How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
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How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
No responses
How did you prepare for the interview?
I reviewed my undergrad research, AMCAS, personal statements, and secondary responses. I also looked through the Harvard website and literature, as well as the SDN site. I had a mock interview at my college.
What impressed you positively?
Harvard's facilities are truly impressive. The affliated hospitals are some of the country's best, and Harvard students have tremendous opportunities at the school and beyond. I work near Harvard, but I had not seen much of the inside; all of buildings were gorgeous and extremely well equipped. I also love that you can take an extra year, tuition-free, to do research or work abroad. The (relatively) generous financial aid was completely need-based, which impressed me a lot. Overall, the Admissions staff was incredibly organized, clear, knowledgeable, honest, and helpful.
What impressed you negatively?
Not much!! One interviewer hadn't read my file except for a brief scan right before the interview started, so I didn't feel like the interview was as efficient as it could've been. Another issue: most of the affiliated hospitals are relatively upscale, so students may have somewhat skewed patient/healthcare exposure compared to students at other medical schools with more urban (poorer) affiliated hospitals.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Nothing, really. My second interview was in Cambridge, so I took a cab. I am from the area, so it was pretty easy to get there, but since my cab driver didn't know how to get to the hospital, I had to direct him. Had I not been from Boston, this would have been tricky. If you are unfamiliar with the area, I'd suggest getting the Admissions staff to give you basic directions for the cabbie (in the *rare* event that he/she doesn't know the way). Once you get to the hospital/site, the provided directions are very clear.
What are your general comments?
This was actually my first interview, and I have nothing but good impressions of the school. As others have pointed out, the day is very long (8:00 until 4:00 for me). The Admissions office uses interviewers from all over the Harvard network, so many students will have to take cabs to and from their interview sites. (Don't worry, they provide vouchers for everything.) I had two faculty interviews, one in the mid-morning and one mid-afternoon. This was a perfect schedule, and I had plenty of time to do everything. Lunch and a tour fit in between the two. Some people had both interviews in the afternoon, leaving them with lots of downtime in the morning. Still, there is plenty to do and see in the area, so it shouldn't be a problem. The students we met were great: very helpful, honest, and likable. Ask the students lots of questions about their lives in- and outside of class because my interviewers were clerkship preceptors, and they knew more about the big picture of the NP curriculum than specifics about the first two years. Both interviewers were very nice, pretty informal, and extremely low stress. I was frustrated that my first one had barely skimmed my file because his questions were not very meaty. There was more small talk than true substance; however, my sense was that he was really only concerned about seeing my human side. He said he would essentially be defending me in front of the committee, and I got the impression that he was significantly impressed/convinced of my suitability for the program. My second interviewer was better in that he had read my file, and he asked me more specific questions about my current research, my undergrad experiences, and my life. After the second interview, I felt a lot more satisfied. Both interviewers spent considerable time talking about the pros and cons of the New Pathway curriculum and future modifications being considered.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
No responses
