Congratulations on earning your Harvard interview. Let's make sure you're ready for it.

Harvard College · 2026-27 first-year applicants

Your Harvard interview

If Harvard offers you an interview, a Harvard alum near you will email or call to set up a conversation on Zoom, by phone or in person. Most applicants describe it as a relaxed chat about who you are and what you care about, not a test.

Sources (5)

Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · Harvard: What to Expect at Your College Interview · Harvard: Untitled · Reddit: Harvard interview - questions they asked ✨ (2021) · Reddit: Harvard Alumni Interview This Friday - Any Advice for a Nervous Applicant? (2026)

About 98%of admitted applicants without a hook (not a recruited athlete, legacy, dean's-list or faculty child) had interviewed, in the admissions lawsuit's multi-year data as read by a College Confidential poster. College Confidential

About 79%of all applicants without a hook had interviewed, by the same reading of the lawsuit data. College Confidential

Congratulations again: if that reading of the lawsuit data is right, nearly everyone Harvard admits from the regular pool has interviewed, so yours puts you on the usual path. Harvard says most areas don't have enough alumni volunteers to interview every applicant, so not being offered one is about who lives near you, not about you. Treat both percentages with care: they come from a forum post summarising court data from before 2019, not from Harvard.

Sources (2)

Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · College Confidential: Have any students actually been admitted without an interview? (2019)

WhoA Harvard alum volunteer, matched to your local area when possible Harvard · Harvard

How longHarvard doesn't say; applicants report 25-30 minutes to over an hour, a few 2-3 hours Reddit · Reddit · Reddit · Reddit · Reddit

WhereZoom, phone or in person, never in Cambridge; applicants report cafes, libraries and offices Harvard · Reddit · Reddit · Reddit

WhenAfter you apply. Applicants report Early Action invites through early December, Regular Decision through January into February, a few in March Reddit · Reddit · Reddit

3 more: what they know about you, does it count, not offered one

What they know about youOnly your name, contact details and high school, not your essays, grades or scores Harvard · YouTube

Does it countYes, as one of many factors; Harvard says it will never make or break an application Harvard · Harvard

Not offered oneNo penalty. Usually it just means no alum lives close enough Harvard · Harvard · YouTube

How you get an interview

You can't ask for one. The Admissions Committee assigns interviews, based partly on how many alumni live near you. Harvard has nearly 10,000 alumni volunteers, but most areas can't interview everyone. Your application is complete without an interview and gets a full review.

Watch for an email or call. The interviewer usually contacts you from their own personal email or by phone. Applicants report checking spam, and a tab called "alumni interview instructions" showing up in the applicant portal.
Unsure it's real? Harvard says you can check by calling 617-495-1551 or writing to college@fas.harvard.edu.
Timing varies by place. Applicants report that people living near campus can hear within days, and that some regions try to interview every applicant.
Late invitations. Applicants report (2026) a few late "priority" interviews near decision time, needing a very quick turnaround. Don't read much into it.

Sources: Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · Reddit: For people who submitted their Harvard application on Jan 1st, have you gotten a (2026) · Reddit: How soon do ppl usually get their Harvard interview? (2024) · Reddit: When should I stop expecting a Yale/Harvard interview? (2025) · Reddit: Harvard Late Priority Interview? (2026)

What the interviewer knows about you

Very little. Alumni interviewers get only your name, contact information and high school. They don't see your transcript, test scores, essays or recommendations.

Harvard's admissions office says you should feel free to talk about things already in your application, even essays, since the interviewer hasn't read them. One interviewer reports (2025) they may also see an optional information sheet if you send one.

Applicants report (2021) a few interviewers asked for GPA or SAT/ACT scores anyway. Know your numbers so a question like that doesn't throw you.

Sources: Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · YouTube: Maeve Hoffstot, Harvard Assistant Director of Admissions, explains the alumni interview · Reddit: Harvard Interviewer - AMA (2025) · Reddit: Some unexpected questions my Harvard interviewer asked me (2021) · Reddit: Just had my Harvard Interview and here's the questions they asked (2021) · YouTube: A homeschooled applicant describes her Harvard interview with a local alum

What they're looking for

Harvard says interviewers want to know what you do after school, what makes you tick, and who you are as a person. It also says it doesn't expect instant friendship or that you're a huge extrovert.

What kind of roommate or friend you'd be. Several applicants report being asked this directly, and one interviewer said this was her main instruction from admissions.
Real curiosity. Interviewers report looking for a love of learning: what you read outside school, and the reasons behind your classes and activities.
Consistency and detail. One interviewer reports (2022) that weak reports point to specific moments, such as answers that don't hold together.
The report. Interviewers report writing about 8 to 10 paragraphs, ideally within two weeks, and (in 2019) rating applicants in areas like academics, activities and character.

Sources: Harvard: What to Expect at Your College Interview · Reddit: I had my Harvard Interview, Here are the questions he asked: (2021) · Reddit: Harvard interview experience (2025) · Reddit: Harvard Interview 😬 (2022) · Reddit: Harvard interviewer, AMA (2022) · Reddit: Harvard Interviewer - AMA (2025) · Reddit: Recent Harvard grad now Harvard College Interviewer-AMA! (2019)

The day itself

What to wear. Harvard says no formal clothes are needed; what you'd wear to school is fine.
On a video call. Use a computer rather than a phone, and find a quiet room with no one else in it. Recording the conversation is strictly prohibited.
In person. Applicants advise arriving early and agreeing on a meeting spot beforehand, like just outside a library entrance.
Common topics. Harvard's admissions office lists your high school, favorite classes, meaningful activities, why a liberal arts education, what you're proud of and challenges you've faced. Applicants add "Tell me about yourself" and "Why Harvard".
The feel. Most applicants describe a friendly, natural chat where the interviewer shares stories too. A few had a stiff interviewer reading from a list, or one who stayed silent to let them say more.

Sources: Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · Reddit: Harvard Interview: Silly questions I have (2026) · YouTube: Danu, a Harvard graduate, shares interview advice from her own application · YouTube: Maeve Hoffstot, Harvard Assistant Director of Admissions, explains the alumni interview · Reddit: Harvard interview - questions they asked ✨ (2021) · Reddit: Harvard Interviewer - AMA (2025) · Reddit: my harvard interview went terribly 😭 (2024) · Reddit: Just had my Harvard Interview: How it went, questions I got asked and general ad (2024)

How much it matters

Harvard says the interview is one part of many, alongside your transcript, activities, essays and recommendations. It will never make or break an application, and usually it simply confirms what your file already shows.

Applicants and interviewers report that a strong interview can help a borderline case but rarely saves a weak file, while a bad one can hurt. One applicant reports (2026) an interviewer saying none of his interviewees had ever been admitted. Given how few people Harvard admits, that is common and says nothing about you.

Sources: Harvard: What to Expect at Your College Interview · Harvard: Untitled · Reddit: Aced my harvard interview, does it really help? (2026) · Reddit: Can a great Harvard interview help you? (2024) · Reddit: I got cooked in my Harvard Interview (2026)

How to prepare

Have a short "tell me about yourself". Pick two or three real interests and say why they matter. Think of it as a trailer, not your whole resume.
Make "Why Harvard" specific. Interviewers call it a standard question. Skip prestige and rankings; explain why you and Harvard fit.
Know the why behind your activities. Be ready to say what you contributed, what was hard and what you learned.
Have a book ready. Interviewers report asking what you read outside school.
Prepare stories, not lines. Memorized sentences sound stiff. Know your stories and tell them naturally.
Bring questions for them. Ask about their classes, traditions or advice, things the website can't easily answer.

Sources: Reddit: Harvard interview - questions they asked ✨ (2021) · Reddit: Harvard Alumni Interview This Friday - Any Advice for a Nervous Applicant? (2026) · YouTube: Danu, a Harvard graduate, shares interview advice from her own application · Reddit: Harvard interviewer, AMA (2022) · Reddit: Harvard Interview: Silly questions I have (2026) · Reddit: harvard interview (2022) · Reddit: Harvard Interviewer - AMA (2025) · Reddit: Just had my Harvard interview - here's what I learned: (2022) · Reddit: Harvard interview experience (2025) · College Confidential Forums: Alumni interview (2016) · Harvard: What to Expect at Your College Interview

After the interview

Send a thank-you email. Applicants and interviewers suggest a short, specific note within about a day.
Don't panic if you forget. One interviewer says (2019) a late or missing note won't stop a recommendation for a strong applicant.
Skip small follow-ups. The report may already be submitted, so only send something truly significant, and don't keep emailing the interviewer.

Sources: Reddit: Harvard Alumni Interview This Friday - Any Advice for a Nervous Applicant? (2026) · Reddit: Just had my Harvard Interview: How it went, questions I got asked and general ad (2024) · Reddit: Harvard Interviewer - AMA (2025) · YouTube: Danu, a Harvard graduate, shares interview advice from her own application · Reddit: Recent Harvard grad now Harvard College Interviewer-AMA! (2019)

Your interviewer

Helen Brandvold Fictional interviewer

Get a briefing on your own interviewer

Know who's interviewing you? Their LinkedIn profile is the best source.

Use a computer if you can. Open their LinkedIn profile in a web browser, click More (or ⋯) under their name, then Save to PDF.
On a phone: the LinkedIn app can't save a profile. Open linkedin.com in your phone's browser instead, switch to the desktop site, and use More → Save to PDF.
Upload the PDF here, or paste what you know about them (a bio, a profile page).

See the sample briefing

Water engineer in Colorado Springs who has interviewed southern Colorado applicants for Harvard since 2009, and who cares a lot about clear explanations

Helen is a Harvard graduate (1998, Earth and Planetary Sciences, lived in Lowell House) who works as a principal hydrologist, meaning a senior scientist who studies where water goes, in southern Colorado. She leads drought and water-supply studies for 14 water districts and manages a team of 7. She has interviewed about 12 applicants a year for 17 years (since 2009), so she has talked with roughly 200 students. Her own words matter most: she says she cares about 'clear explanations' and 'the people who live with the consequences', and calls interviewing her 'favorite way to stay curious about seventeen-year-olds.' Expect someone experienced, likely relaxed and genuinely interested, who will probably notice when an answer is vague or rehearsed. She also tutors adults in math for the GED (a high-school equivalency test) and lists hobbies such as hiking Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, old maps, mystery novels, bread baking and learning Spanish. Don't pretend interest in water engineering; just be clear, concrete and honest about your own interests.

Their path

Harvard, A.B. in Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1998, Lowell House; senior thesis on snowmelt timing in the Rio Grande headwaters
Colorado School of Mines, M.S. in Hydrologic Science and Engineering, 2000
Cottonwood Environmental Consultants, Boulder: staff hydrologist doing fieldwork, 2000-2005
Front Range Water Collaborative, Denver: senior engineer building river models for water-sharing negotiations between states, 2005-2016
Sangre Ridge Engineering, Colorado Springs: principal hydrologist, 2016-present (about 10 years)
Harvard alumni interviewer for southern Colorado, 2009-present (about 17 years); Harvard Club of Colorado board, 2018-2022; adult GED math tutor, 2014-present

What it means for your conversation

She has done this a long time and has compared many students, so a polished speech is less useful than real, specific stories.
She explains technical work to the public in school gyms, so she likely values plain, clear answers. If you mention something complex, explain it simply, like you would to a smart friend.
Her focus on 'people who live with the consequences' suggests she may ask how your work or interests affect others. That is an inference, not a certainty.
She tutors adults for the GED, so she probably respects effort and teaching, not just achievements.
She graduated in 1998, so her Harvard memories are almost 30 years old; current Harvard details may be new to her, and that's fine.
She knows Pueblo, Colorado Springs and the San Luis Valley, so talking about your actual town and school will likely make sense to her.

Questions they may lean toward

Explain something you love so a non-expert understands it. She says she cares about clear explanations; this is likely what she notices most.
Who is affected by something you did, and what did you learn about them? Her profile stresses people living with consequences of decisions.
What are you reading outside school? Interviewers commonly ask, and she lists mystery novels, so books may come up naturally. Have a real one ready.
Tell me about your school and community here in southern Colorado. She has interviewed in this region for 17 years and likely enjoys local detail.
What kind of roommate or friend would you be? A standard Harvard interviewer question; with her experience she will probably ask some version.
Why Harvard, specifically? Standard question; she'll likely have heard every generic answer, so be specific to you.

Honest common ground

Living in or near southern Colorado: your town, school, landscape, weather or drought if it actually touches your life.
Books, if you genuinely read for fun.
Tutoring or helping others learn, if you've done it.
Learning a language, if you are studying Spanish or another one; she says she is learning Spanish 'slowly'.
Hiking or outdoors, only if it's truly something you do.

Questions to ask them

What was life in Lowell House like, and what did the House system mean to you? Students are placed into one of 12 Houses; she can tell you something the website can't.
How did your senior thesis shape what you did after Harvard? Real question about whether undergraduate research matters, without needing to fake interest in hydrology.
After interviewing for so many years, what do you think students from this area bring to Harvard? Draws on her long local experience and is a genuine question.
Was there a class outside your field that stuck with you? Connects to Harvard's general education and her own curiosity.
What do you wish you'd known before your first year? Open, honest advice question most interviewers enjoy answering.

Avoid

Don't list facts from her LinkedIn back to her, like '31 of 58 fourteeners'; it feels like surveillance.
Don't fake interest in water, geology or engineering to please her.
Don't use jargon or buzzwords without explaining them; clarity is something she says she values.
Don't give memorized, polished speeches; she has heard about 200 interviews.
Don't talk about rankings or prestige for 'Why Harvard'.
Don't record the call, and don't send repeated follow-up emails; one short, specific thank-you within a day is enough.

A sample, to show what the briefing looks like: Helen Brandvold and their employers are invented.

Based on: The sample interviewer's profile (fictional) · Harvard: What to Expect After You Apply · Harvard: What to Expect at Your College Interview · Harvard: Untitled · Reddit: Harvard interview - questions they asked ✨ (2021) · Reddit: Harvard Alumni Interview This Friday - Any Advice for a Nervous Applicant? (2026)

All sources · 44 plus 16 applicant threads

Applicant threads are linked under each question.