Hello. My parents forced me to apply to Harvard. Actually, they forced me to apply to H-Y-P-S and MIT. I have a 3.2 UW GPA, got a 1910 on the SAT, a 28 on the ACT, got a 630 on one subject test, 480 on two, and a 540 and a 560 on the other two. I don't have outstanding exracurriculars, and accidently left spelling errors in my Common App essay. I am a national achievement scholar, but other than that there's not much of anything special about me.
Why did I get this interview?
I do not want this interview!
What should I do!?
1. Interviews are based solely on whether there is an available person near your location. It has nothing to do with how good/bad your application is.
2. Interviews are optional. If you choose not to take them, then so be it. If you don't want to get accepted (or try) into any of those schools, you might as well not even do any of these optional parts.
You can't be a National Achievement scholar with a 3.2 unweighted. I know this because my sons had SAT scores in the 98th and 99th percentile, but didn't get National Achievement scholar due to their relatively low gpas.
First, I don't know what trolling means. Second, I meant national achievement outstanding participant. My bad. So even less special!
Haha my parents are somewhat delusional. I think they think I'm a genius. It's all because of the stupid PSAT service that gives names to colleges. I got mail from all those ivies and MIT and my parents thought that because of that, they wanted me...despite my greatest efforts to call it what it was-junk mail!
But more importantly, I can't deny the interview because my parents are making me do it, but now I don't know how to go about it. It's HAAARVARD. And it's an hour long. And I'm not good at faking interest in something I despise...
Also, then why are only 20% of applicants asked to interview? I was hoping I got one because they found my application to be especially bad and just wanted to make sure that I really am the trainwreck my app made me out to be, but oh well. Are interviewees chosen at random? Because my parents are now even more convinced that Harvard wants me even more.
2. Use the interview as a chance to hone your interview skills. Whatever your scores/grades, there probably is a school that you do want to go to that may be an uncertain admit chance for you. Your Harvard interview just might help you in that other interview you do.
3. Stop putting yourself down. Maybe you do have a special something that Ivies are looking for. And grades & SAT are not by a long shot the only indicators of success.
Since you don't actually want to go to Harvard, enjoy the interview and use it to prepare for the schools you do want to attend. And if you bomb the interview it does not matter and will solve the pressure your parents are putting on you. Enjoy it!
I would politely tell the interviewer that you don't want to interview. That would clear up his/her space for someone else that actually wants an interview, while saving yourself needless anxiety and a general waste of time.
No offense, but I've seen far better applications be called "reaches". If you go to the interview, that will just raise your parents' expectations while keeping you from focusing on numerous other realistic match schools.
Haha even though your grades will probably keep you out of Harvard, you're definitely a decent writer and I got to say I laughed pretty hard reading this thread. The Ivies may reject you, but I see your talent! Hopefully you applied to some schools that are matches for you and that you will not despiiiiiise attending .
So I went to the interview anyway. It wasn't too bad, the alumni man was kind...
and while I agree that it would've been better to just deny the interview and free the time slot for someone else, that would involve some verrrry crafty deceitful lying and my parents can see right through me. I mean really, they know that I didn't want to go so I think they were actually expecting me to pull a fast one.
Not even joking though, less than five minutes ago I got a call from a Yale alum. And now I'm going to die. The interview is on the 3rd... let's hope that interviewing a corpse is off putting and the guy just leaves the coffee shop... because seriously, I'm really, really going to die if I have to do another one of these interviews.
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