<p>I hate this question: Why do you want to go to 'XYZ' College/University? It is so damned cliche!!!</p>
<p>It’s cliche because it’s important.</p>
<p>How have at least 10 authors who are not famous shaped your perspective on being human? - I was asked this after saying that I wanted to take some literature courses at Harvard. It was difficult considering my interviewer was an English major and was widely read in French and German literature. He kept telling me, no that author is somewhat famous in intellectual circles.</p>
<p>If you met the president today, what would you ask/say to him? <em>side eye</em>
If you could have dinner with anyone - dead or alive - who would it be with? <em>rolls eye</em>
What was the biggest disappointment you’ve ever faced? no
What AP courses have you taken/what are your verbal and math scores? <em>facepalm</em></p>
<p>[side note: lol, that’s not how I responded to the questions - it’s what I thought in my head]</p>
<p>@supergrover911:
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<p>I’m not sure why those questions would cause you to do a facepalm. Interviewers do not have access to your application, and your AP/SAT history are often useful for contextual purposes. If you mention that you’re interested in becoming a theoretical physicist but your QR SAT scores are in the 500s, I’m going to be very concerned. </p>
<p>I know it’s different for each school, but Harvard’s interviewer report does contain entries for applicant SAT scores/GPA/APs. They’re optional, but Harvard certainly does not forbid or, for that matter, discourage interviewers from asking the applicant. </p>
<p>Here are the admissions office’s recommendations: </p>
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</p>
<p>As for annoying interview questions, would you prefer to be asked: “Estimate the number of marbles that will fit into a 747?”</p>
<p>My harvard interview was a breeze compared to penn! no hard questions. the only ‘hard’ question was “what sports do you play?” well i sure hope powderpuff football counted!</p>
<p>Is it normal that if you discuss potential majors with an interviewer, that they’ll question your knowledge on those topics extensively? (for me it’s political science And Econ)</p>
<p>@Manilafolder: I wouldn’t go so far to call it normal, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do. It does depend on the interests of the interviewer, but if it is a field/subject that the interviewer is familiar with, he/she could certainly ask some more subject-specific questions.</p>
<p>@windcloudultra: so that’s why it’s best not to mention a potential major so you don’t destroyed like the literature guy who commented somewhere above. Honestly I doubt I’ll know enough to even have a 2 minute conversation w/ a political science/Econ graduate when I’m a senior</p>
<p>@Manilafolder: Ha. Perhaps. I’m under no illusions that hs students, even the most talented in their field, have anything coming close to a comprehensive awareness and knowledge of that field. All I’m hoping is to see a sense of genuine interest and curiosity. </p>
<p>With that said, not all interviewers may take that perspective, and I certainly hope HarvardCM’s experience is not the norm. That interviewer seems quite douch*y. Interviewers should not be there to intimidate the candidates.</p>
<p>I’d answer yes to the potential majors question posed by Manilafolder, especially if your interviewer has had some experience in or correlation with the field you mention. </p>
<p>It actually became the ‘ice-breaker’ in my conversation with the interviewer…we began this hour-long discussion on the economic troubles of my country…and I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely able to carry the debate that well, which only made me realise how much there is to learn! (I said so to the interviewer, and he actually appreciated that observation).</p>
<p>Other than that, my worst question (from a different interview) was- ‘How would your friends describe you?’
I tried to crack a joke about how I was trying to be modest and not say much…but that didn’t go well. The guy didn’t get it, and I ended sounding a bit like a pompous jerk LOL XD</p>
<p>I got this one from Princeton:
“What other schools did you apply to and which one is your top choice?” 
I did not lie “at all”. :D</p>
<p>Or from Harvard: “Describe the most difficult situation in your life.”…um my life is only 18 years long and I have not faced mining explosions, Indonesian tsunamis, even death. Should I say something superficial - heck yes. Talked about the dilemma I faced having to drop or keep a class I started to hate (which I loved before)…</p>
<p>“What can you bring to our school?”</p>
<p>Um, what? Completely screwed this up in my first interview (to Brown, my top choice). Luckily, I was prepared to answer it during my Dartmouth interview…</p>
<p>Where else are you applying? What does your parents do?</p>
<p>actually I didn’t have bad interview questions. harvard was easy no hard questions but penn… he asked:</p>
<p>“Why aren’t you applying to Cornell?”</p>
<p>^i didn’t say anything about cornell</p>
<p>Fortunately for me, I’ve had three interviews with top schools and no odd experiences like some of you above. I do, however, not like when they ask what schools are you applying to. You can circumvent it by saying, “My top three schools are… etc.” Even if that knowledge shouldn’t affect your evaluation, interviewers are humans and they might compartmentalize your response somewhere in the back of their brains.</p>
<p>My favorite one from a Princeton interviewer: What do you think about homosexuality?
She just bluntly asked me this, while we were talking about public policies
She wasn’t even asking about gay marriage, for god’s sake</p>
<p>^That’s a little ridiculous.</p>
<p>I think the rationale for “where else are you applying” is if your interviewer is from Dartmouth and you are like COLUMBIA AND UPENN that is suspicious, but if you are like WILLIAMS AND BOWDOIN that makes sense. Answering with 3-4 schools, like post #15, seems like a good idea.</p>
<p>Should the government regulate Facebook?
Do companies have moral responsibility?
Is there such a thing as “the free market”?
Is it morally acceptable for Facebook to sell our information to third-party companies?
Even if people agree to the TOC of FB, are the TOC fair?
Who determines if it is fair?
What is the role of government in the business world?</p>
<p>Just a few of the questions my interviewer asked me in my first Harvard interview… It was clear he was just trying to ask questions to stump me…not get to know anything about me. Oh well!</p>