<p>So many people deferred and sometimes rejected with good stats and ecs and amazing things about them- I am an '06-er a current junior that stares in wonder and awe at this</p>
<p>How much do the interview, essay, recommendations, and visiting college campuses factor into giving a person with highly phenominal stats and ecs an advantage over other people with the same credentials?</p>
<p>essay counts a lot</p>
<p>write a good one</p>
<p>So concise and helpful, jono...</p>
<p>Hyper: Everyone who applies to Harvard is a top student. With a pool of applicants consisting of amazing students, with amazing grades, amazing SATs, amazing APs, amazing ECs, amazing everything, they have to put a lot on the personal qualities of the applicant, which is shown through the personal essays and the interview. That's why it's so important to have an interview and write good essays, like jono so nicely suggests.</p>
<p>Visiting the college doesn't count at all. That includes attending Harvard's expensive summer school -- not important for admission. Essays, though, are very important as are recommendations. Interviews can be tip factors.</p>
<p>It's true that most students who apply to Harvard are outstanding. There are thousands more outstanding applicants than Harvard has room for. Thus, the other factors are far more important than is true for most colleges.</p>
<p>Many people say the Harvard interview is more important than other interviews? Are they conducted any differently or are they just weighed more in admissions?</p>
<p>My guess would be the latter.</p>
<p>the Harvard ones might also be conducted differently. The interviewers are supposed to ask for your grades and scores. I don't know if other schools GIVE interviewers that information, but Harvard interviewers have to ask for it. Harvard interviewers are also supposed to grade the interviewees academically as well as extracurricularly and personally. But the way it's conducted also depends a lot on who the interviewer is. Get a good interviewer :-).</p>
<p>Yeh, I just got back from my interview. She was INCREDIBLY nice, it was such a relief. It seemed like any other interview: tell me about yourself, why you, why harvard? She also explained a little about the admissions process; she really seemed to downplay her role, saying they weigh recommendations from people that know you a bit more heavily than they do her write-up, and that the interview is more of a "tip" if it's between you or someone else.</p>
<p>-:IMHO:-</p>
<p>*interviews: average importance (depends on who conducts interview and the impact you make. The more extreme, the greater the impact: ...a superbly amazing applicant.... a completely rude and obnoxious applicant....)</p>
<p>*essay: great importance, especially in a group of applicants who are statistically indiscernable, the only factor you have total control over that can reveal your unique personality</p>
<p>*recommendations: great importance, they show an objective adult's point of view of your academic potential</p>
<p>*visiting campus: of varying importance, depends on your purpose of visit and who you see while you're there</p>
<p>Thank you all very much for responding and clarifying this subject for me! :)</p>