<p>Any guesses on when Harvard officials finalize their admissions decisions and get to work on the logistics of financial aid calculations and notifications? Obviously they have to have an internal deadline sometime before the notification date for logistical reasons. Would that internal deadline be two weeks prior, a week before, or just days, do you think?</p>
<p>One reason we are curious is our child has never been contacted for an interview. We live in a rural area of the United States. He called Harvard to check about an interview later in February, and they acted like they would try to get an interview lined up. But nothing has happened. So if admissions decisions are finalized soon, within the next 10 to 14 days anyway, are we correct in assuming he is not in the running for admission if they have not tried to arrange even a phone interview with him?</p>
<p>Yeah, we assume the application will be "read," but we are guessing that if he was on "the short list," he would have been contacted for an interview.</p>
<p>if by short list, you mean the good applicants, then you're a little misinformed. I know some kids who have had interviews with harvard who have no talents and are not even in the top 10 percent of my class (I doubt very high SATs). Don't worry too much about it</p>
<p>Hey whatever4, I think a more likely reason for your son not receiving an interview at this late date is that there are simply no alumni living close to your current residence. You've stated that you live in a rural area, so this is a distinct, and very real possibility. </p>
<p>The admissions office does not usually conduct phone interviews with applicants; in any case, an interview is not required and is not given to any students on a "short list." Rather, it is given to as many of the applicants "as possible," depending on the availability of local alum.</p>
<p>No interview means no admission 90 percent of the time. The decisions are finalized by committee in the next ten days. Financial calculations are still being made for I was told to send in some necessary forms.</p>
<p>Lest you forget, 90 percent of the applicants who do get interviews are also rejected. So I'm not sure "No interview means no admission 90 percent of the time" matters.</p>