p>
<p>I think he's talking about not being offered one, cowrun.</p>
<p>Getting an interview is based on whether there are alum interviewers within a reasonable distance of where you live. When you get offered such an interview is based on the schedule of your interviewer, and when you were assigned an interviewer, which is fairly random. It is very difficult to find enough alum interviewers particularly with the 5,000 or so increase in the number of applicants this year.</p>
<p>Students living in the U.S. will be getting interviews as late as mid March.</p>
<p>I have the same question -- I have not been offered an interview yet, but everyone else at my school who has applied to Harvard has gotten an interview. I turned my application in before all of them, though (I turned mine in on November 30, and they turned their applications in very late December). Should I be worried that I haven't been offered an interview yet?</p>
<p>Last year our son was not contacted by a Harvard alum to set up an interview until the middle of March. He was accepted, and is now an extremely happy Harvard freshman. Don't worry if you haven't been contacted for an interview yet.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help. To clarify, I haven't been offered an interview yet. That's interesting that they are going to continue them to mid-march though.</p>