Why Club Members Interview Harvard Applicants
Interview Chair Loren Gary Talks to Alumni Interviewers
“I interview for Harvard for the club to allow me to stay connected to Alabama talent and provide motivation and support to prospective students,” says Shilpa Register. “I enjoy telling our students how important it is to explore different areas of the nation and different cultures. Harvard is a great way for our students to grow professionally and personally. I feel proud to know that Alabama is well represented and they are experiencing Harvard.”
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Pieter Visscher shares a different perspective: “Because my Harvard experience was a number of years ago, I like to be reminded that there are still young people who think about difficult questions,” he writes. “I also like to find out what kinds of things they are interested in.”
Amanda Adams is a similarly hardy soul. “I enjoy meeting some of the most engaging young people in our area,” she says. “The conversations we have invigorate me and keep me coming back as an interviewer.”
More recent grads find interviewing rewarding as well: “As a recent graduate of Harvard College,” Ching Sullivan writes, “I wanted to give back by interviewing for the Harvard Club of Alabama. Because I had the privilege of being surrounded by Harvard’s brilliant, inspiring, and diverse students for four years, I had a good sense of which types of students would thrive on campus. My interviews so far have been so impressive and awe-inspiring (one of my interviewees is now a part of the Class of 2025!) I’ve loved getting to know the candidates, making them feel comfortable, and sharing about my experiences at the College.”
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An update on interviewing this year
Location: Interviews can take place either in person or via Zoom--the interviewer gets to choose, whichever they prefer, however, Harvard requests that we do not require applicants to meet in person if they prefer to connect virtually.
Timing: The College will start sending us interview requests in early October. The deadline for conducting interviews and writing reports for Early Action applicants is late November/early December; for Regular Decision applicants, it's late January/early February. We'll need the bulk of our interviewers to be available in late January/early February.
If you interviewed last year: You should have received an e-mail on September 9 from Maeve Hoffstot in the College's Admissions Office with a link to the Alumni Interview Portal to sign up for this year. If you can't find that e-mail, just follow this link to log onto the portal. To sign up for our Club, there are actually three options--for the Huntsville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa area. If you are willing to interview virtually, please select all those areas, so we can iutilize our interviewers to meet the areas of greatest need. Then, complete/confirm your contact information, select the number of applicants you are willing to interview, and sign your Eligibility Form.
If you did not interview last year: We'd love to have your help! You don’t need to have attended the College to be a capable interviewer. My fellow-interviewers and I can give you the background you need. You'll see when you sign up that the College is offering multiple interview training sessions throughout the fall. I will also schedule a training session specifically for our Club and will announe the date soon. These sessions are optional, but many folks who are new to interviewing fin them helpful to get started.
To get started, you need to have registeredd for a HarvardKey, whch is Harvard's fancy term for their registration on all their alumni sites. If you aren't sure if you have a HarvardKey or not, try to log onto the Alumni Interview Portal first. If you cannot gain access, then click here, then select "alumni" and follow the instructions to get your key. You can also reach out to me, Loren Gary, the Club's Schools & Scholarships Chair, for help. Once you've gained access to the portal, sign up to interview for our Club, there are actually three options--for the Huntsville, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa area. If you are willing to interview virtually, please select all those areas, so we can utilize our interviewers to meet the areas of greatest need. Then, complete/confirm your contact information, select the number of applicants you are willing to interview, and sign your Eligibility Form.