Post
by KissMyAxe » Thu Feb 05, 2015 9:04 pm
Congrats to all the new JS1's! I know you're all thrilled. This thread has helped me a lot so I can try to repay you, even if just a little bit. Now, admittedly I'm not an expert on Harvard's interview process, but I'll try to give my 2 cents on the questions I've seen about interviews on the last couple of pages. If anyone else has a question, either PM me or post it here so it can benefit others.
I agree that Harvard tends to cater their questions more to the applicant than other schools, but it could never hurt to see some questions they tend to ask so you can plan for yourself. They might ask you about a lower GPA or LSAT, your undergraduate school, choice of major, or anything else that strikes their interest. You know your resume better than I do (though if you wanted to PM me yours and let me try to guess what they'd ask, I'd be happy to). Other than getting to know your resume, I definitely would advise reviewing your answers to a couple questions.
1.) Why law/ law school? (I was asked this too, and got the feeling they were interested in students who would be ambitious)
2.) Why Harvard?
3.) Proudest Moments
4.) Biggest challenges/things you're most proud of
5.) Any weaknesses in your application
6.) Questions to ask
Other than that, all I can say is be confident. No one's trying to trip you up or anything. They are really nice, and just want to get to know you better. Don't be a crazy person and memorize all possible answers so you sound like a robot. Just go in and have a conversation with them. No matter what you think, you didn't bomb the interview. They know you're nervous, and will be patient with you. It takes a lot to "bomb" an interview. In fact, if you want a story about someone bombing an interview, here you go. My best friend is an engineer. He was interviewing with a very well-known engineering firm at a restaurant and he was drinking coffee. The interview was going great apparently. However, he coughed while drinking and absolutely drenched his interviewer. He told me the guy looked like he had just gotten out of the shower. Shockingly, he didn't get the offer. So just remember, no matter if you stumble over your words or even are caught not wearing pants, you will not screw up so badly you spray JS or DE or whoever with hot coffee.
Oh, most importantly, smile!!! People are so much more attractive and seem more personable when they smile. I'm sure all of you are going to do wonderfully. Have fun and good luck!
Edit: Also, the Kitty train stops for everyone. Change your avatar now and enjoy the success found by so many others.