<p>My S had a fantastic interview. Alum stated that it moved him to the top of the group, one of the best interviews ever and would be telling Hvd they would be crazy not to take him. He has an interesting hook as a national level athlete in a non-recruited sport which requires endless hours of training and travel. He has top grades 3.95, top 10%, top high school, low number of EC due to sport requirements, 30 ACT (below ave for Hvd), 6 APs (below ave for Hvd). Overall, middling to low type of stats when compared to the average stated on these boards.</p>
<p>Question? Can the interview really push an applicant above others? Can it really have that kind of impact? Does the committee weight a top interview in that manner? Or is it truly in the 3 or 4 percent type of impact?</p>
<p>My interviewer had a similar position and told me that I sounded like a solid applicant. I am a national level athlete in a recruited sport with probably helps me a bit, but I think if your S is so good at that one sport and he expressed it well in the interview. Harvard will pay notice to the dedication that he has put in. The only faltering poing would be 30 ACT, but it is not at all crazy to consider an acceptance, and don't worry about the number of AP's it is more about the offered curriculum.</p>
<p>An interview could push a normal applicant over the top but may not push a faltering applicant. If he is going to get rejected then he will no matter what the interview was like.</p>
<p>For most people, the interview has little impact. A borderline URM may get a decent bost from a great interview. Generally, what's already in the admissions office has primacy. Nasty facts about an applicant that come out in an interview could be death-dealing.</p>
<p>This is my assumption based on being an alum interviewer. I think that in general, interviews aren't that influential. However, I think that when they are influential, it's more likely due to the student's having a very bad interview that was so awful that it knocked them out of contention for admission.</p>
<p>By a "very bad interview," I mean if a student did any of the following: displayed absolutely no social skills such as being so shy as to not be able to answer questions except in soft monosyllables; lying during the interview (yes, I have caught applicants doing things like that); discussing racist, sexist or unethical behavior during the interview with no hint of remorse; revealing that they have been admitted binding ED elsewhere, but will forgo their ED commitment if they get a Harvard admission.</p>
<p>IMO probably the only way that an excellent interview would tip a student in would be if the student revealed something wonderful during the interview that hadn't already been mentioned in their application. I doubt that an excellent interview that simply gave more of the same info that was in the application would make that much of a difference. An excellent interview by a candidate that was otherwise not remarkable also probably wouldn't make much difference.</p>
<p>Bottom line: It's great to impress one's interviewer, but don't count on that to lead to an acceptance.</p>
<p>Just curious, Northstarmom, what do you mean by "something wonderful"? Have you had any personal experience with something like that tipping in a candidate?</p>
<p>I have been interviewing applicants for many years, and I disagree with Nothstarmom in important respects.</p>
<p>In my own experience, and in dozens of cases with which I am familiar, a strong, positive interview has clearly made the difference between acceptance and rejection.</p>
<p>I say "clearly" because I am referring to instances where there was a disconnect between the file as initially viewed in Cambridge and the enthusiastic recommendation of an interviewer based on observed personal qualities. Typically, in such cases, Cambridge will request a second interview as a cross check.</p>
<p>I am not even considering instances where no second interview was called for, but where a positive interview may have been a tip factor.</p>
<p>Frankly, I haven't had the experience of seeing a candidate who appeared to get a Harvard admission because of their interview. </p>
<p>The candidates whom I have interviewed who got in were wonderful candidates. Their interviews were good, even excellent, but I didn't feel that their interviews tipped them in. I felt that their interviews reflected the fact that they were very strong candidates with excellent grades, stats, ECs and a demonstrated passion for learning. They also had some kind of demonstrated caring for humanity -- such as evidence of doing community service out of genuine interest, not for resume dressing.</p>
<p>What I have seen is that it's rare to see students who have all of these things. Students may have strong stats, but little evidence that they are interested in learning. They may, for instance, have gotten As by giving the teacher what s/he wanted; doing research papers on easy topics, etc. I literally have had students tell me that is how they chose their term paper topics.</p>
<p>They may hold offices that look nice on paper, but when they are asked about their duties, the officers are only resume dressing. </p>
<p>They may display an interest in learning in terms of following their passions outside of school, but have weak grades in subjects that their SATs indicate that they could excel in, but that they aren't interested enough in to do the school work to get higher grades.</p>
<p>They may be super nice people, easy conversationlists, have a strong desire to serve humanity, but not display much of an intellectual bent such as stating they don't like to read.</p>
<p>Another interviewer here agreeing with Northstarmom. An alum interview is not going to push a candidate in the door. I can't tell you how many alums are furious when their favorites are not taken. In this case we have an applicant with below average scores and limited ECs. An interview won't make up for that.</p>
<p>I'm also taken aback by the interviewer talking about the top of his pack. I just don't think a responsible interviewer would make it sound as though he'll be choosing a few admits. Keep in mind that a lot of bored, out of touch people interview. Absolutely anyone can and it makes some feel very important!</p>
<p>Northstarmom, you are describing instances (probably the huge majority of cases) where there was no substantial difference between the candidate on paper and the candidate observed. </p>
<p>Obviously, these are not the instances where the interview would "make a difference" one way or the other.</p>
<p>And this "demonstrated caring for humanity" that you speak of: is this your personal criterion that a candidate must posess in order to earn a positive recommendation?</p>
<p>i'm not applying to harvard but i spoke to a harvard alumnus last year and he told me that he interviewed a poor minority who had a B/C avg & very poor SAT scores. what got him in was the passion that he had that impressed his interviewer (and later harvard)</p>
<p>Hi,
Wow, my interviewer just told me all the things that would normally make me think I got it, ... but I won't, because if I do, I'll fall into eternal depression when my rejection comes.
I thought they weren't supposed to say those nice things "best interview in years" or "exactly what H is looking for." </p>
<p>Truth is that the interview was awesome. My interviewer was an extremely interesting man, so I actually even asked him a lot myself. The funniest part was when his family cat landed on me and then wouldn't leave. I know he watched me closely throughout everything, ... he might be a psychiatrist or something serious like that (he mentioned psychology but didn't specify and I didn't ask).</p>
<p>Byerly or Northstarmom, please, tell me if a very enthusiastic report could mean anything at all???? THANKS!
My stats are good. I'm 1st in lg. class, but my school rarely sent people to H or any place else at that level. I took max there was, but then started several things & made them work. As I think of it, my interviewer seemed most interested in how I started my bus., and then debate. He never looked at the pre-interview questionnaire I had to fill out and bring with me.</p>
<p>They can say something like, "You're the best person I've intereviewd in years." They should not say anything like, "Wow! You're definitely going to get an acceptance (or rejection) since they could be giving false hopes/disappointment.</p>
<p>As I mentioned before, I think that an extremely strong interview report might could tip a student in or could simply be the last stamp of approval on a student whom the adcoms already had placed tentatively in the "acceptance" pile.</p>
<p>Byerly,
I think that if an outstanding candidate on paper also has an outstanding interview, the interview can make a difference in that the adcoms would tend to believe what they see on paper. So many candidates now are packaged -- have essays virtually written by other people; have ECs that look good on paper, but are actually resume dressing -- that I think that interviews provide some proof that an outstanding appearing applicant really is outstanding.</p>
<p>Harvard gets many students who look outstanding on paper. I would be surprised, however, if a high percentage of their applicants stand out from the crowd when interviewed by an experienced interviewer. Those who do are probably less likely to be switched out of the "acceptance" pile in the horse trading that goes on as adcoms create a well rounded class.</p>