Top 5 Tips for the Harvard College Interview

Some of the Ivy Leagues are very upfront about their interview process. They post statistics on how many interviews they offer. They post sample questions and make how-to videos. Harvard doesn’t. Their admissions interview can thus feel like it is shrouded in secrecy. But it doesn’t have to be. While Harvard doesn’t offer up students as many tips for its interview as other schools do, we got you covered. Here are our top tips for nailing your Harvard interview.

Wait, but how do I set up an interview at Harvard?

The short answer is you don’t. Rather an alumnus will reach out to you after you submit your application. Not everyone will be offered an interview, but Harvard doesn’t release how many students are offered one. Harvard has an application portal, so make sure the email address tied to your portal is one you check. If you don’t get a request to be interviewed, don’t panic. Harvard boasts that more than 10k alumni help with interviews, with that many interviewers they should be able to interview a lot of candidates, but they don’t guarantee that everyone will get one.

Harvard offers a few common-sense tips for the interview. They include using a computer, having an appropriate background and a quiet place to interview in, wearing normal clothes, and being yourself. These are all good tips, but probably not enough for many of the type of students who dream of coming to Harvard. So let’s jump into ours.

Tip 1: Be ready to answer the usual questions and some less common ones.

There are a couple of questions that come up in almost every college interview. “Why do you want to go here?” “Can You tell me about yourself?” “What do you want to study at Harvard and why?” It’s good to know what you will say for questions like this. It’s not even a bad idea to practice and do a little research.

For example, if someone asks, “What do you like about Harvard?” having a strong answer based on both academics and specifics is important. Your answer should sound something like, “I am excited to major in Linguistics and more specifically The Linguistics Track in Mind, Brain, Behavior (MBB). I would be very excited to get involved with the Meaning and Modality (M&M) Laboratory as part of my studies. I am also excited about getting involved outside of the classroom. I am on the Pan-Latin dance team at my high school so I am excited to try out for Harvard College Candela Latin Dance Troupe.”

On top of the usual questions, Harvard interviewers sometimes get creative. While Harvard hasn’t published any sample questions, former interviewers have posted online some of the questions that they have asked and some are more out-there than you would see at other schools. They have been known to ask, “How would people in your life best describe you?” “Who from history would you want to have dinner with and why?” and “What’s the best book you’ve read this year?” Preparing for these questions can be a little harder. Instead, if you are nervous about these types of questions, practice talking. Have a conversation with someone in your life and ask them to ask you creative questions. This will prepare you to think on your feet if it’s not a skill you already have.

Also, the nice thing about out-of-the-box questions is that it's appropriate to take a second to respond. For questions like “why do you want to go here?” the interviewer will expect you to answer immediately because you should already know. However, it’s more appropriate to take a second to think about what historical figure you would like to meet. Don’t pause for too long, but it’s ok to say something like, “There are so many historical figures I would have questions for. Let me think [five-second pause]. I would love to be able to question Nero because….”

Tip 2: Know the Why

No matter what your answer to a question is, Harvard cares about the “Why.” Let’s say your interviewer asks you, “What are you planning on majoring in and why?” your answer can’t be “engineering and because I find it fascinating.” Instead, you really have to explain why you want to pursue engineering. Think about why you want to study what you want to study.

This goes for every question. Even if the interviewer doesn’t ask you “why” at first it will probably be in a follow-up. For example, “What is your favorite thing to do after school?” If you just say, “debate team meet-ups,” the next question is probably going to be “and what do you like about debate?”

You can pretty much answer with anything (within reason) as long as you have a great reason why. Try to highlight your “whys” and make sure you are using strong reasoning.  

Tip 3: Remember it’s a conversation

Harvard hasn’t really posted tips about its interview process since 2016. It might seem outdated, but the post is still helpful. Mostly because it hits home that this is a conversation. You should try your best to be at ease. We know that is easier said than done in an interview. However, being nervous and stilted isn’t going to help you. Remember that your interview has volunteered to do this. No one is making them. They want to do this and the vast majority of them want you to succeed.  

Tip 4: Find the sweet spot.

This goes hand and hand with our last tip, but it’s important to think about the length of your answers. You don’t want to answer a question with a one-word answer. This shuts down conversations. For example, if the question is “what would your best friend describe you as?” Your answer shouldn’t be, “Creative.” It shouldn’t even be, “She would say I am creative.” Yes, that’s technically 6 words, but it’s still practically a one-word answer. Instead, think “She would say, I am creative. Not only because we love to paint together, but also because of how I approach problems. I am very much the friend that everyone comes to for advice and I think that is because they would say I am a creative problem solver.” This allows the interviewer to ask you interesting follow-ups and it makes them feel like you aren’t pulling teeth to get an answer out of you.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t drone on and on. However, we have found this is less of an issue for most students. For example, if you start to list every possible reason you are creative for a full minute, this also shuts down conversations. Try to find that sweet spot in your answers. Not too short, not too long. This can be tricky, but a quick rule of thumb is to think of your answer as a 3-5 sentence response prompt. Try to hit somewhere around that length and you should be fine.

Tip 5: Have questions ready.

This interview isn’t only an opportunity for the school to get to know you, but for you to get to know the school. Your interviewer is a former student. They should know the school well and you should ask them questions about it. This is a general tip for college interviews, have a couple of appropriate questions prepared for your interviewer.

We say appropriate for a reason. Don’t ask them about parties, easily google-able facts, or if you will get in or not. Your questions should be more like, “What was one thing you wish you did while you were at Harvard?” “What was the best class you took?” “What was your favorite on-campus opportunity you took advantage of?” Remember, they might not have graduated last year or even in the last 5 years, so take their answers with a grain of salt. Things change, but this interview is a valuable time to learn more about the school. Asking questions will also make it feel less like an interview and more of a conversation.

Harvard can seem scary. We get that, but you shouldn’t freak out about this interview. If you are well prepared and personable, you should have no problem knocking this interview out of the park. So take a deep breath, do a little research, jot down some good questions, and know that you can do this.

 

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