Official Harvard Interview Thread, 2008

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Did they cash out your application fee? Mine has not been cashed out yet.
 
Has anyone been emailed the supp questions or travel info yet? I need to schedule the flight by today just so the rates don't keep increasing!
 
Hey guys,

I hope everything's going well. I'm actually a first year dental student at Harvard and I just wanted to open this thread up for you to ask questions, if you have any, about the the admissions process, interview day, the curriculum, or just life at Harvard in general. I'd really be more than happy to answer them, as I know this process can be an intimidating one.

Good Luck Everyone!

Chris
 
I submitted my aadsas late june, but I have not received supp apps. Also my check has not been cashed. is anyone else in this same situation?
 
KingChris said:
Hey guys,

I hope everything's going well. I'm actually a first year dental student at Harvard and I just wanted to open this thread up for you to ask questions, if you have any, about the the admissions process, interview day, the curriculum, or just life at Harvard in general. I'd really be more than happy to answer them, as I know this process can be an intimidating one.

Good Luck Everyone!

Chris
Click to expand...

hey, Chris. i remember an older thread of yours from earlier this year about choosing between uconn and harvard since you were accepted to both. i had an interview at uconn and was quite quite amazed by them. i liked the in-state reclassification after the first year, high specialty rates, high board scores, med school curriculum, strong faculty, and a lot lot more.

but, anyhow, what made you decide on harvard in the end? apart from the cost and location, i can't really find any key differences between the two schools. can you explain what the key positives for harvard were that personally prompted you to attend there instead of uconn or other similar schools?

thx~!
 
hamco said:
I submitted my aadsas late june, but I have not received supp apps. Also my check has not been cashed. is anyone else in this same situation?
Click to expand...

I think you only have to do a supp if they invite you for an interview.
 
I ended up calling Harvard Dental School on the status of my application. Appearantly they are behind 3 weeks in the process since the person who completed the application paperwork left and the replacement took over 3 weeks later. I got an email from the replacement person on that regard. So I haven't heard anything from them yet. Have they already sent out their invitation for interviews?
 
ddhm said:
hey, Chris. i remember an older thread of yours from earlier this year about choosing between uconn and harvard since you were accepted to both. i had an interview at uconn and was quite quite amazed by them. i liked the in-state reclassification after the first year, high specialty rates, high board scores, med school curriculum, strong faculty, and a lot lot more.

but, anyhow, what made you decide on harvard in the end? apart from the cost and location, i can't really find any key differences between the two schools. can you explain what the key positives for harvard were that personally prompted you to attend there instead of uconn or other similar schools?

thx~!
Click to expand...


Hi,

Your absolutely right, UConn and Harvard have very similar programs and both have a high specializing rate along with great boards scores! However, my decision came after having met students from both schools and learning more about the curriculums. I can't speak for UConn since I don't go there, but I can tell you that Harvard keeps a very low stress environment and we all seem to have time to go out and have fun and still get our work done. From what I remember about my visit to UConn, it is an excellent program, but the students just seemed stressed and overworked to me (it could be that I just saw them on a bad day). But they seeemed to be complaining about the work and it just left me with a negative impression. I was also intrigued by the PBL curriculum at Harvard, and how they incorporate it into everything you learn. Going here, I now can see how useful PBL is and I love the fact that we have it everyday since it keeps you thinking about how to apply what you learn to real patient cases. A few other minor differences you may not be aware of is: here we are on the same exam curve with the med students, we cover ALL of gross anatomy, we see medical patients every week in years 1 and 2, and there is no "secret ranking" for the deans letter (a letter that helps you get into residency)- once you pass a course here the grade is irrelevant and is NOT recorded or used for anything. Trust me, that makes a huge difference- it takes away a lot of pressure, thus allowing us to explore other interests and activities available to us (I've managed to make time for volunteer work, parties, starting an interest group, ASDA meetings, and working out (I never would have thought I'd have time for these things in dental school!)

I hope this helps, I honestly wouldn't have known some of this information if it weren't for talking to students. That's the biggest piece of advice I can give you. During the admissions process, the faculty and school websites polish everything up- so talk to students, they'll tell you what it's really like!

Good luck!
 
do I have any chance at an interview at Harvard?....I would love to go to school in Boston...😀
 
I just interviewed this past week and agree with your view 100%. I had heard harvard was low stress before visiting the school, but it's really hard to explain just how relaxed everyone was. Warm smiles everywhere and students curious about the colleges we went to, what we were up to for the weekend etc. Pass/Fail grades + no ranking seems to be the ticket to a truly cooperative and enjoyable environment.

KingChris said:
Hi,

Your absolutely right, UConn and Harvard have very similar programs and both have a high specializing rate along with great boards scores! However, my decision came after having met students from both schools and learning more about the curriculums. I can't speak for UConn since I don't go there, but I can tell you that Harvard keeps a very low stress environment and we all seem to have time to go out and have fun and still get our work done. From what I remember about my visit to UConn, it is an excellent program, but the students just seemed stressed and overworked to me (it could be that I just saw them on a bad day). But they seeemed to be complaining about the work and it just left me with a negative impression. I was also intrigued by the PBL curriculum at Harvard, and how they incorporate it into everything you learn. Going here, I now can see how useful PBL is and I love the fact that we have it everyday since it keeps you thinking about how to apply what you learn to real patient cases. A few other minor differences you may not be aware of is: here we are on the same exam curve with the med students, we cover ALL of gross anatomy, we see medical patients every week in years 1 and 2, and there is no "secret ranking" for the deans letter (a letter that helps you get into residency)- once you pass a course here the grade is irrelevant and is NOT recorded or used for anything. Trust me, that makes a huge difference- it takes away a lot of pressure, thus allowing us to explore other interests and activities available to us (I've managed to make time for volunteer work, parties, starting an interest group, ASDA meetings, and working out (I never would have thought I'd have time for these things in dental school!)

I hope this helps, I honestly wouldn't have known some of this information if it weren't for talking to students. That's the biggest piece of advice I can give you. During the admissions process, the faculty and school websites polish everything up- so talk to students, they'll tell you what it's really like!

Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
So, I have an interview on Oct. 12, what tips can you guys give (either from those of you who've just interviewed or are students)?

Are all classes pass/fail? And are core science classes conducted with the med school?

Whats that are of Boston like?

Just some questions to start... 🙂
 
ak714251 said:
So, I have an interview on Oct. 12, what tips can you guys give (either from those of you who've just interviewed or are students)?

Are all classes pass/fail? And are core science classes conducted with the med school?

Whats that are of Boston like?

Just some questions to start... 🙂
Click to expand...

All classes are pass/fail and the core science course are all done with the med students. Boston is a lot of fun, very easy to get around, and there's always something to do!
 
.
 
Last edited:
Is it just me or has Harvard not sent out that many interviews yet? I know that predents isn't the best indicator of whats going on, but there are only 4 people on there that have gotten them. I know that Harvard doesn't send that many out, but does anyone know when they are going to be sending more?
 
dayfu17 said:
Is it just me or has Harvard not sent out that many interviews yet? I know that predents isn't the best indicator of whats going on, but there are only 4 people on there that have gotten them. I know that Harvard doesn't send that many out, but does anyone know when they are going to be sending more?
Click to expand...


well... harvard sent me an email saying something about how adcoms are changing or something and that the process is going extra slow right now... same thing with Penn... Penn is being slow right now also...
 
Hey KingChris,
I was just wondering if there was any possible way of sneaking into HSDM to get a feel for the school without actually applying. I'm only in my 3rd of my undergrad, but I'm wondering if I should hold out for Harvard instead of going to a different school that takes students earlier.
Lets say I made a trip out to Boston and stopped by the school, is there any way I could get a tour or talk to some of the students? (On the website it says this can't happen simply because of the high demand...)

Thanks,
 
Bill E Rubin said:
Hey KingChris,
I was just wondering if there was any possible way of sneaking into HSDM to get a feel for the school without actually applying. I'm only in my 3rd of my undergrad, but I'm wondering if I should hold out for Harvard instead of going to a different school that takes students earlier.
Lets say I made a trip out to Boston and stopped by the school, is there any way I could get a tour or talk to some of the students? (On the website it says this can't happen simply because of the high demand...)

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Check your PM
 
chris,

what were your stats? if you don't mind me asking. You were accepted at what will probably be my 1st and 2nd choice schools. although, i've got a while to go.
 
MrJosh9788 said:
chris,

what were your stats? if you don't mind me asking. You were accepted at what will probably be my 1st and 2nd choice schools. although, i've got a while to go.
Click to expand...

Hey,

It's really more than stats that got me where I'm at, but if you really want to know you can check predents.com.
 
Just got a phone call today for an interview. Is anybody else going on November 8th?
 
Mia305 said:
Just got a phone call today for an interview. Is anybody else going on November 8th?
Click to expand...


Congrats on your interview! I'm going the day after you are. I picked a Friday so that I could stay the whole weekend and go sight-seeing 😀. I'm super excited and you should be too!!!
 
dental0903 said:
Congrats on your interview! I'm going the day after you are. I picked a Friday so that I could stay the whole weekend and go sight-seeing 😀. I'm super excited and you should be too!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks I appreciate it. I cannot wait to see the school. I saw on predents that you are from Florida. I go to UF. Which school do you go to?
 
Mia305 said:
Thanks I appreciate it. I cannot wait to see the school. I saw on predents that you are from Florida. I go to UF. Which school do you go to?
Click to expand...


I go to USF so I'm just a few hours from you. Good luck with all those interviews you have!! 😀
 
Congrats to those who have received an interview invitation!

I'm just wondering, do you guys think it's too late to apply to Harvard?
I have decent stats, but I've never done research. Is research experience a necessity for applying to Harvard?
 
lizlisadoll said:
Congrats to those who have received an interview invitation!

I'm just wondering, do you guys think it's too late to apply to Harvard?
I have decent stats, but I've never done research. Is research experience a necessity for applying to Harvard?
Click to expand...

Nah, the D4s i spoke with said that only ~30% of their class had any sort of significant research experience. Granted that was four years ago, but I doubt it has changed all that much. The people I spoke with there said that they look through the entire applicant pool regardless of when someone sent it in before they send out a large portion of their interviews/acceptances.
 
zoom12 said:
Nah, the D4s i spoke with said that only ~30% of their class had any sort of significant research experience. Granted that was four years ago, but I doubt it has changed all that much. The people I spoke with there said that they look through the entire applicant pool regardless of when someone sent it in before they send out a large portion of their interviews/acceptances.
Click to expand...


Hey zoom12, thanks for your advice!
I called the admissions today, and she also said it's not too late to apply, since they are conducting interviews until end of Feb.
She said that although research isn't necessary, it's always good to have it. 😳
Well, it doesn't hurt to try, so I applied today! 😀 I hope AADSAS will send out my application soon...
 
Hi everyone,

I was invited for an interview a couple days ago and am really excited for my interview.

I was wondering, do they really grill you at the faculty interviews? I believe there are two faculty interviews back to back. For people who have already interviewed, were most of the interviewers friendly or did you feel a lot more pressure than your other interviews?

Thanks!
 
Also, does anyone know how many interviews Harvard gives out??
 
I meant before Dec 1st, does anyone know how many people get an interview?

(on the website it says about 130 applicants are interviewed)
 
So everyone seems to not have their checks cashed, is it bad that I had mine cashed with no response from Harvard at all.
 
coldsht said:
So everyone seems to not have their checks cashed, is it bad that I had mine cashed with no response from Harvard at all.
Click to expand...

No, don't feel bad. They cashed my check months ago, and I finally got an email saying my app was complete just about 2 weeks ago. Give it a little more time 🙂
 
DentalKitty said:
No, don't feel bad. They cashed my check months ago, and I finally got an email saying my app was complete just about 2 weeks ago. Give it a little more time 🙂
Click to expand...

Wow I haven't even gotten that application complete email 🙁
I did get the email that they received my application about a month ago though.
 
I just got called for an interview today...I was looking at the secondary app and they want you to fill out your coursework but I haven't taken physics yet. I was planning on taking it after I graduate..Did anyone else have this problem, or know what to do about it?
 
i'm in the same boat - i'm taking physics now...

how are you taking physics next year? Don't we have to take both 1 and 2?
 
take it after you graduate?

You could take physics one in the spring (if you graduate this semester), and physics 2 in the summer? i dunno...seems like dschools want to see your physics scores
 
dentalgrl said:
Also, does anyone know how many interviews Harvard gives out??
Click to expand...

I was there on Oct. 19th and they told us that last year they had about 1200 applicants, interviewed 120. This year I think the number of applicants is significantly higher, but they are still planning on interving approx. 120, accepting 35.

Hope this helps. 👍
 
Thanks for the help ice! Any advice you have after your interview?
 
ice4804 said:
I was there on Oct. 19th and they told us that last year they had about 1200 applicants, interviewed 120. This year I think the number of applicants is significantly higher, but they are still planning on interving approx. 120, accepting 35.

Hope this helps. 👍
Click to expand...

Probably not 35, though, and more like 40-50. Remember that some wil always decline acceptances.
 
Shunwei said:
Probably not 35, though, and more like 40-50. Remember that some wil always decline acceptances.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you are right. I meant the final class will consist of 35 seats. Last year they sent out 53 or 54 acceptance letters I think.
 
dentalgrl said:
Thanks for the help ice! Any advice you have after your interview?
Click to expand...

My two interviewers were polar opposites. The first had a typed list of questions in front of him and took notes on everything I said. He pretty much went down the list one by one, very business-like. The second interview was the complete opposite. We just chatted for about 45 mins about random stuff, some dental related, some not. He was extremely friendly and didn't take any notes...so, like any school, the experience will all depend on the individual(s) who interview you. It sounded like the three other people had two interviews that were more in line with my second interview rather than my first.

Who knows, just be yourself and you'll do great! The school was very nice, and the students were even better. We had two 4th years scheduled to eat lunch with us (there were only 4 of us), and we met two more on the way down to lunch who wanted to tag along, it was great.
 
Hey ice,

thanks for the advice! Glad your interview went well. 🙂
 
I just got a call.... and got an interview on Nov 30th!!!!!
At first, I didn't really realize that I was talking to someone from Harvard.. (I was running errands and was not expecting a call from a dental school)...

Then... it finally hit me and screamed.... 🙂
Anyone going there for the 30th?
 
Anybody have an interview scheduled for November 8th?
 
I'm interviewing on the 9th as well. 🙂

So, does anyone know where the line between "early" and "late" (or not so early) interview date is drawn? :idea:

cheers,

Juan Manuel Salas El Kadarra
 
laundry said:
I'm interviewing on the 9th as well. 🙂

So, does anyone know where the line between "early" and "late" (or not so early) interview date is drawn? :idea:

cheers,

Juan Manuel Salas El Kadarra
Click to expand...


It looks like mine is late (a day before Dec. 1st) 🙁
 
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