Could the interviewer be looking for likelihood of commitment?

WindCloudUltra
Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:44:05 +0000

It’s not explicitly, absolutely forbidden, but we are asked to tread carefully:



Be wary of asking, “To which schools are you applying?” Alumni/ae often wish to know what characteristics students seek in a college to measure how well they know and are a match for Harvard. The best way to start this conversation is to ask, “What are you looking for in a college?” rather than, “To which schools are you applying?”

Some colleges make admissions decisions contingent in part on students’ perceived commitment to their school. This is not the case at Harvard. Because some students believe they could jeopardize their chances of admission to the College by discussing other schools, the Admissions Committee strongly recommends that your discussions about students’ interests in other colleges focus on general characteristics rather than proper names.