<p>I had my interview a couple days ago with a nice man who graduated Harvard a somewhat long time ago. Very little talk about grades and such, and very little talk about Harvard itself since he lived there so long ago.</p>
<p>About 40-50 minutes of us talking about my interests and positions on issues and such and how they have changed. A real curveball when he asked me to “sell” anime to him. That didn’t go as well as I would have liked.
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What I think, other than this being something that is required when offered, is that this is a fantastic way for alumni to simply learn new info and meet new people with different, and–since honesty is best in interviews–true, opinions.</p>
<p>Kinda makes me want to do it. You don’t get this kind of talk and contact with highschoolers. It’s all about the shiniest cars, most aggro video games, and hottest girls.</p>
<p>Mine was today, went well. It was very informal (I felt overdressed. He was in jeans and a t-shirt). He went over my resume and asked me questions about it, we talked about my plans, why I wanted to go to Harvard, etc. After that we just randomly talked for the rest of the interview, because we went to very similar schools/had many of the same high-school experiences (he competed in some of the same science competitions I compete in and even took dual-enrollment classes from the same college in high school, lol). The whole thing lasted about an hour.</p>
<p>My Harvard interviewer told me that I was one of his best, and that if decision was up to him, he would accept me.
So how much does a good interview count? Has anyone had an explicitly good interview (told be the interviewer) and ended up not being admitted?</p>
<p>So I had my interview today, and I’m not sure what to think. It lasted about 25 minutes, and the interviewer was basically asking questions off a page, 99% of which were resume questions (ECs, scores etc). He really didn’t ask me many open ended questions, and when he did, he moved pretty quickly without letting me elaborate. At the end he just asked me if I had anything I particularly wanted to say, and I said no because every time I got goibg on something he cut me off. Is this a bad sign? Everyone else has had long interviews, it seems this guy wasn’t concerned with stretching it out or asking me anything substancial.</p>
<p>Had my interview today. My interviewer didn’t ask me many of the questions that I’d expected (like Why Harvard?). He did ask about my family & my life outside of school, how I define success, and leadership positions I’d held…other than that, the conversation was pretty random, lol. He was a recent grad so he was able to answer a lot of my questions. Overall, it was pleasant…probably one of the best interviews I’ve had so far.</p>
<p>This was the first interview that I felt let me fully express the kind of person I am. I’m so grateful for my interviewer, he’s wonderful. Definitely the best interview I had so far, and I doubt the upcoming ones will change that.</p>
<p>I think my interviewer will laugh straight in my face. I’m applying with a lower GPA (mid-upper mid 3) and a decent but not fantastic ACT score because my guidance counselor recommended that I applied. But… I’m scared because I feel like my interviewer will take one look at my stats and send me away. :/</p>
<p>^Interviewers (or so I’ve heard) are not really supposed to ask for scores or GPA. Their goal is to offer another perspective on the candidate to supplement the application.</p>
<p>I have mine in an hour and a half or so at Yale (<—lolol)
I’m expecting the standard questions and such, but my interviewer actually emailed me to ask me to bring my resume, transcript, etc. Slightly frightening o.O</p>
<p>I had a great interview. Very casual. My interviewer told me that he felt his job was to make the best case possible for the applicants he interviews. He did ask me to send a sheet with academic/extracurricular info beforehand, so he could speak to me with some context.</p>
<p>The due date differs depending on your region, as candidates are discussed by the full committee in regional groupings. If you let me know where you live, I will tell you when that region will be discussed. In any case, the deadlines are a while off yet.</p>
<p>^I live in the Netherlands, but I will only be asked if ‘more information is required’ because of the limited number of interviewers available. I really hope I get an interview, though!</p>
<p>My interview went great–I liked the guy, he liked me, we talked casually for about an hour. However, I did have one concern that perhaps others can dispel (or confirm): He asked me what other colleges I would be interviewing at, and I revealed that I had been admitted to Princeton in the Early round. I did so when prompted at another interview as well. </p>
<p>Does the adcom take this into account when reviewing an applicant? Do they even see it? I’m under the impression that with colleges’ love for yield rates, such knowledge could be deterring.</p>
<p>@Aplusaspirant: I’m not sure this will make you feel better, but that’s usually something I won’t include in the report…but I’m not sure how others might handle the same situation.</p>
<p>I don’t know if the same applies to Harvard, but my Princeton interviewer told me that they were absolutely not allowed to ask to which other schools you are applying.</p>
<p>My interview was pleasant. It went for a little over an hour. I talked for most of the interview, and it was very casual, but I made sure I asked my interviewer more than 3 questions so he talked a bit too. I told him about the new Freshman Pledge, and in an email he said that when he went to look up the Pledge, he found out that his former Freshman Proctor is now the Freshman Dean. He said he emailed him to thank him for his help when he was a student. I thought that was neat. Overall, I know that the interview won’t hurt me.</p>
<p>@aplusaspirant: I would hope that responding honestly to a question would not hurt you. You haven’t commited to Princeton yet so that shows a willingness to explore other options. </p>
<p>@cattiee: that’s interesting. My Princeton interviewer asked me where else I had applied, and then strongly encouraged me to add Stanford to my list. He was very nice and seemed genuinely interested in helping me. </p>
<p>I think a lot of the questions regarding where else applicants applied or were accepted are just the interviewer’s curiosity and not something required by the colleges themselves.</p>
<p>@aplusaspirant I think it is interesting that you mentioned that because my Harvard interviewer also asked me what schools I applied to (though he did say that question was off the record) and he told me his opinions about my choices (nothing bad just that he thinks I would be better-suited at specific schools).</p>
<p>My interviewers were very nosy: they asked for my GPA, SAT Scores, SAT Subject Test Sores, ACT scores, and for what other schools I had applied to. I definitely noted Princeton (deferred early) and Yale, among others, because I felt like it makes me seem less banking on making Harvard, and not as needy. My guidance counselor and academic dean both told me to take this approach, because it makes them feel like if you don’t want to take me, some other school will. I didn’t think my GPA and scores were too strong (seeing as most people on CC have higher) but they were genuinely impressed (100 average, ranked 1 and 2230/34) once I put them into perspective (highest SAT score, first 800 math, first 36 math, highest SAT writing, highest ACT, with all subscores in my school’s history)…I feel like people just apply to Harvard just to say “I applied to Harvard” and not every applicant is legitimate as those on CC.</p>