Harvard interviewers

[06applicant]

For those of you who have interviewed at Harvard, how did your interviews conclude? My interviewers said really nice things to me at the end of both my interviews, such as telling me I’d be good for Harvard. My hopes are up, but I was wondering if they are like this to everyone?

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[GALLBLADDER]

For those of you who have interviewed at Harvard, how did your interviews conclude? My interviewers said really nice things to me at the end of both my interviews, such as telling me I’d be good for Harvard. My hopes are up, but I was wondering if they are like this to everyone?

I guess they are. I left feeling pretty pleased with myself. One of my interviewers said," you will be hearing good news from us." Do those words sound familiar.

 

[Mutt]

I heard the same thing!
My interviewer actually said she would look forward to seeing me next year as her student!








.....then I woke up.

 

[temmie]

I heard the same thing!
My interviewer actually said she would look forward to seeing me next year as her student!








.....then I woke up.

YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO SILLY

 

[abcehmu]

mine were mixed. my first interviewer told me how much she had enjoyed reading my application and how impressed she was and then spent a large portion of the interview selling harvard. my second interviewer was very different, he spent most of the time tossing up questions and then challenging my answers or playing devil's advocate.

with 70+ interviewers at harvard, i think the experiences are going to be quite varied.

 

[dz88]

1

 

[dz88]

abcehmu, since you got an interview at harvard, could you plase share with future applicants what your stats and ECs were?

 

[abcehmu]

abcehmu, since you got an interview at harvard, could you plase share with future applicants what your stats and ECs were?

im probably not the best person to use for comparison. my success in the application process has come in large part from a very unique set of circumstances growing up, I would provide a "diversity of experience" if you will. as far as stats...nothing crazy.....mid 30s MCAT, mid 3.7s GPA from a solid school, a lot of research with one first author pub.

 

[unicorn06]

My interviewers weren't extremely positive. They said that my application was very impressive blah blah blah but that it was hard to tell who would get into Harvard and that lots of times the people they recommended from interviews weren't necessarily the ones who got accepted. I think they just write a little interview report that goes into your file and is just one of many factors that determines your admission. THus, an interviewer doesn't really know if you will get in or not. However, it may be different if you interviewed with a member of the ad com. I'm pretty sure both of my interviewers were just regular faculty members rather than ad com members.

 

[06applicant]

I think they just write a little interview report that goes into your file and is just one of many factors that determines your admission. THus, an interviewer doesn't really know if you will get in or not. However, it may be different if you interviewed with a member of the ad com. I'm pretty sure both of my interviewers were just regular faculty members rather than ad com members.

This is how I was thinking it worked as well, but is there a particular reason you believe it works this way (I am just guessing).

Also, does anyone know the difference between the admissions committee and subcommittees I-IV. Check out this link to see if your interviewers are on a committee:
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/standcomm/ad.html

I'd like to know how much more power the committee has over subcommittees.

 

[humuhumu]

I got good vibes too. Who knows.

Did any of you learn anything about next year's new curriculum? No one I talked to that day seemed to know anything, except that there will be a scholarly project requirement. Revamping a medical curriculum is an enormous undertaking and the debut next year is very likely to be rough around the edges. I'd sure like to learn more about it.

 

[abcehmu]

I got good vibes too. Who knows.

Did any of you learn anything about next year's new curriculum? No one I talked to that day seemed to know anything, except that there will be a scholarly project requirement. Revamping a medical curriculum is an enormous undertaking and the debut next year is very likely to be rough around the edges. I'd sure like to learn more about it.

this was something I grilled my interviewers about.....they both emphasized two basic things that the changes would facilitate:

1. compressing the pre-clinical years to 1 and 2/3 years would allow an extra few months for students to pursue more specialized clinical interests, substantial research projects, travel abroad, etc.

2. in the new curriculum students will remain at one hospital across several core clinical rotations. my interviewers felt that jumping around from one hospital to another after every clerkship could be inefficient (quote: "by the time you figure out the computer system it's time to leave") and take away from the experience by limiting longitudinal care.

i too wonder if the HMS class entering in 2006 would suffer from being the guinea pigs for the new curriculum...but on the flipside maybe they would be the first too reap the benefits of a new and improved HMS education...

 

[dz88]

abcehmu, could you explain a little about your "diversity experience"?

 

[boathouse34]

This is how I was thinking it worked as well, but is there a particular reason you believe it works this way (I am just guessing).

Also, does anyone know the difference between the admissions committee and subcommittees I-IV. Check out this link to see if your interviewers are on a committee:
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/standcomm/ad.html

I'd like to know how much more power the committee has over subcommittees.

One guy in my group had interviews with both faculty members, both on the main admissions committee. Most of us had one faculty, one student. Do you think the interviews are assigned randomly or not? Honestly not being neurotic here, just curious...

 

[06applicant]

One guy in my group had interviews with both faculty members, both on the main admissions committee. Most of us had one faculty, one student. Do you think the interviews are assigned randomly or not? Honestly not being neurotic here, just curious...

When did you interview? Everyone in my group had two faculty interviews, no student interviews -- but this was very early in the season, so students might not have been ready yet?

That guy in your group who had two interviews with the main admissions committee is very lucky.

 

[temmie]

When did you interview? Everyone in my group had two faculty interviews, no student interviews -- but this was very early in the season, so students might not have been ready yet?

That guy in your group who had two interviews with the main admissions committee is very lucky.

or very unlucky. could go both ways

 

[pallcare]

or very unlucky. could go both ways

On my day, they made it very clear that every interviewer has "1 full vote" on admissions, regardless of whether they are a student or not. So i dont think it matters who you interviewed with

 

[06applicant]

On my day, they made it very clear that every interviewer has "1 full vote" on admissions, regardless of whether they are a student or not. So i dont think it matters who you interviewed with

I think it does matter, because while every interviewer has "1 full vote", some interviewers are better able to influence how OTHER members vote.

 

[abcehmu]

abcehmu, could you explain a little about your "diversity experience"?

dz88: "diversity of experience" not diversity experience (im not an urm) - it's a borrowed expression, i heard an adcom member use it at an info session in explaining that beyond wanting a class composed of students from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, they wanted students who came with very different perspectives as a result of differing life experiences-....why i think this applies to me: i grew up all over the place, learned several languages, saw and experienced some pretty f'ed up things as a kid. nothing that i should be pitied for, but things that certainly make me approach certain issues from a different perspective- its front and center in my application and I attribute some of the success ive had to it.

im not really comfortable getting into details on this forum, so i hope this is sufficient in helping you get a sense of what i meant in my previous post. good luck!

 

[TracksuitsRock]

One guy in my group had interviews with both faculty members, both on the main admissions committee. Most of us had one faculty, one student. Do you think the interviews are assigned randomly or not? Honestly not being neurotic here, just curious...

I also had two with faculty on the main admissions committee. I am pretty sure this was random, as I don't think I am any more qualified than any of the awesome applicants I met that day in my interview. However I do consider myself lucky because now I feel I have two advocates for me on the main committee. Though I guess I still have to get "sent up" as they put it, before they can advocate for me.

 

[06applicant]

Though I guess I still have to get "sent up" as they put it, before they can advocate for me.

Sent up from where? Do they first vote on us in a subcommittee and then pass only a select few to the main committee for consideration?

I wish I knew how this all worked

 

[TracksuitsRock]

Sent up from where? Do they first vote on us in a subcommittee and then pass only a select few to the main committee for consideration?

I wish I knew how this all worked

Yes, the man who gave the info session said there are 4 subcommittees that divide students by region (many schools do this), evaluate them, and decide who to "send up" as he put it to the main committee, who I am assuming makes the final decisions. He implied that this was still relevant to us at the interview, which I guess means this sending up process happens after interview (or maybe before and after, who knows).

That's about all I know but it was informative and interesting (and slightly disheartening). I wonder how many schools work admissions this way.

 

[Bluntman]

Godamn I hope I get to interview with Jose Canseco for HST!!!

 

[06applicant]

Yes, the man who gave the info session said there are 4 subcommittees that divide students by region (many schools do this), evaluate them, and decide who to "send up" as he put it to the main committee, who I am assuming makes the final decisions. He implied that this was still relevant to us at the interview, which I guess means this sending up process happens after interview (or maybe before and after, who knows).

That's about all I know but it was informative and interesting (and slightly disheartening). I wonder how many schools work admissions this way.

Thanks for the info; the man who gave our info session didn't share anything about how the selection process works.

I don't think other schools work this way, much more weight is given to interviewer's opinions at most places (i.e. if they both like you you'll get in). Not here I guess

 

[Cardiologist]

Hey Everyone,

i just called harvard to finalize my interview dates and the lady told me a few dates either on the 8th, 13th Dec. or January 28th.

NOW i am this close to taking the JANUARY date esp. since my finals start on the 16th of DEC. and it's going to be really crazy interviewing in December (i am also not going to be in the country from late dec. to late january). At the same time, i am really confused if interviewing in late January will put me at a disadvantage. I know Harvard has non-rolling admission yet i am still confused.

Please let me know what you all think since some of you already interviewed. I WOULD really appreciate if i could PM some of you for advice. How was the stress level at the interview? My stats aren't that great at all, even though i have diverse experiences. So i am really hoping that the interview goes well. also how much weight does harvard put in the interviews as opposed to scores?

i would really appreciate any help or advice.

 

[unicorn06]

Go for the January interviews. Because Harvard is non-rolling there is NO disadvantage to interviewing later. Focus on your finals for now...

Hey Everyone,

i just called harvard to finalize my interview dates and the lady told me a few dates either on the 8th, 13th Dec. or January 28th.

NOW i am this close to taking the JANUARY date esp. since my finals start on the 16th of DEC. and it's going to be really crazy interviewing in December (i am also not going to be in the country from late dec. to late january). At the same time, i am really confused if interviewing in late January will put me at a disadvantage. I know Harvard has non-rolling admission yet i am still confused.

Please let me know what you all think since some of you already interviewed. I WOULD really appreciate if i could PM some of you for advice. How was the stress level at the interview? My stats aren't that great at all, even though i have diverse experiences. So i am really hoping that the interview goes well. also how much weight does harvard put in the interviews as opposed to scores?

i would really appreciate any help or advice.

 

[panorama]

hey there,
put your best foot forward and go with confidence. Harvard interviewed about 16% of it applicants last year (711 int/4553 applied); you made a really important cut! Good luck!

 

[06applicant]

hey there,
put your best foot forward and go with confidence. Harvard interviewed about 16% of it applicants last year (711 int/4553 applied); you made a really important cut! Good luck!

They interviewed over 1000 last year, according to the information in the folder they hand out on interview day.

 

[panorama]

ok.... i was going off of the US news information.

 

[DesiMcatAcer]

When are interviews invites at the peak for Harvard?

 

[Cardiologist]

I just confirmed my interview date for the 9th of december. anyone else interviewing that day??

 

[Cardiologist]

I just confirmed my interview date for the 9th of december. anyone else interviewing that day??

 

[DrCarebear]

For those of you who have already interviewed, does anyone know how the applications are reviewed post-interview by the various subcommittees and the final committee?