Sample Interview

Reports

Harvard College
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Revised Fall of 2015
 Marcus
Personal Qualities (1)
Rare personal appeal and character

Fine young man. Very enjoyable conversation.

Extracurricular, Athletic, Community, Employment, Family Commitments (2)

Extracurricularly, Marcus is a strong high school contributor who could add a good deal at
college as well. He has played the clarinet in the school band for three years, takes part in the public
service club, and has rowed on the varsity squad for two years as well.

Academic (2-)
Excellent student. Terrific fit for a liberal arts education. Would make substantial contributions to
an academic community).

Marcus is a top-flight candidate for Harvard. We spent about an hour talking, and I was able
to learn quite a bit about this outstanding young man. He is clearly a leader both in the classroom
and out. Marcus is very interested in becoming a doctor and has worked hard to achieve a 3.5 grade
point average. He has also taken his college tests and has mid-650s on all. Because of his interest in
medicine, Marcus did volunteer work in a hospital this summer. We talked for a while about the
pre-med program at Harvard.

Overall (1)
Absolutely superior for admissions; truly unusual in your interactions with students

With this combination of academics and extracurriculars I can’t imagine that we could do
better. Please hurry and accept this fine young man. He’ll make a wonderful alumnus! If you need
more information, don’t hesitate to call me at the numbers listed below.

Comments:
The interviewer makes pronouncements without substantiating them. Where is the
evidence that Marcus is “a leader both in the classroom and out” or that he is “a strong high school
contributor”? What did he do when he volunteered in the hospital? How significant is his
contribution to extracurricular activities? Why has he had to work hard to achieve a 3.5 GPA? Is
he taking a rigorous academic program? Does he show any signs of intellectual curiosity?
The ratings seem inflated by at least a full number, and far from being a “clear admit,”
Marcus does not appear to be a particularly strong candidate, based on the information we have
here. If there is stronger evidence for Marcus’ admission, it should be included in the report itself,
not offered to be made available over the phone. The interviewer seems unaware of the
competitiveness of our selection process or the strength of our applicant pool.
 Daniel
Personal Qualities (3+)
Above average personal appeal and character

Daniel is more articulate than most young people I have interviewed, and it sounds as if he
has had substantial public speaking opportunities through scouting and his work with the Model
UN. When we started speaking about the resolutions Daniel had to debate at some simulations, he
finally started speaking in a little more animated fashion. For instance, Daniel expressed some
emotion when describing his assignment, as a representative from Ireland, to defend a position
shared only by the Vatican, whose representative eventually abandoned centuries of church tradition
to leave Ireland alone contra contraception. Nevertheless, he soldiered on, though not convincing
many others.
Daniel is very interested in sports, but his involvement has been limited as a result of a torn
ACL. Daniel brought a copy of the school paper and some other writing he has done. Through this
deed and in many words, too, Daniel seemed a bit aggressive in enumerating his accomplishments.
In the course of the interview, however, it came out that a Harvard alumnus at City Prep coached
his sales technique. His “real” personality seemed more in evidence when he asked questions such
as, “Do I have a chance to get in to Harvard even though I’ve never invented anything or won the
world chess championship?” And he spoke with general admiration and affection for his mother’s
work and his commitment to Scouting. I enjoyed speaking with Daniel, especially after he became
more relaxed.

Extracurricular, Athletic, Community, Employment, Family Commitments (2-)

Daniel’s mother teaches in one of the inner-city public high schools, and she is the one
Daniel credits for his “sense of duty” to others. He is very active and interested in community
service, asked many questions about PBH, and promises that he will lead a Boy Scout troop
wherever he ultimately attends college. From his questions and the way he described his
involvement, I got the sense that his efforts were real and inspired; he’s not merely showing up for a
few hours one Saturday a semester to fulfill his school’s service requirement (my sons went to City
Prep, so I’m quite familiar with their service requirement and most students’ perfunctory approach
to completing it).
Community service is his major interest outside the classroom, followed by Model UN,
editing the school paper, and volunteering summers and time during the school year to sundry
activities. Daniel is also an Eagle Scout. When I commented that it is unusual to encounter
someone his age still involved in scouting, he said there were only four other peers involved and that
he feels “duty-bound” to continue his commitment.

Academic (2)
Excellent student. Terrific fit for a liberal arts education. Would make substantial contributions to an
academic community.

Daniel articulates his thoughts and reasoning well, and told me that he’s “in the top 5
percent” of his 70-member class at City Prep. His scores, as you know, are almost perfect across the
board. He enjoys science (particularly chemistry, “because I love taking a law or technique and
applying it to new units and in labs”), English, and history. Although not certain about a career, he
is leaning toward medicine. He said he enjoys English but did not seem particularly interested in
discussing literature (a particular interest of mine given that I am an English professor), but after
talking with him more he came to the conclusion that what really intrigues him about his English
classes is the art of composition, rhetoric, and argument. I could tell from the way he speaks that he
puts considerable thought into the ideas he puts forth (though he never sounded labored or took
large pauses to compose thoughts), so this interest in composition sounds spot-on.

Overall (2-)
Extremely appealing candidate, one of this year’s best whom you hope we have room to admit

Daniel, with his abundant ambition, would have no problem fitting it at Harvard, but he is
still a bit of an awkward fellow. He is obviously competent in getting things done, articulate, and
motivated. He would do well in a large research university.

Comments:
Two factors distinguish this report as particularly helpful. First, the interviewer cites Daniel’s
activities to substantiate the interviewer’s qualitative comments and to justify the extracurricular
rating awarded to Daniel. Contrast this with a report that merely lists activities and makes broad
conclusions: “Daniel is the strongest applicant for Harvard College I have ever interviewed.”
Second, the interviewer quotes Daniel directly or paraphrases specific exchanges to justify her
assessment of the quality of his extracurricular participation and his personal qualities. This does not
make this interviewer’s perspective infallible or doom Daniel’s chances for admission, but this report
conveys clearly the basis of the interviewer’s judgments. The overall rating might be a bit generous,
but Daniel sounds like a candidate who will receive serious consideration during our deliberations.
This interview report will add an important dimension to those discussions.
 Evelyn
Personal Qualities (1)
Rare personal appeal and character

Evelyn ranks very high in all of the example characteristics listed above. She has a unique
blend of poise, confidence, sincerity, and humility in her demeanor. She is thoughtful and expresses
her ideas very clearly. More than most students her age, she was able to engage in a two-way
discussion on a wide variety of topics; she was very interesting to speak with. I enjoyed the time
speaking with her and am completely convinced that she will contribute greatly to her college, both
in the classroom and through her extracurricular involvement and social interactions.

Extracurricular, Athletic, Community, Employment, Family Commitments (2+)

What I really like about Evelyn was that she has a handful of interests outside of school and
has focused in on those for which she has a true passion.
She has been swimming competitively for many years and is on her high school’s varsity
team, primarily now doing individual medleys and the backstroke. Her team is apparently very
competitive regionally. She also volunteers as a swimming coach for an 8U team on weekends and
during the summer.
She has several officer positions in extracurricular clubs and activities. She is the editor-in-
chief of her school literary magazine and enjoys writing poetry. She is president of the Environment
Club. She is an officer of her school Science League team, which has won several competitions (see
Academic). She is also an officer for Interact, a community service club that does fundraisers and
volunteers at shelters and retirement homes. She is also an officer in her school’s Chemistry Charter
Club, which teaches younger students.
Evelyn has also traveled to some interesting places, including her parents’ countries of
origin, China and Romania, as well as Israel and Greece. She has enjoyed those experiences and
feels that they have positively influenced her thinking and approach to different types of people.

Academic (1)
Truly uncommon intellectual ability and curiosity. Likely to make significant academic
contributions. Potential Harvard faculty member.

Evelyn is the editor-in-chief of her school’s literature magazine and enjoys writing poetry.
She is also an officer in her school’s science league team, which has won the Gray’s Anatomy
contest in cardiovascular science competition for the last 3 years. She is excited about trying to win
the fourth straight competition soon. She also is in her school’s Chemistry Charter Club, which
teaches seminars for younger students.
I liked her methodical approach to her future intellectual pursuits. She is looking for an
interdisciplinary experience in school and her career and is currently most interested in
Environmental Science and Public Policy.
She’s really very close to “truly unusual” in intellectual curiosity and originality, which is why
I gave her a 1 academic rating.

Overall (2+)
Extremely appealing candidate, one of this year’s best whom you hope we have room to admit

While I hold the ranking of 1 for a once in a lifetime type of candidate, I must say that
Evelyn was probably the best candidate for Harvard that I have met in about 8 years of interviewing.
She might not be the absolute best in any given candidate, but I really liked how well rounded she is
and how much she has to offer in every regard.

Additional Comments

Evelyn visited Harvard’s campus and sat in on some classes. She was enthusiastic when
telling me about one of the classes. She also has thought carefully about what she is looking for in a
school, including the scholastic, community, geographical, and social aspects. When she says that
she is looking for a diverse group of students and experiences, I don’t think she’s memorized it from
the Harvard brochure—I think she is truly looking for and ready for what Harvard has to offer. She
will be an asset if accepted for admission.

Comments:
Although the interviewer’s academic and extracurricular ratings for Evelyn seem a bit
inflated given the accomplishments cited in the report, the thrust of this report is clear: Evelyn is
bright, engaged, and engaging, and her interviewer recommends her highly for admission. It would
have been helpful to read a few quotes from Evelyn—those things she said that led the interviewer
to write, “She is thoughtful and expresses her ideas clearly.” What were some of the many topics
about which Evelyn could engage in a two-way conversation? What did she say that made her
seem especially intellectually curious?
It is helpful to know that Evelyn is the best candidate for Harvard that the interviewer has
seen in eight years; it would be even more helpful to know approximately how many candidates the
interviewer has seen over this eight-year period (Ten? Forty?).
 Melanie

Personal Qualities (3)

Melanie seemed to be interested in a lot of different things but not one or two things in
particular. She told me she’s very independent, wants to see new places and experience different
things. She seems quite mature.

Extracurricular, Athletic, Community, Employment, Family Commitments (3)

Melanie is involved in a number of sports. She herself admits that she is not great at these
sports but she likes being active.

Academic (2)
Excellent student. Terrific fit for a liberal arts education. Would make substantial contributions to an
academic community

Overall (3)
Strong candidate

I don’t feel there was anything that really stood out for Melanie. It’s difficult to write a
strong review for her. She is definitely a smart young lady but I don’t feel that she necessarily stands
out relative to other candidates I have interviewed in the past.

Comments:
Not every interview report will advocate for a candidate’s admission, so it is not the
interviewer’s lack of support for Melanie’s case that gives pause to the admissions officer reading
this write-up. Rather, it is the lack of any narrative comment about Melanie’s academic rating and
the seemingly cursory treatment of her extracurricular involvement that stand out.
It may be the case that the only activity Melanie is involved in is her sports, but this report
does not make that clear. Did Melanie mention any other commitments (family, school, or
otherwise) or interests that occupy her time? Did the interviewer ask about other involvements?
Later in the report the interviewer notes, “Melanie seemed to be interested in a lot of different
things but not one or two things in particular,” which seems to indicate that Melanie expressed
other interests besides sports. To be a competitive candidate for Harvard, a student need not focus
exclusively on one or two pursuits (academic or otherwise), which is the impression gleaned from
this short report. An extra sentence or two providing more detail in each section would greatly
improve this report.
 Anthony
Personal Qualities (2)
Strong personal appeal and character

I was excited to meet Anthony, and it was fun to talk to someone from West who is so
clearly interested in his schoolwork and is doing so well. I could tell that he must be good at his
KFC job because he has a real presence about him. He makes a very favorable impression.
I do think he was a bit nervous (maybe more excited than nervous?) for the first 15 minutes
of our interview, but he loosened up completely by the end, and we ended up talking for more than
an hour. He also has a self-deprecating, observant sense of humor that would serve him well at a
place like Harvard. A highpoint of our interview was when he told me a very funny story about
making “bootleg chicken” after hours at KFC! Apparently there are people who make deals with his
manager to cook their own chicken in the KFC fryers for events like family reunions and parties
because it’s much cheaper than buying it from KFC and much easier than doing it at home. I told
him he should write a short story about the experience.

Extracurricular, Athletic, Community, Employment, Family Commitments (2)

Anthony works 20+ hours each week at the local K.F.C., and he doesn’t have a lot of time
for other activities. He’s been working there for almost two years now. He cooks, buses tables, and
works the register. The major downside, he says, is “coming home smelling like a bucket of
chicken.” A lot of the kids I interview at West work part-time, but Anthony works more than most
of them and is a better student than almost all of them. I asked him what he spends his money on.
He said he tries to save for college but usually ends up helping his mother pay for things around the
house, buying all of his own clothing, and paying for everything associated with his car, which he’s
proud of.
Anthony does a few activities at school that he can do during lunchtime meetings or during
his study hall (student government, class day committee). I was impressed that he works in the
school tutoring center during his free period, because I imagine he could use that time to do his
homework. He wants to sing in college or do more community service, possibly tutoring. I was
surprised that he had already heard about PBHA and some of the singing groups on campus. He
said he learned about them when a Harvard undergraduate did a presentation in his school last
March, and he read more about them on the internet. He sounded excited by the IOP and the
visiting fellows, but he hadn’t heard of it before. Actually, he was excited about everything Harvard
has to offer, and I think he’d discover lots of other interests when he’s actually on a college campus.

Academic (2-)
Excellent student. Terrific fit for a liberal arts education. Would make substantial contributions to an
academic community

Anthony is the strongest student I’ve interviewed out of West High (19% to four-year
colleges) in at least 10 years. Deborah Gonzalez ’02 was probably on par with Anthony, though she
was a humanities-minded student, whereas Anthony is more quantitatively strong. Highpoints are
his ACT math and science scores (35 and 36, respectively) and SAT Math II (800). Verbally, too,
he’s light years ahead of the other students I see from his high school. If I had to guess I would say
that he’s a bit of an academic loner at his school since Anthony admitted that “most of my friends
don’t get as excited about school as I do…I guess math just comes easy to me, and I like the brain
teaser problems the teacher gives us at the end of each class.” Anthony will take his first AP tests
this year, and he’s most excited about calculus and physics, his two favorite classes this year. He was
disappointed that West got rid of the AP Chemistry class last year, so he settled for honors. He is
also the school’s high scorer in the city math league. He was ranked third out of 816 at the end of
last year, though he admitted that his class size will probably fall as students continue dropping out
throughout the senior year.
Anthony’s not a one-trick pony academically, though. I always ask West students about their
junior theme for honors English, and Anthony’s discussion about his paper was the most interesting
I’ve heard in a long time. He’s researching water rights disputes in the city’s history, and he’s trying
to find out how different waves of immigration have changed the tone of the debates or affected
arguments for or against city expansion. Anthony’s having a hard time finding sources and his
interviews aren’t going the way he planned, but I give him credit for having a hypothesis and
gathering the evidence. We talked about some of the courses I took as a History and Literature
concentrator (mostly about France and the U.S.), and he seemed interested in those, too, asking me
questions I hadn’t thought about since college.

Overall (2-)
Extremely appealing candidate, one of this year’s best whom you hope we have room to admit

I think Harvard could use more students like Anthony. He would probably have a bit of an
adjustment to Harvard’s academics, but he has raw talent in spades, and he’s never been in an
environment with other students who were eager to learn. Neither of his parents has an education
beyond an associate’s degree, so he would be the first in his family to go to college. Mom is a front
desk manager at the local Radisson. Dad is out of the picture, from what I could gather. Anthony’s
a role model for his two younger sisters, and he would be a role model for other students at West
and in the city if he were accepted.

Comments:
This detailed report about Anthony, a high-achieving student of modest means with a
substantial term-time work commitment, helps paint a nuanced picture of Anthony as a thoughtful,
lively person and excellent student. Harvard has long sought to recruit and enroll high achieving
students of modest means, and the interviewer helps make a case for why the Committee should
consider Anthony’s candidacy seriously.
The report is especially helpful for telling us what Anthony’s interests are and what he would
like to do in College even though he hasn’t had time to pursue those interests in high school. From
the report it is also clear that the interviewer understands West High School and how exceptional a
student like Anthony is coming from the school (at least in terms of applicants to Harvard).
 Wilbur

Personal (4)
Somewhat neutral or slightly negative impression.

I sensed that Wilbur has absorbed the idea of going to an ambitious college more from his
atmosphere than from his internal desires. There was a certain immaturity in his questions and the
plethora of them alerted me to the fact that perhaps he felt he had to ask them so that I would not
think him apathetic.
What struck me though was his nervous manner, his obvious confusion when he blurted out
that he had been visiting other colleges, and his embarrassment when he felt that many of his scores,
etc., were not up to Harvard's standards. He seemed especially curious about the admissions
process, that is, the process behind the scenes.

Extracurricular (3-)
Solid participation

At his school he is active in the Speech Club (preparing and delivering them at tournaments),
on the soccer team, and on the football team. He elaborated very little about activities, but focused
instead on asking questions. He did not mention any significant leadership roles.

Academic (3+)
Solid, successful student. Academically fit for Harvard College. Respectable but perhaps not uncommon
performance in school.

Wilbur Smith is a young, rather nervous fellow of sixteen (he turns seventeen next month)
who used up most of the interview time trying to elicit from me some indication of whether he had
a good chance of being admitted to Harvard. No matter how much I tried to steer the conversation
to other topics, somehow we always returned to that one. Consequently, my impression of him is a
bit vague.
It is unclear to me why Wilbur Smith should manifest such insecurity. He is certainly not a
poor candidate: his test scores are all in the low 700s, with the exception of a 610 in chemistry.
When we came to the subject of history and government, his intended major, he did seem to
manifest a genuine interest in the departments here.

Overall (4)
Marginal qualifications or otherwise not well-suited for Harvard College.

I am puzzled by the impression Wilbur gave during this interview. I am not sure whether it
was his youth or the fact that he got lost on the way and arrived quite late or perhaps his confusion
as to his own aspirations. In any case, I hope his teachers’ reports and his essay give a better sense
of what he is really like than I have been able to do here.
Comments:
This is an incredibly helpful report, targeting those personal qualities of the candidate that
suggest he would not be a good choice for us. The interviewer acknowledges that perhaps she
did not see Wilbur at his best, but she also gives us enough concrete information and examples
of his behavior that we feel confident in her evaluation of Wilbur. The report certainly gives us
a vivid picture of this young man and provides the type of insight we are unlikely to get
elsewhere in the application.