- Joined
- Mar 7, 2005
- Messages
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Hey,
I just read another thread about interviews and it came to mind that at my Harvard interview, the interviewer asked how to pronounce my name and then asked me what the origin of that name was. I told him and then felt kind of weird the whole interview. My parents were born in Iran and naturally gave me a Persian name. He then went on and asked me if I had ever visited Iran and how it was. I told him that I had visited once and enjoyed it a lot but wouldn't want to live there given the right wing government in power. I felt that he wasn't satisfied that I actually really really enjoyed my time there and expected me to kind of be disgusted with the whole place.
Now, I don't think he asked me this question with any bad intentions, more to just get the conversation going and maybe out of interest. But it made me feel uncomfortable the whole interview and I never felt like I could connect with him.
I realized after reading another thread that his questions may have crossed the line, especially given the current political situation in the region.
I wonder what I should do. I don't want this to affect my acceptance but I also think that maybe what he says to the adcom might be skewed by the uncomfortable start to our interview. I don't think he had bad intentions but rather that people just have their natural biases and he may unknowingly be uneasy with my application and the interview. I don't want to call them and say this dude was a HUGE racist and crossed the line blah blah blah because I really don't believe he was and I don't really think he would not support my application because of this - KNOWINGLY. But, I also know that Americans have certain perceptions of foreigners, put forth by the media, that may affect my application.
I don't know what to do. My other interview went very well and the lady that interviewed my couldn't have been nicer.
I also want to make it clear that I don't want to do this to try and improve my chances of getting in or pressure them into letting me in. I just want a level playing field and I'm afraid that's impossible because the rest of the interview wasn't comfortable.
Should I actually contact them and let them know what happened? Did my interviewer step over the line?
What I'm thinking of doing is actually waiting until I get some news...acceptance, waitlist or rejection... and then call them and just let them know that my interviewer was a great guy but a little inexperienced and he may have crossed the line. What do you guys think?
Once again, I DON'T WANT TO USE THIS TO IMPROVE MY CHANCES OR AS A SOB STORY so please don't blast me.
I just read another thread about interviews and it came to mind that at my Harvard interview, the interviewer asked how to pronounce my name and then asked me what the origin of that name was. I told him and then felt kind of weird the whole interview. My parents were born in Iran and naturally gave me a Persian name. He then went on and asked me if I had ever visited Iran and how it was. I told him that I had visited once and enjoyed it a lot but wouldn't want to live there given the right wing government in power. I felt that he wasn't satisfied that I actually really really enjoyed my time there and expected me to kind of be disgusted with the whole place.
Now, I don't think he asked me this question with any bad intentions, more to just get the conversation going and maybe out of interest. But it made me feel uncomfortable the whole interview and I never felt like I could connect with him.
I realized after reading another thread that his questions may have crossed the line, especially given the current political situation in the region.
I wonder what I should do. I don't want this to affect my acceptance but I also think that maybe what he says to the adcom might be skewed by the uncomfortable start to our interview. I don't think he had bad intentions but rather that people just have their natural biases and he may unknowingly be uneasy with my application and the interview. I don't want to call them and say this dude was a HUGE racist and crossed the line blah blah blah because I really don't believe he was and I don't really think he would not support my application because of this - KNOWINGLY. But, I also know that Americans have certain perceptions of foreigners, put forth by the media, that may affect my application.
I don't know what to do. My other interview went very well and the lady that interviewed my couldn't have been nicer.
I also want to make it clear that I don't want to do this to try and improve my chances of getting in or pressure them into letting me in. I just want a level playing field and I'm afraid that's impossible because the rest of the interview wasn't comfortable.
Should I actually contact them and let them know what happened? Did my interviewer step over the line?
What I'm thinking of doing is actually waiting until I get some news...acceptance, waitlist or rejection... and then call them and just let them know that my interviewer was a great guy but a little inexperienced and he may have crossed the line. What do you guys think?
Once again, I DON'T WANT TO USE THIS TO IMPROVE MY CHANCES OR AS A SOB STORY so please don't blast me.