2009-2010 Harvard Application Thread

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psyck0 said:
Hey guys, what're the chances like for out-of-country applicants? My marks are good enough (41Q, A+) but I'm from Canada. Cheers!
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Hey, did u already apply? Can u plz let me know how it goes cuz I'm also from Canada, but will be applying next year.

(Pm me)
 
bannie22 said:
If I was as popular with the adcoms as I am with you guys. I would be quite a happy man. :laugh:
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oh, bannie. you know i get a kick out of you. but you have to see why that comment was just begging for me to make fun of it 😛
 
dw2158 said:
oh, bannie. you know i get a kick out of you. but you have to see why that comment was just begging for me to make fun of it 😛
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:laugh: I know. we are cool. as always.

would be nice tho, if the seeing a therapist thing actually happens (as long as im seeing him/her because im shadowing 😉 )
 
madskillz99 said:
Yeah, I called HMS on Thursday and Friday January 22nd was the last day for invites. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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well, 🙁.

i guess i didn't want to live in cold cambridge anyway.
 
So I just recently interviewed here. I pretty much have no sense of whether I get in or not. Anybody else feel the same or differently?
 
masturhu said:
So I just recently interviewed here. I pretty much have no sense of whether I get in or not. Anybody else feel the same or differently?
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yeah i agree with you, np and hst were pretty much the only times i had no idea how it went :-/
 
jla314 said:
yeah i agree with you, np and hst were pretty much the only times i had no idea how it went :-/
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Same story here. Interviewers are hard to read. I interviewed in October so I hope they remember me.

Does HMS send out all initial acceptances at once? Say around March 15/16th? (Judging from previous year's posts). If so, we are coming up on one month before decisions!
 
WildcatS11 said:
So not even the courtesy of a rejection letter/e-mail?? Can't say I'm surprised, why would the Ivy leaguer's stoop down to my level to let me know I'm not one of them?
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i think they may send out snail mail rejections in march 😕
 
no interview.

kid i go to school with got an interview there with an MCAT 8 points below mine, and a GPA .5 below mine by both overall/sci standards.

same ethnicity, i have way better extracurriculars.
 
NNukibw77 said:
no interview.

kid i go to school with got an interview there with an MCAT 8 points below mine, and a GPA .5 below mine by both overall/sci standards.

same ethnicity, i have way better extracurriculars.
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Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Gu...r_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265664554&sr=1-16

The guy who wrote it is apparently the head of the pre-med committee at MIT. He says that the single most important factor is your LORs, because they explain who you are through someone else's eyes (preferably someone who knows you well). At my Stanford interview my interviewer actually pulled up my LORs on the screen and asked me about the people who wrote them. This was before he even read them. I think he wanted to see how well I knew them.
 
NNukibw77 said:
no interview.

kid i go to school with got an interview there with an MCAT 8 points below mine, and a GPA .5 below mine by both overall/sci standards.

same ethnicity, i have way better extracurriculars.
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Sorry. Perhaps he wrote more intriguing essays... or had stellar LORs...
 
I interviewed here recently. Does anyone have a feeling on how well they did? I can't tell if my interview was impressed or not with me at all.
 
masturhu said:
I interviewed here recently. Does anyone have a feeling on how well they did? I can't tell if my interview was impressed or not with me at all.
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To be honest. I'm quite sure they are all extremely impressed by all you peeps asking the same question.

They probably were just too conditioned to the impressiveness that they didnt seem like they were (impressed). 👍
 
NNukibw77 said:
no interview.

kid i go to school with got an interview there with an MCAT 8 points below mine, and a GPA .5 below mine by both overall/sci standards.

same ethnicity, i have way better extracurriculars.
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Yea it happens. My friend got an MCAT score TEN points below mine and got an interview at Mayo Clinic. I got rejected at the first stage. I also have way better ECs and academic record and more prestigious school. Whateva.
 
Naijaba said:
Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Gu...r_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265664554&sr=1-16

The guy who wrote it is apparently the head of the pre-med committee at MIT. He says that the single most important factor is your LORs, because they explain who you are through someone else's eyes (preferably someone who knows you well). At my Stanford interview my interviewer actually pulled up my LORs on the screen and asked me about the people who wrote them. This was before he even read them. I think he wanted to see how well I knew them.
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i appreciate the info but i've had many interviewers personally tell me that my LORs were very impressive. it's just weird. especially since there really isn't much of a secondary for me to mess up. oh wellz
 
Does anyone know how much interviews weigh in? I know no one probably knows the answer. I just felt like asking it because it has been bothering me.
 
masturhu said:
Does anyone know how much interviews weigh in? I know no one probably knows the answer. I just felt like asking it because it has been bothering me.
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probably a lot, if the rumors about the post-interview decision process are true. (post-interview = immediately cut the candidate pool in half, then committee meeting upon committee meeting to consider the whole package further?) my np interviewer actually explained a bit how it would all go down from my interview day until march, but he didn't provide specifics as to how large the initial cut was (which i assumed was largely based on your interview, but i could be wrong).

for hst, my interviewers said that getting the interview put you in their top 25%, and that the purpose of the interview was to try to wheedle it down to their top 25% of that 25%. so i would imagine there is a lot of emphasis on the interview there.
 
jla314 said:
probably a lot, if the rumors about the post-interview decision process are true. (post-interview = immediately cut the candidate pool in half, then committee meeting upon committee meeting to consider the whole package further?) my np interviewer actually explained a bit how it would all go down from my interview day until march, but he didn't provide specifics as to how large the initial cut was (which i assumed was largely based on your interview, but i could be wrong).

for hst, my interviewers said that getting the interview put you in their top 25%, and that the purpose of the interview was to try to wheedle it down to their top 25% of that 25%. so i would imagine there is a lot of emphasis on the interview there.
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That is scary. 😳
But at least I'm glad I had an enjoyable interview!
I guess I can only :xf::luck: till March.
 
jla314 said:
probably a lot, if the rumors about the post-interview decision process are true. (post-interview = immediately cut the candidate pool in half, then committee meeting upon committee meeting to consider the whole package further?) my np interviewer actually explained a bit how it would all go down from my interview day until march, but he didn't provide specifics as to how large the initial cut was (which i assumed was largely based on your interview, but i could be wrong).

for hst, my interviewers said that getting the interview put you in their top 25%, and that the purpose of the interview was to try to wheedle it down to their top 25% of that 25%. so i would imagine there is a lot of emphasis on the interview there.
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I guess the subcommittees would cut the first half immediately after interviews, then the executive (main) committee probably will cut the final half sometime late this month? Theoretically they could send out first half post-interview rejections soon....
 
MD59007 said:
I guess the subcommittees would cut the first half immediately after interviews, then the executive (main) committee probably will cut the final half sometime late this month? Theoretically they could send out first half post-interview rejections soon....
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Rejections will be sent in at the same time. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't know at which stage you were cut.
 
madskillz99 said:
Yeah, I called HMS on Thursday and Friday January 22nd was the last day for invites. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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Interview not done yet! Just got invited to interview on 2/23! Rec'd email 2/11. Been complete since Aug. Gave up hope after reading above message. It's a big but wonderful surprise. I want to share this with you all who've been waiting as long as I have.
 
DanuuH said:
Interview not done yet! Just got invited to interview on 2/23! Rec'd email 2/11. Been complete since Aug. Gave up hope after reading above message. It's a big but wonderful surprise. I want to share this with you all who've been waiting as long as I have.
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troll? seriously?
 
DanuuH said:
It's true! I was busy booking hotel and flight last night because the interview is less than two weeks away!. It's ok you don't believe me. I'm going to my interview on that day anyway.I don't know why I got invited so late either. Guess somebody likes me there.
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Congradulation! You may have some specials for such a late interview...
 
Oh boy, less than a month to go! Start holding your breath, ladies, gentleman and physics majors!
 
In the invite it said not to expect to leave until around 8pm. Is this realistic or can I plan on scheduling transportation home earlier?
 
call8675309 said:
In the invite it said not to expect to leave until around 8pm. Is this realistic or can I plan on scheduling transportation home earlier?
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pretty much everyone on my day was out by 5, but the interviews often depend on really busy doctors cramming you into their schedules wherever they can, so don't buy a $500 plane ticket on that assumption
 
Am I the first to get a rejection letter? Received it today....at least it was written nicely 🙂
 
DoctorizeMe said:
Am I the first to get a rejection letter? Received it today....at least it was written nicely 🙂
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Woa, are you serious? I thought rejection letters only come at the same time as acceptances. I guess they could send them out now that there are no more interview invites.
 
This is such an emotional roller coaster. Two years ago, I never thought I would be able to get an interview here. But now the wait is just torturous. I wish March 17th came already.
 
masturhu said:
This is such an emotional roller coaster. Two years ago, I never thought I would be able to get an interview here. But now the wait is just torturous. I wish March 17th came already.
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March 17th? Is that when decisions are supposed to go out? Last years came out on the 16th of March (a Monday). Did you hear something on your interview?

Thanks!

I agree it is an emotional roller coaster. The entire process. I suppose it could be worth it...
 
Interviewing on Thursday; leaving for the train station in a couple of hours - boy am I starting to get nervous now 🙂

I feel like the butterflies in my stomach are mutating into some vicious velociraptors or something. Oh well; as they say - courage isn't the lack of fear, but the strength to move forward despite it. I guess the point is... don't let 'em see you sweat? :laugh:

:xf::luck::xf::luck::xf:
 
call8675309 said:
In the invite it said not to expect to leave until around 8pm. Is this realistic or can I plan on scheduling transportation home earlier?
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this is very realistic... it's possible to have your first interview scheduled for right after the info session and your second interview BEGIN at 5pm. have fun🙄
 
This is my first post. I have a couple questions that hopefully someone will have some insight on.
  • For people that have applied HST: prior to interviews had you talked with any professors that you were intereseted in working with? It seems like it would be a waste of their time since you aren't accepted yet but that it may help you be able to describe what you want to do in the program for interviews/secondaries.
  • I assume for a married couple both applying, they would both be looked at separately based on their own merits. Does anyone know if there is a tendency to accept/reject them together?
  • Does anyone have insight as to the response of Harvard/other top schools to a military background?
Thank you for the help!
 
So I was waitlisted at Stanford a couple of days ago and a question has been bugging me since then. At my Harvard interview I was very talkative because I was full of energy and excitement, but at Stanford I was rather mellow because I had a cold. I was really excited to be there (it was my first choice going into this process), but I just couldn't get energized enough to be my talkative self. By the end of my first interview my throat was parched which made me even less talkative during the second interview.

So, my question is really directed at students who have interviewed at either of these schools and been accepted. What did the admissions committee value the most about you: your energy/confidence, your passion for the school, your level of dedication to research, your life experiences, what exactly? I'm sure all these things play a role, I'm just trying to gauge my chances at Harvard compared to Stanford since I said basically the same things, just with a different level of energy and vigor.
 
Naijaba said:
So I was waitlisted at Stanford a couple of days ago and a question has been bugging me since then. At my Harvard interview I was very talkative because I was full of energy and excitement, but at Stanford I was rather mellow because I had a cold. I was really excited to be there (it was my first choice going into this process), but I just couldn't get energized enough to be my talkative self. By the end of my first interview my throat was parched which made me even less talkative during the second interview.

So, my question is really directed at students who have interviewed at either of these schools and been accepted. What did the admissions committee value the most about you: your energy/confidence, your passion for the school, your level of dedication to research, your life experiences, what exactly? I'm sure all these things play a role, I'm just trying to gauge my chances at Harvard compared to Stanford since I said basically the same things, just with a different level of energy and vigor.
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Why don't you just call Stanford and ask them? I know some people do it. Mostly after a rejection though but my advisor said that it's ok to call after you were waitlisted. You can explain the situation there, I'm sure they will understand. Maybe it's not about your interview afterall. Good luck:xf:
 
two different schools will be looking for different qualities that they value in applicants. maybe what you said at your interview wasn't what stanford wanted but it will be what harvard is looking for.

and i think enthusiasm can play a role to the extent that it can make your interviewer project more enthusiasm about you in their assessment of you. it boils down to how much emphasis is placed on interviewer feedback at each of your schools
 
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