Could the interviewer be looking for likelihood of commitment?

notjoe
Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:29:44 +0000

My son wasn’t asked this when he had his Harvard interview. He was asked by the interviewer from Washington University in St. Louis (or, perhaps, it conveniently came up, LOL). If I recall correctly, it also came up with Yale, but not Princeton.

For what it’s worth, he didn’t think his Harvard interview had gone all that well. He felt that his interviewer was very reserved, and that he didn’t make a good connection with him. Much of the interview comprised the interviewer describing the good and bad of Harvard culture and academics. He was careful to note some of the attributes that might put folks off. It was almost as if he was communicating, “Look, this school isn’t for everyone, tell me now if this doesn’t sound like the right place for you.”

However, upon being accepted, the first or second call he received was an enthusiastic one from his interviewer, expressing congratulations and perhaps a certain bit of pride that “his” interviewee had been admitted. That phone call lasted nearly as long as the interview, LOL.