<p>I live in a rural area, and I'm not even sure there is a single Harvard graduate withing 500 miles, let alone an interviewer. Is this going to hurt my chances?</p>
<p>Not being able to have an interview will not hurt your chances at all.</p>
<p>You can always set up a phone interview, as I did with another school.</p>
<p>No, you cannot.</p>
<p>Interviews are arranged by Harvard. If Harvard feels it is necessary, they may conduct a phone interview (as happened with PorSK). I do not believe it is a usual occurance.</p>
<p>PorSK said that he got the phoner because his alum interviewer was inappropriate in some way. </p>
<p>bman: If there's no alum interviewer within a reasonable distance, that will not count against you. Since you are in a relatively remote area, however, if you get any chance to interview, do your best to have the interview even if you'd have to drive a couple of hours to get there. Don't think that if you turn down the interview, you'll get a closer interviewer. The offer you get may be the only alum anywhere near you who's willing to volunteer to interview. </p>
<p>Not getting an interview because no interviewer is available won't hurt you, but not going to an interview because one doesn't want a long drive could hurt you. Harvard reasonably might wonder if you could make it to Harvard to go to college if you couldn't find a way to drive 2 hours to get to an interview.</p>
<p>Being from an isolated rural area could help you in admissions because there are relatively few such applicants. Harvard wants a diverse student body in all meanings of the word, and that includes students from rural areas.</p>
<p>For more info, check the many back posts on interviews. </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>my son was in a similar situation (dartmouth, though--not harvard). we are from a rural area, and he did get an interview. when he got there, there were two alums there to interview him! you just never know--and since the interview, we have been introduced to two other alums within 50 miles or so. you might be surprised!</p>