Can I get into Harvard without an interview?

kjwong
Sat, 03 Aug 2013 15:52:10 +0000

When our son was accepted SCEA to harvard last December, it completely surprised my husband and I, and even I think our son. We were assuming only “go-getter” types that are advanced socially and already know how to network would be strong candidates. While our son holds his own academically, especially in math and the hard sciences, he has never been one to speak up significantly in class or to organize large events. He likes to play tennis and jazz guitar in his free time and can happily be alone doing his thing for many hours. He is definitely an introvert, albeit with wonderful friends. (For a good read, check out “Quiet” by Klein or see her Tedtalk about introverts.) After he was accepted, I tried to figure out why our assumption was not wholly correct. I heard a recent online interview with William Fitzimmons, admissions dean at Harvard, in which he said it is easy to focus on “charismatic” applicants. However, he said they were trying to pay attention to the quiet applicants who “wear well in the long run”. After visiting Harvard during the chaotic prefrosh weekend, our son saw clearly that Harvard was a good fit and will be starting as a freshman later this month. Likely he will come across an extrovert majority with a very healthy minority of introverts. Thank goodness for remnants of openmindedness and diversity.