Harvard

[Audio]

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Hey,

I just got an interview for Harvard and had a few questions. Does anyone know how many roughly they interview and how many they accept? My interview is Dec. 2. Do many people turn down Harvard? Do they offer all their seats on Dec. 1? Should I go to the interview?

THanks a lot for your input.

 

[raZ10]

Hey,

I just got an interview for Harvard and had a few questions. Does anyone know how many roughly they interview and how many they accept? My interview is Dec. 2. Do many people turn down Harvard? Do they offer all their seats on Dec. 1? Should I go to the interview?

THanks a lot for your input.

congratz Audio!

I don't think many people turn down Harvard, in my own opinion. And I heard they only fill up less than half their seats on Dec. 1st. I definitely think you should go, I mean come on, its HARVARD!
So did they call or email you for the interview?
I still have my fingers crossed for an interview at Harvard..

 

[greenday]

Hey,

I just got an interview for Harvard and had a few questions. Does anyone know how many roughly they interview and how many they accept? My interview is Dec. 2. Do many people turn down Harvard? Do they offer all their seats on Dec. 1? Should I go to the interview?

THanks a lot for your input.

36 spots every year.
If you don't want your interview, give it to me🙂

 

[syn_apse]

congrats audio!

with harvard knocking on your door, buffalo can't be too far behind

 

[hawk52]

congrats audio!

with harvard knocking on your door, buffalo can't be too far behind

You just got the interview and it is already on Dec. 2nd? Wow, that a quick turnaround!

 

[Audio]

You just got the interview and it is already on Dec. 2nd? Wow, that a quick turnaround!

Thanks guys. Yeah, it's really quick. I thought that I would have to wait til February but it's next week. They had all of December free so I guess they don't interview loads of people. I'm worried cuz my grades are quite below their average so I guess I'm going to have to bring my A game to the interview. Just so you guys know, they actually called and left a message for me to call them back.

And believe me, I'm definately not trying to act like I'm too cool for Harvard. I got so happy when I found out. I just thought maybe it would be pointless cuz my grades are below their average and my DAT is just at it or a little below. But then again, it's an average so maybe I have a shot.

Thanks for the support guys. Good luck!

 

[JessicaSimpson]

congrats, audio!

I just got an invite there too, and was wondering all the same things. 36 spots is the class size right? I wouldn't be too surprised if a significant number of people did turn down Harvard, though, because pbl, research, and classes with the med school are not for everyone.

 

[dat_student]

T...I thought that I would have to wait til February but it's next week. They had all of December free so I guess they don't interview loads of people...

Congrats!
No, they don't. They interview two at a time.

 

[bkwash]

congrats, when i went (10/14) three (including myself) were interviewed. After Dec. 1 they extend 15-25 offers so you still have a pretty good shot. Good Luck!

 

[TimR]

i heard they interview around 130 for the 36 slots.

 

[NA4242]

Hey Audio, would you pick Harvard over Buffalo?????

 

[Audio]

Hey Audio, would you pick Harvard over Buffalo?????

right now if I could pick one school in the states, I would pick going to Buffalo. It's close to home and that's really important to me. Also, I like their clinical program and have heard wonderful things about them from graduates. However, Harvard provides one with a totally different experience. It opens the doors to specialization wide open and really gives you a lot of options. I won't lie, just the name excites me but, I promised myself I would never make such an important decision based on something as stupid as the name of the school. I think that I'll be in a better position to answer this once I visit Harvard and hopefully Buffalo.

 

[Audio]

Hey, has anyone been rejected from Harvard yet?

 

[JessicaSimpson]

Congrats!
No, they don't. They interview two at a time.

seriously 2 or 3 at a time? that's weird!

 

[miravyn]

There was a total of four people in my group...all girls. Anyhow, Harvard usually sends out 130 interview invitations for 35 positions. On Dec 1st, they take about 15 people and fill up the rest of their class later. Anne (the Admissions Director) said most people, when given an acceptance, usually take it. My experience at interview was very pleasant, very low stress. We had two interviews. My first one with Anne (Adms Director), which I thought went quite well. I hope you get her because she's really good at making you feel at ease.It's really odd but she said I had a really good academic records and that my grades were higher than a lot of the people they got. I thanked her for the compliment but in my head I was thinking...she must be thinking of someone else because my GPA is well below their average. My second interview didn't go so well; I didn't think I connected well with the interviewer. The man didn't even bother to introduce himself...I still have no clue who he was. He had really bad eye contact and didn't even bother to look at me. He asked a question and while I answered it, he scribble a massive load of notes...I don't know what the heck he was writing. Anyhow, it wasn't until the end when he asked if I had any questions for him that I finally noticed he had blue eyes. Other than that, it was a good experience.

 

[JessicaSimpson]

There was a total of four people in my group...all girls. Anyhow, Harvard usually sends out 130 interview invitations for 35 positions.

My second interview didn't go so well; I didn't think I connected well with the interviewer. The man didn't even bother to introduce himself...I still have no clue who he was. He had really bad eye contact and didn't even bother to look at me. He asked a question and while I answered it, he scribble a massive load of notes...I don't know what the heck he was writing. Anyhow, it wasn't until the end when he asked if I had any questions for him that I finally noticed he had blue eyes. Other than that, it was a good experience.

I had an interviewer like that recently ... what is the point of interviewing someone if you don't even look at them? You might as well do it over the phone.

So, it doesn't sound like a large percentage of interviewed people get acceptances at Harvard.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Hey,

I just got an interview for Harvard and had a few questions. Does anyone know how many roughly they interview and how many they accept? My interview is Dec. 2. Do many people turn down Harvard? Do they offer all their seats on Dec. 1? Should I go to the interview?

THanks a lot for your input.

Why arent you applying to Western or UofT?

 

[Audio]

Why arent you applying to Western or UofT?

I am. I just didn't include it in my sig cuz A) almost every student here is in a US school or applying to a US school B) because UT and Western interview a lot later than US schools. That being said, I'll put it in my sig cuz I think those two schools deserve some respect too 😀

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Yes, in past years they interviewed around 130, though this year they estimate 150 or so. (They usually get 800 applicants, but when I was there on Sept. 30, they already had 800!!! They expect to get 1200). And they usually extend invites to 43 for a class of 35. Their class size has to stay at 35, because matched with the 165-person medical class, it makes 200 people. (Which they randomly divide into houses of 50 each).


And can anyone answer if anyone has received a Harvard rejection yet? I have NO idea if no news is good news in this situation, and it's killing me!!

And I was really impressed. Name or no name, research or clinical, location or reputation, I found it impossible to not be awed by the program itself. Good stuff!

 

[I'mFillingFine]

P.S. There were 3 people on my interview date; I'm female and 2 males. (Both from the West)

 

[Catfish]

I was there late Oct. I'm female and 3 males. I would really want to go to Harvard if I got in. But my second interview wasn't good. I felt no connection with the interviewer at all 🙁

On my date, the dean told us that they rarely send out rejection letters in Dec. and most likely we'll get a wait-list letter if not acceptance letters. Because the number of applicants, she said they would love to give everybody a chance to compare with everybody lese, so they wouldn't give out rejections until the end. That's what she said.

Personally I prefer to get straightly rejected rather than sitting there holding little hope they give and praying for a miracle to happen. That would be so much pain.

BTW, I heard that they rarely take off people from wait-list.

Almost Dec. 1. Good luck everyone 😍

 

[LadyxJC]

Congrats!!

Well I was there last week and there were 4 other people there besides myself... 2 guys and 2 gals, so a total of 3 gals including myself. And I think they said they interview a total of about 100-120 students and select 35 of them for acceptance. They usually give away roughly 13-15 spots on Dec. 1 and the rest is chosen on a rolling basis. Last year they said 2 people declined their offer of acceptance so I'm assuming they send out acceptances to only as many students as they take in, and not many more.

My interviews were very relaxed. My first interviewer was a 4th year student and my second interviewer was an orthodontics specialist who is in charge of the ortho postdoc admissions. I think both went fairly well... both of my interviewers were soft spoken so that gave me a chance to speak a lot. My second interviewer and I spoke over tea, cause it was tea time or something and they offer free tea at that time.

I would highly suggest to ask lots of questions and speak to the current students there. They were really awesome and put things into perspective for me. I think my interview experience at HSDM was one of the most relaxing ones so don't be intimidated... just be prepared~ Good luck!

 

[Tracy47]

Hey Audio, when was your application complete? Thanks

 

[Audio]

Hey Audio, when was your application complete? Thanks

I'm not sure when it was complete but AADSAS sent it Sept. 26.

 

[Audio]

I didn't want to start another thread about this so I'll post it right here. My stats aren't that high - well below Harvard's average from a couple of years ago. So what I'm trying to figure out is how many people Harvard has interviewed so far. Let's say 8 a week for how many weeks? let's go with around 8 weeks so far. So that's a little more than 60 people interviewed so far. I interview Dec. 2 so let's say there are about 60-70 people who interviewed before me. I am positive Harvard could have picked 60-70 candidates with higher GPA and DAT scores than I had so am I correct in assuming they went through my entire application, read my essay, my LORs and my extra currics. and then extended an invite?

Also, it seems like an interview at Harvard is tough to get but, getting in is even tougher. 1/4 acceptance rate is pretty low.

 

[ElDienteLoco]

It actually seems high to me.

I think they interview about 3-400 here in Arizona (something like 3000 applications) and 54 get in.

Harvard isn't for everyone, but I have a friend there and he loves it. Good luck.

 

[miravyn]

For those who have interviewed at Harvard, did you guys send your interviewers a thank you note? I only got the business card of my first interviewer, not the second one. I am still in Boston actually and could easily go to Harvard to ask for my second interviewer info but I honestly don't know his name even. He never introduced himself and I forgot to ask. It would really bad if I didn't even know my interviewer's name. I'm thinking of just not sending thank you notes altogether. What would you guys do?

 

[I'mFillingFine]

For those who have interviewed at Harvard, did you guys send your interviewers a thank you note? I only got the business card of my first interviewer, not the second one. I am still in Boston actually and could easily go to Harvard to ask for my second interviewer info but I honestly don't know his name even. He never introduced himself and I forgot to ask. It would really bad if I didn't even know my interviewer's name. I'm thinking of just not sending thank you notes altogether. What would you guys do?

I think it's safe to say that you should always send a thank you note!! Like people have been saying in other threads...it doesn't take time, it's an honest and polite expression of thanks for someone making an effort to help you, and sometimes, it can make all the difference in terms of how you are viewed by others.

And yes, if you go back to the school, Kristin will be happy to give you everyone's names. She's REALLY nice and helpful and can also give you the e-mail addresses of the students who brought you to lunch and on the tour.

I imagine that all my interviewers introduced themselves, but I instantly forgot all of them, concentrating on making a good first introduction and sometimes not even understanding the name in the first place. So, for each school, I just went back to the secretary or one of the assistants and asked for everyone's names 🙂 I figure it was a small dignity-swallowing for an eventual payoff

 

[scribbles]

How well did the interviewers know your application? Had they already read the personal statement, profile and all before you came?

 

[I'mFillingFine]

How well did the interviewers know your application? Had they already read the personal statement, profile and all before you came?

My first interviewer hadn't read it at all since he wanted to get to know me from scratch. (He was a 4th year student, just starting out with interviewing....it's actually very rare that they don't read your file). The second one had read it, but didn't ask me extremely detailed questions from it. She asked about my family, about being an EMT, about my music...that sort of thing. Other schools have asked me about very particular details (like the comic I wrote and particular events in my music minor).

None of my interviewers at any school brought up a specific part of my personal statement, actually...maybe mine was more general, or at least mostly discussed my feelings and didn't bring up any details that wasn't in my record.

Harvard was definitely one of the most relaxed interviews, and it was actually fun! They're both long enough that you feel like you had a fair chance to describe yourself. The time goes by really quickly...

 

[Comet208]

Apply for their MD/DMD program while at it.

I have a SUPER genious friend who graduated from HSDM 2 years ago. Since most of the classes are taken with the med students, Harvard offers a dual degree program that once you are admitted into one program (either MD or DMD), you can also do the other one. I dont know the details of the program, but all i know is that he only took the DAT and apllied through AADSAS, then indicated somehwere (their secondary ??) that he wanted to do the MD/DMD at Harvard. According to Harvard's policy, since he got into the DMD program, he was allowed to pursu the MD at the same time. He is now doing his oral surgery residency now.

 

[adamlc18]

It actually seems high to me.

I think they interview about 3-400 here in Arizona (something like 3000 applications) and 54 get in.

Harvard isn't for everyone, but I have a friend there and he loves it. Good luck.

you must be talking about Ryan.

 

[Audio]

It actually seems high to me.

I think they interview about 3-400 here in Arizona (something like 3000 applications) and 54 get in.

Harvard isn't for everyone, but I have a friend there and he loves it. Good luck.

Yeah but the calibre of student is totally different. I'm sure that with a 3.7, 21 DAT I'm close to the bottom of the interview pack. I'm not trying to say Harvard is the best or that I have good stats, I'm just saying that it's actually more competitive to get into Harvard because not many people with low stats apply and very very few with low stats are interviewed (low stats for a Harvard interview are probably 3.5-3.6)

 

[Bcat]

Apply for their MD/DMD program while at it.

I have a SUPER genious friend who graduated from HSDM 2 years ago. Since most of the classes are taken with the med students, Harvard offers a dual degree program that once you are admitted into one program (either MD or DMD), you can also do the other one. I dont know the details of the program, but all i know is that he only took the DAT and apllied through AADSAS, then indicated somehwere (their secondary ??) that he wanted to do the MD/DMD at Harvard. According to Harvard's policy, since he got into the DMD program, he was allowed to pursu the MD at the same time. He is now doing his oral surgery residency now.

Harvard does NOT offer a combined MD/DMD unless you apply to and match with MGH for OMS residency. It has nothing to do with AADSAS or the DMD application process. And there is no HSDM policy allowing MD students to get DMD or DMD students to pursue MD.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Yeah but the calibre of student is totally different. I'm sure that with a 3.7, 21 DAT I'm close to the bottom of the interview pack. I'm not trying to say Harvard is the best or that I have good stats, I'm just saying that it's actually more competitive to get into Harvard because not many people with low stats apply and very very few with low stats are interviewed (low stats for a Harvard interview are probably 3.5-3.6)

Part of the reason why I don't list my stats (unless someone requests them) is that they represent only an extremely narrow idea of the picture. As you all might have noticed, those with a strong academic record haven't received many interviews, and some with numbers that seem mediocre have tons. It's SOO important not to discount the REST of your file....your volunteer/shadowing experience, the types of courses you took, any arts or athletics, ability to challenge yourself, personal reasons for pursuing dentistry...the list goes on.

But Audio, Harvard really made it clear that if you receive an interview, they know you have the academic ability to make it through the program. But since there are so few people in the class and since their method of teaching and the tutorials are so unique, they need to choose people that will fit into that program. So by that point, they're really looking at certain aspects of your personality, and have already felt confidence in your academic abilities. And since the program is SO unique and specific, I figure...if they don't think I'll fit it, I'm going to belive them! 🙂

So don't let yourself get even more anxious by comparing your stats to the average of a few years ago or to everyone else's now. This is the chance to sell YOU, as yourself!

 

[iwillkamvariyou]

Dude Man,
Just don't be a jerk at the interview.

If you are a jerk at your HSDM interivew - be warned...I WILL KAMVARI YOU.

 

[Audio]

Part of the reason why I don't list my stats (unless someone requests them) is that they represent only an extremely narrow idea of the picture. As you all might have noticed, those with a strong academic record haven't received many interviews, and some with numbers that seem mediocre have tons. It's SOO important not to discount the REST of your file....your volunteer/shadowing experience, the types of courses you took, any arts or athletics, ability to challenge yourself, personal reasons for pursuing dentistry...the list goes on.

But Audio, Harvard really made it clear that if you receive an interview, they know you have the academic ability to make it through the program. But since there are so few people in the class and since their method of teaching and the tutorials are so unique, they need to choose people that will fit into that program. So by that point, they're really looking at certain aspects of your personality, and have already felt confidence in your academic abilities. And since the program is SO unique and specific, I figure...if they don't think I'll fit it, I'm going to belive them! 🙂

So don't let yourself get even more anxious by comparing your stats to the average of a few years ago or to everyone else's now. This is the chance to sell YOU, as yourself!

I agree with whay you said. And this also leads me to believe that Harvard takes many many things into consideration when offering an interview, not just the academic record because I'm sure they could find 120 applicants with a 3.9 GPA to interview.

For those who have filled out the secondary, did actually write by hand in the spaces provided or did you attach all your answers. Also, did anyone actually include their CV or published papers?

 

[ajmacgregor]

Harvard does NOT offer a combined MD/DMD unless you apply to and match with MGH for OMS residency. It has nothing to do with AADSAS or the DMD application process. And there is no HSDM policy allowing MD students to get DMD or DMD students to pursue MD.

This is not entirely true. I had a friend who graduated from HMS a few years ago who was accepted into the dental school with advanced standing and completed the DMD degree. She now practices pediatric dentistry in Texas.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

I agree with whay you said. And this also leads me to believe that Harvard takes many many things into consideration when offering an interview, not just the academic record because I'm sure they could find 120 applicants with a 3.9 GPA to interview.

For those who have filled out the secondary, did actually write by hand in the spaces provided or did you attach all your answers. Also, did anyone actually include their CV or published papers?

I typed it on a seperate form, because I really appreciated the chance to describe some things I couldn't on my AADSAS. I filled out the demographic sheets by hand, obviously. Then I faxed the whole thing because my interview was coming really soon. They do like to look at it before your interview, so it's good to try to send it back as soon as possible.

 

[Comet208]

Harvard does NOT offer a combined MD/DMD unless you apply to and match with MGH for OMS residency. It has nothing to do with AADSAS or the DMD application process. And there is no HSDM policy allowing MD students to get DMD or DMD students to pursue MD.

Maybe the policies have changed or what my friend told me wasnt the entire picture. But what I do know is that he graduated with both his MD and DMD degrees at the same time.

 

[Bcat]

This is not entirely true. I had a friend who graduated from HMS a few years ago who was accepted into the dental school with advanced standing and completed the DMD degree. She now practices pediatric dentistry in Texas.

Actually it is entirely true...THERE IS NO POLICY that DMD candidates can get MD or vice versa. I'm not saying that you can't make it happen but it is rare. The one exception being if you match OMS at MGH you get an MD from HMS....
IF you are very passionate about something the school will make every effort to help you accomplish your goal, but examples like your friend are the exception not the rule.

Below is the statement from the admissions website. There is also a list of dual degree programs available in conjunction with Dental School...

" HSDM does not have a formal advanced standing program."

http://www.hsdm.harvard.edu/asp-html/prospective.html#advancedStand

If you have questions about this, call the admissions office or visit the HSDM/HMS websites.