HARVARD COLLEGE | Office of Admissions

Schools and Scholarships Committees | Interviewing Tips

Volunteer interviewers have sometimes asked for a compressed take on the critical points to remember
about interviewing candidates for Harvard College. For a truly complete overview of best interviewing
practices and advice, please read the Schools and Scholarship Interviewer Handbook on the Alumni/ae
Website.

The Basics
1. As you probably know, many applicants are Googling their prospective interviewers or
searching them in other ways on the Internet. As a result, we will now ask all our interviewers
to disclose:
if they believe their Internet presence might be considered inappropriate,
if they have been convicted of a crime,
or if there are other issues, past or present, that might be considered problematic.
2. We want to reiterate the requirement that interviewers step down if they have a relative in the
applicant pool or if they might otherwise have a conflict of interest. The latter would include
anyone who is involved, directly or indirectly, in college admissions work. The Admissions
Office seeks to avoid even the slightest hint of impropriety.
3. Given the privacy concerns expressed by many applicants, family members, and secondary
school personnel, interviewers should not request any information (e.g. transcripts, test scores,
recommendations) from secondary schools or other institutions that have such personal data.
4. For the same reasons, interviewers should not require that applicants provide any portions of
their applications including essays, transcripts, or recommendations.
5. While some interviewers ask students to complete pre-interview résumés, we hope that anyone
who continues this practice will not violate the letter or the spirit of the guidelines above.
There have been various concerns about such résumés (especially the lengthier ones), including
the possibility that students would be “pre-judged” prior to the interview based on their self-
reported test scores and grades. If you ask for this information on a pre-interview résumé, it
should be labeled OPTIONAL.
6. While many of us here in Cambridge inquire in the interview about test scores and because it
helps us calibrate academic “fit” at Harvard, you are not required to do so or to report them to
us on your interview reports. If you ask about scores or grades, please do so with sensitivity
and care.
7. Do not schedule interviews during school hours; give students several options for a date and
time, also asking when is best for them. Indicate how long the interview will take (usually 30-45
minutes, and no more than an hour!)
8. Schedule the interview in a public place that is quiet, safe, and mutually convenient, such as the
public library or a quiet coffee shop. Be sensitive to transportation and accessibility issues, as
well as making sure the applicant and his/her parents feel comfortable with the plan. Interviews
conducted in homes are often viewed as problematic unless parents or others accompany the
applicant (they should not be part of the interview itself). And we hope that clubs think
carefully about the location and the messaging it sends to applicants.
9. Interviewers should never reveal any knowledge of a potential admissions decision to an
applicant.
We appreciate your help in preserving the privacy, comfort, and safety of the students who honor
Harvard by applying for admission.

Before the Interview

 Call and/or email the candidate promptly after receiving the assignment email.
 Introduce yourself as a Harvard graduate and a volunteer interviewer for the Harvard
Admissions Office.
Sometimes candidates or their parents may wish to confirm your affiliation with Harvard; in
those instances, encourage them to call our office (617-495-1551) and we will be happy to
do so.
 Some candidates will not be familiar with the interview component of the application.
Explain that Harvard offers interviews to as many applicants as possible, and that it is not
a test, but a conversation – an opportunity for an applicant to “come off the page.” Keep
in mind the interview is optional, so if applicant does not want an interview, do not insist.
 Schedule the interview in a public place that is quiet, safe, and mutually convenient, like the
public library or a quiet coffee shop. Be sensitive to transportation and accessibility issues,
as well as making sure the applicant and his/her parents feel comfortable with the plan.
Interviews conducted in homes are often viewed as problematic unless parents or others
accompany the applicant. Others should not participate in the interview itself in these
cases. Give the applicant the opportunity to suggest a location.
 Let the student know that parents may ask questions after your meeting is over, but
that they will not participate in the interview itself.
 Do not schedule interviews during school hours; give students several options for a date
and time, also asking when is best for them. Indicate how long the interview will take
(usually 30-45 minutes and no longer than an hour).
 If you are meeting in a busy place, make sure the student knows how to identify you.
 Be sure that the student has your name and contact information in case there is a change.
At the end of the call, slowly repeat your name and the best way to reach you.
 If you reach out via email, be sure to check your email account frequently; your email
might get misdirected to an applicant’s junk folder, so follow up with a phone call if you
do not receive a timely response.
 No need to persist if two emails and two calls do not produce a response. Please note your
effort, and the lack of response, on the interview form and submit online

During the Interview

 Set a relaxed tone for the interview. If the applicant brings extra material to an
interview, such as a resume, accept it, glance at it, but put it aside. This will put the
student at ease.
 Start with open-ended questions like: “Tell me about your high school.” or “What
classes/activities are you enjoying this semester?” Listen carefully to the answers and try
following up on leads with “how” and “why” to probe further.
 Remember that your objective is not to find out all the facts – the application will disclose
them. We are asking you to get a sense of the candidate as a person. What is it like to sit
and talk to the student? What are the student’s motivations or aspirations? What kind of
roommate will this student be?
 Allow some time at the end for the candidate to ask you questions about Harvard.
  If a student is having a particularly difficult time answering questions, simply retreat to a
less questioning stance and ask the student what he or she would most like you to know.

After the Interview

 Your goal should be to submit the report within two weeks of receiving the initial interview
request.
This two-week turnaround helps the admissions process run as efficiently as possible.
 When assigning numerical ratings, a helpful tip is to assume that every candidate starts
as a “3.” Based on the interview, the student moves up or down – or stays put.
Write the report promptly after conducting the interview; this will allow you to remember
as many specifics and details as possible, which makes your report the most useful to us.
Waiting prolonged periods of time before writing the report may disadvantage the
student you interviewed, as memory of your conversation may fade with time.
 Reports that show rather than tell are the most helpful. Do not just list your impressions
or your own judgments; rather, use the student’s own words, or factual descriptions of the
situation. Give the person reading your report the same opportunity to interpret the
interaction, rather than doing it for him or her.
 If you do want to make statements or conclusions about the students, be sure to use
examples to back up these claims.
 Don’t worry so much about the prose! Reports for strong candidates need only contain a
concise paragraph for each heading of the form. Reports for average or non-competitive
candidates may be even
shorter. In these cases, be sure to give reasons for your reservations.
 Be aware that the website times out after 30 minutes! Do not use the online form as you
would a word processing program; save frequently and do not leave unsaved information
unattended. If in doubt, first write your report in a word processing program.

Nota Bene
 Do not ask where else an applicant is applying, and do not denigrate or make
negative comparisons regarding other colleges or local high schools.
 It is very important not to create any impressions or expectations, positive or negative,
about the student’s probability of admission. Even if you think he or she is under-
qualified, it is not your place to
make suggestions about their college applications. Though well intentioned, it is
inappropriate for the interview setting.
 Do not interview children of friends or acquaintances or students you know personally.
 Do not use inappropriate language.
 Steer clear of topics that may make a candidate uncomfortable or that are overly personal,
whether with regard to the candidate or yourself.
 Neither alcoholic beverages nor tobacco should be on view or used during an interview.
 Do not discuss your own children or other candidates during the interview. The
attention should be on the applicant.
 Similarly, do not discuss the candidates you interview with others beyond your regional
Chair or Harvard Admissions representative.
 You Should Not Interview If…
 You did not graduate from Harvard, although in rare instances we have waived this
requirement.
 You also interview for another undergraduate college unless you receive permission from
our office.
 Your child is in this cycle’s applicant pool. You also should not interview if your
grandchild, sibling, or other close relative is applying to Harvard.
 You are an independent college counselor or are otherwise engaged in helping students
prepare their college applications through a for-profit venture. Teachers, administrators,
and others affiliated with secondary schools may interview, but they should not
interview students who attend the schools in which they work and they should ask our
office for permission to interview in any setting.

Nuts and Bolts

 Make sure you know your login information at the beginning of the season. If you do not
have them, please contact Roberto Jimenez at 617.496.1247.
 Let your chair know how many interviews you feel comfortable conducting this year. We
hope you will be willing to meet with 4-6 students.
 Make sure the information on your profile (especially your email address!) is up-to-
date. If you have moved and would like to interview in your new location, email
SSinfo@fas.harvard.edu
 Add gilfillian@fas.harvard.edu, SSinfo@fas.harvard.edu, and your regional Chair’s
email to your address book to ensure that emails from these accounts bypass your
SPAM filter.

These tips were modeled after the Yale Alumni Schools Committee Interview Tips Sheet