^
Agreed. I interview and recruit not for the student but for my alma mater. I want to present as much info as possible for them to make their best choices. In general, the kids I meet are quite outstanding. A few noisome ones here and there (one who matriculated at Harvard LOL) -- but mostly high achieving, success bound students. This will be my 21st year interviewing. I think I've had about ten admits over ~200 students. That's how it goes.
I'm having my interview this week as well and it's at the alumni's workplace (she's a professor at a local university). Should I dress formally? Would simple white pants and a bluish grey sweater work?
I'm quite nervous though, I did some searching as well and it seems like I don't have anything in common with her :S. Ah well, best of luck to all applicants, I can't wait to hear decisions in April
@WongTongTong and adcahng and JingChen: don't worry whether or not your interviewer has anything in common with you. Trust me, part of the joy of attending a school like Harvard is precisely the diversity of interests and characters you will meet. Some of my most memorable moments in school occurred during dinner/lunch in the dining hall, chatting up tutors or other students about things they were researching, working on, movies they watched recently, recent events in the news etc. Part of what I'm looking for when interviewing a candidate is his/her sense of curiosity, which I value above sheer intelligence.
Also, don't presume the interests of your interviewer simply based on a Google search of his/her profession/concentration etc. You can look me up, find that I studied music and assume that I don't care about whatever you care about. But I'll gladly talk to you about everything from Sondheim and Asian pop to tech startups, constitutional law, Richard Dawkins, David Foster Wallace or Mandelbrot and fractals. I might not know very much about the area you're interested in, but I'll happily listen and learn if you're really passionate about it.
Trust me, people are more interesting than what they majored in...heck I know an electrical engineer who can quote passages and passages from The Divine Comedy...never would have expected that.
my s still did not get call for interview and he wishes they do it soon or not at all. he expects in february through early march there may be interviews for the medical programs he applied. the prep for medical program interviews is different, potentially with long travels. if they do not contact for interview soon, he hopes they do not bother at all.
@WindCloudUltra I know. Personally, I love doing just about anything-- I'm one of those freaks who doesn't mind anything, even shoveling manure, as long as there's something to occupy my hands and or mind. I just mentioned orchestra and biology because I was pleasantly surprised to find that the interests she listed matched my own main activities. Its nice to know that you at least have some common ground to start with, don't you think?
Question: Is it recommended to google interviewers and bring up the information found during the interview (if relevant)? I don't want to come off as a creeper but I do want to show that I've put in some effort/ premeditation.
enigmaa: interviews have been occurring long before Facebook and google. It strikes me as creepy. Lucky for me, I share a name with a Taiwanese TV actor/pop star. Even with google, I'm deep in there...
logically: it seems this pre-eval form was something that specific interviewer used. Don't sweat it
enigmaa: interviews have been occurring long before Facebook and google. It strikes me as creepy. Lucky for me, I share a name with a Taiwanese TV actor/pop star. Even with google, I'm deep in there...
I share a name with a fairly well known American TV/film actor. I think this will comfort me too if I ever become an alum interviewer for Harvard.
jingchen: business casual always works; avoid beat-up jeans and tshirts with slogans; if you are really nervous, ask the interviewer; the handbook tells interviewers to make details like this clear to applicants. But a university setting these days is fairly casual anyway. Good luck!
logically: absolutely not. Be relieved you don't have to fill one out. I've been interviewing for over 10 years; I never heard of these forms before. I think they're a bit over the top.
@T26E4: So your suggestion would be an absolute no? It's better to just let the conversation flow rather than bring up anything that shows I've done research on the interviewer?
I've had a few interviews already and the problem is I don't feel like I connected with the interviewer on a personal level. I think they will all put in a positive word but nothing exceptional. Will this hurt me for a school as competitive as Harvard?
Enigmaaa: I believe it's a matter of communication skill. My advice is to put yourself in the other's person place. Would you feel comfortable if someone you meet for the first time tell you that he/she has googled and found all these things about you. How would you feel. Perhaps, you should use the information as a background information to facilitate your flow of conversation. However, don;t assume everything you read is correct.
