How big of a role do interviews play in Harvard admissions?

Applying to College
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I heard that Harvard values them more than many other colleges—is that true?

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According to Harvard’s Common Data Set, the interview is as important as any other factor in admissions.

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So last time we got a deep dive into Harvard Admissions (thanks to a lawsuit), the answer to this question ended up somewhat nuanced.

On the one hand, Harvard definitely took it seriously, and a bad interview report could in fact knock someone out of contention. On the other hand, so many otherwise competitive applicants got roughly equivalent good interview reports that a good interview report did not end up playing a large role in determining which otherwise competitive applicants were actually admitted.

That was a while ago, but my bet is the fundamental situation has not changed much. Meaning I think it remains very important in the sense you don’t want to talk your way out of contention. But it is likely also very difficult to actually talk your way into being admitted, as opposed to just staying in contention.

Which I personally think should be a relatively low stress situation. Like, obviously, be prepared and be professional. But don’t worry about trying to get an unusually good interview report, you likely will just need a normally good one to stay in contention.

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A Harvard interview is important from an admissions standpoint. It is also an opportunity to meet someone amazing who cares deeply about students.

After my daughter’s interviewer advocated for her admission, he became her mentor - i.e. providing advice; inviting her to lunch with other area students; making time to grab coffee with her when he visits campus; introducing her to alumni and staff; inspiring, celebrating, and supporting her endeavors.

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My kid asked to see their file freshman year. There were comments that indicated that the committee was very interested in them, but wanted to see what the interviewer had to say. So I would guess that the feedback from the interviewer is an important component.

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