Harvard, C/O 2017, Applicants Thread (2013-2014) Forum

[wtrc]

and look at your interviewer when you talk

I have heard it's best to look directly at the webcam when you talk. It seems as if you are actually looking at the other person. It takes some practice, but I think it ultimately looks better.

True with the caveat that it depends on PC or laptop. (ETA Scooped by the JWPster) Some PC's are placed where looking at the webcam looks awkward unless your neck is mad sexy.

Also, don't only show your face, show down a bit below shoulders (source, I interview for my job and people that place the camera so you can only see their faces looks weird).

[Kimikho]

and look at your interviewer when you talk

I have heard it's best to look directly at the webcam when you talk. It seems as if you are actually looking at the other person. It takes some practice, but I think it ultimately looks better.

It's better to do that with laptops, where "looking in to the screen" essentially means you are looking downward. I did my JS1 on a desktop, so I didn't have to force myself to look up at the camera as much, just at the screen/my interviewer.

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.......
Well then.
How bad would it be if someone did their js1 looking entirely at the interviewer's forehead? Asking for a friend.

[barrelofmonkeys]

show down a bit below shoulders

esp. if you're a girl

[barrelofmonkeys]

and look at your interviewer when you talk

I have heard it's best to look directly at the webcam when you talk. It seems as if you are actually looking at the other person. It takes some practice, but I think it ultimately looks better.

It's better to do that with laptops, where "looking in to the screen" essentially means you are looking downward. I did my JS1 on a desktop, so I didn't have to force myself to look up at the camera as much, just at the screen/my interviewer.

...
.....
.......
Well then.
How bad would it be if someone did their js1 looking entirely at the interviewer's forehead? Asking for a friend.

wish there were a thread about interviewing stuff like this

[JWP1022]

wish there were a thread about interviewing stuff like this

It's almost like you're being passive and aggressive at the same time.

w0w

[SplitMyPants]

and look at your interviewer when you talk

I have heard it's best to look directly at the webcam when you talk. It seems as if you are actually looking at the other person. It takes some practice, but I think it ultimately looks better.

On windows, if you minimize Skype, a pop-up appears that is always on top of other windows. You can drag this smaller window to be directly under your webcam. It has the added benefit of not having that tiny video feed of yourself on there. (I have a bad habit of constantly looking at the corner to make sure I don't look weird or anything).

Good luck.

[barrelofmonkeys]

wish there were a thread about interviewing stuff like this

It's almost like you're being passive and aggressive at the same time.

w0w

hue hue, swiper no swiping!

[JWP1022]

Also, at the end of the day, it's how confidently you carry yourself and the quality of your answers that will win them over. They're not going to Ding/WL you based on whether they could see your shoulders or the lighting in the room or whether you looked DIRECTLY AT the interviewer for the whole time. Worrying about those little things at the expense of other, more important stuff will just make you perform worse.

[JWP1022]

wish there were a thread about interviewing stuff like this

It's almost like you're being passive and aggressive at the same time.

w0w

hue hue, swiper no swiping!

wuteva

~*u got got*~

[dreamerchic19]

what happened to over the phone interviews? I blame Skype for this

[drawstring]

I found looking into the webcam sort of awkward and as lame as it sounds I think it threw me off a bit.

[92653]

Also, at the end of the day, it's how confidently you carry yourself and the quality of your answers that will win them over. They're not going to Ding/WL you based on whether they could see your shoulders or the lighting in the room or whether you looked DIRECTLY AT the interviewer for the whole time. Worrying about those little things at the expense of other, more important stuff will just make you perform worse.

This is actually spot-on. I did interviews this cycle for HLS and U of C, and have done Skype interviews for work in the past. The technical details don't matter, as long as they can see you and you don't have clowns doing jazz hands in the background or have a roommate casually blasting JBiebz in the next room.

You don't even have to wear pants.

[dreamerchic19]

Also, at the end of the day, it's how confidently you carry yourself and the quality of your answers that will win them over. They're not going to Ding/WL you based on whether they could see your shoulders or the lighting in the room or whether you looked DIRECTLY AT the interviewer for the whole time. Worrying about those little things at the expense of other, more important stuff will just make you perform worse.

This is actually spot-on. I did interviews this cycle for HLS and U of C, and have done Skype interviews for work in the past. The technical details don't matter, as long as they can see you and you don't have clowns doing jazz hands in the background or have a roommate casually blasting JBiebz in the next room.

You don't even have to wear pants.

Ewww

[drawstring]

Nothing ewwww about it. No pants or GTFO

[92653]

Also, at the end of the day, it's how confidently you carry yourself and the quality of your answers that will win them over. They're not going to Ding/WL you based on whether they could see your shoulders or the lighting in the room or whether you looked DIRECTLY AT the interviewer for the whole time. Worrying about those little things at the expense of other, more important stuff will just make you perform worse.

This is actually spot-on. I did interviews this cycle for HLS and U of C, and have done Skype interviews for work in the past. The technical details don't matter, as long as they can see you and you don't have clowns doing jazz hands in the background or have a roommate casually blasting JBiebz in the next room.

You don't even have to wear pants.

Ewww

NOT a thing I did, I promise. It's cold in the Northeast. But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

[Quest4Knowledge]

But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

You're right, but if I ever get a JS1, I feel like I'm going to go full suit + dress shoes. I'll also thoroughly clean the room I'll be having the interview in, because I always have this fear they'll ask me to stand up and show them the area.

[SplitMyPants]

But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

You're right, but if I ever get a JS1, I feel like I'm going to go full suit + dress shoes. I'll also thoroughly clean the room I'll be having the interview in, because I always have this fear they'll ask me to stand up and show them the area.

Shoot, I even shined my shoes...

[92653]

But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

You're right, but if I ever get a JS1, I feel like I'm going to go full suit + dress shoes. I'll also thoroughly clean the room I'll be having the interview in, because I always have this fear they'll ask me to stand up and show them the area.

Oh, that's totally a thing. Clean your room, or at least strategically dump your stuff outside the camera's view. That way you can sit a little further from your laptop so you're not too close and have a respectable background. Scrap the disco ball, Che poster, or Breakfast at Tiffany's poster if necessary (unless it's not your room. Then please ask the person first).

[drawstring]

My fear was that somehow my cats would get in the room and start attacking my keyboard as usual. Then I worried that if I shut them in another room they'd howl throughout the interview.

Solution = big bowls of kibble and everyone is happy and quiet.

[SplitMyPants]

My fear was that somehow my cats would get in the room and start attacking my keyboard as usual. Then I worried that if I shut them in another room they'd howl throughout the interview.

Solution = big bowls of kibble and everyone is happy and quiet.

I'm imagining that your avatar is one of your cats, who is unamused by you not trusting them to realize the importance of your JS1.

[Balthy]

I've been complete since mid-December with no js1. Is this weird? Maybe i'm in the category of people who would have been held without an interview in previous cycles? Have they sent out any updates to such applicants indicating that they're still working on it? Just trying to figure out if something is wrong with my file.

[drawstring]

I've been complete since mid-December with no js1. Is this weird? Maybe i'm in the category of people who would have been held without an interview in previous cycles? Have they sent out any updates to such applicants indicating that they're still working on it? Just trying to figure out if something is wrong with my file.

This is as close as it's gotten to an update (she responds to a post in the comments section too):

https://blogs.law.harvard.edu/admission ... dest-part/

I'm imagining that your avatar is one of your cats, who is unamused by you not trusting them to realize the importance of your JS1.

They seemed very unamused until I pulled out the food

[dreamerchic19]

Also, at the end of the day, it's how confidently you carry yourself and the quality of your answers that will win them over. They're not going to Ding/WL you based on whether they could see your shoulders or the lighting in the room or whether you looked DIRECTLY AT the interviewer for the whole time. Worrying about those little things at the expense of other, more important stuff will just make you perform worse.

This is actually spot-on. I did interviews this cycle for HLS and U of C, and have done Skype interviews for work in the past. The technical details don't matter, as long as they can see you and you don't have clowns doing jazz hands in the background or have a roommate casually blasting JBiebz in the next room.

You don't even have to wear pants.

Ewww

NOT a thing I did, I promise. It's cold in the Northeast. But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

Ok I see what you did there...

[dreamerchic19]

But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

You're right, but if I ever get a JS1, I feel like I'm going to go full suit + dress shoes. I'll also thoroughly clean the room I'll be having the interview in, because I always have this fear they'll ask me to stand up and show them the area.

sounds like MTV Cribs

[MrMileyCyrus]

But you can definitely have sweatpants coupled with a tie and dress shirt, and they won't know/care.

You're right, but if I ever get a JS1, I feel like I'm going to go full suit + dress shoes. I'll also thoroughly clean the room I'll be having the interview in, because I always have this fear they'll ask me to stand up and show them the area.

I remember I had a party in my apartment the weekend before mine, and I hadn't cleaned up yet because...no good reason. So I picked a nice spot in my living room, cleaned the hell out of it, and set my webcam up there. Meanwhile, behind my computer/JS on the screen was a pile of Natty cans, red cups, half full tequila handles, etc. I kept thinking "Oh God, what if I have to show her my place? What if she can see the mess somehow? Will she judge me for drinking Natty?"