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Are the chances of Harvard admissions close to nil? Is there a reason for me to get my hopes up? With an acceptance rate of <10%, what is the point of even trying to apply?

Does same holds true for other top schools?

Thanks for your input.

By May_1 (May_1) on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 05:46 pm: Edit

The point of applying is to raise your chances of being accepted from 0% (that is, if you didn't apply) to 10%. I doubt I'll get in, but Harvard and many other schools for that matter are worth at least trying. And if you rejected, so what? It's not the end of the world, and most Harvard rejects go on to attend excellent shools. But go ahead and don't apply, that's just one less competitor for me.

By Kalitiha (Kalitiha) on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 08:21 pm: Edit

At least if you get rejected from Harvard you don't have to feel bad because you know that 20,000 other people got rejected also and with the majority of them, nothing was wrong, there just wasn't room. Nobody can ever look down on you for being rejected from Harvard. One of my friends got rejected from Harvard and now he's going to Brown.

By ~the_Chosen~ (~the_Chosen~) on Sunday, May 18, 2003 - 09:28 pm: Edit

Unless you're something truely unique, apply to Harvard, if you're a strong URM, apply to Harvard.

I'm Asian, valedictorian and all and I didn't bother to waste my money and apply to Harvard.

If you're just applying for the heck of it, then you're a complete dumbass.

You're just helping Harvard maintain that "less than 10%" acceptance rate. Because of so many people that don't understand the admissions process.

By Divingin (Divingin) on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 03:53 am: Edit

you don't have much to lose if you don't make it- except for 60 dollars. oh yeah and the postage fee. if you DO make it, congrats. one of the few, but it doesn't mean that you were necessarily more qualified than anyone else- tons of qualified ppl don't make it while i have seen unqualified ppl make it (or maybe i'm just blind ...)

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Monday, May 19, 2003 - 01:09 pm: Edit

Obviously, the chances of getting in to Harvard are NOT impossible - they have to take somebody : )

One student at my daughter's high school was accepted to Harvard this year - he was neither valedictorian nor salutatorian. However, he is a great kid, with solid grades (lots of APs) and exceptional extra curricular activities (drama, science, ASB, etc.)well'loved by the faculty who I'm sure wrote wonderful recommendations for him.

However, believe it or not, he's turning Harvard down to go to USC's film school.

So, you never know unless you're in the game. Consider your application to any of the Ivy's like buying a lottery ticket - the chances may be slim but you gotta be in it to win it.

By Midnightdanzer (Midnightdanzer) on Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - 02:50 am: Edit

a hundred years ago someone thought that walking on the moon would be impossible...

hmm who would've thought

By Divingin (Divingin) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 06:43 am: Edit

harvard's great, but so are lots of other schools. in my opinion (and i'm sure there are others that share it) you will get just as great of an education at harvard as you will in other places.

By Brown_Man (Brown_Man) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 07:01 pm: Edit

Dont go to harvard if ur into engineering...

By Thepiskickass (Thepiskickass) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Isn't Harvard good for pure sciences though if not applied?

By Serene (Serene) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 07:08 pm: Edit

Harvard has high reputation in math and science, but it's very theoretical. =) The best thing is if you go to Harvard you can cross-register at MIT to take MIT's science classes which are more focused on practical stuff.

By Wedesdo (Wedesdo) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 09:00 pm: Edit

I was in the same boat as you last year. Thought I didn't stand a chance. Applied to Stanford, got in, going there.

You never know until you try.

By 1001001 (1001001) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 09:02 pm: Edit

Wedesdo:

What are you stats? Did you really think of yourself as mundane?

Thanks for the input, and enjoy Stanford!

By Aznbrouhaha (Aznbrouhaha) on Saturday, May 24, 2003 - 12:29 am: Edit

Does anyone know ppl who got in this past year w/ Early Action?
What were their stats??

By Andrew05 (Andrew05) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 08:42 pm: Edit

My dad is an alumnist at Harvard...How much does that increase my chances?

By Dream5 (Dream5) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 10:46 pm: Edit

Unless he donated 2 million dollars, not too much.

By Andrew05 (Andrew05) on Friday, May 30, 2003 - 08:09 pm: Edit

lol ok

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, May 30, 2003 - 08:15 pm: Edit

I'd demurr. If ordinary chances for Admission are around 10 percent, a legacy's is around 25-30, according to the Harvard admissions's officer who spoke at the info session I was at a few weeks ago.

By Mike28 (Mike28) on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 08:13 pm: Edit

Carolyn, if you don't mind me asking, who is that kid your talking about?

A friend of mine was accepted to UCS's film school, I know he applied to the Ivies, but he only talked about turning down NYU due to finicial reasons.

That description fits him perfectly though.

By Piku714 (Piku714) on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 11:04 pm: Edit

I applied to Harvard early, got deferred, then got waitlisted, and finally rejected. I was happy, though with the schools I was able to choose between - MIT and Yale. I didn't think I had a great chance at any of them (my stats are really bad compared to some of the people who post here). Now, I'm really glad that I did apply.

Another thing I would say is not to apply to Harvard if you don't think it's a good fit for YOU. Somebody else posted that a lot of people go to Harvard because of the name and end up unhappy; maybe they would've been better off at a small LAC or something.

By 1001001 (1001001) on Tuesday, June 03, 2003 - 12:11 am: Edit

What are your stats piku?

By Piku714 (Piku714) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 12:35 am: Edit

Let's just say high SAT I scores, so-so SAT IIs, high GPA and rank, and ECs that I mostly did not start until my junior year. I guess my "hook" - if I had one - would be the community service I did in India last summer. I got a really good recommendation letter from the head of the organization I volunteered at.

By Anothernycdad (Anothernycdad) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 01:14 am: Edit

EA child; 1560 (800M); 777 average SAT II's; exellent gpa; AP Scholar with Distinction after Junior Year; hardest course load with some college class, plus 7 or 8 APs; National Merit Scholar (of course not awarded at time of admit); varied ECs; all city and State wide comp in sport; high achiever at a well-known, highly regarded h. school with excellent recs (presumably) probably made the biggest difference

But who knows exactly...

By Caramel (Caramel) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 05:19 pm: Edit

Does being a minority help you get in to Harvard?

By Anotherdad (Anotherdad) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 09:35 am: Edit

For Harvard, the whole package counts. Minority status will be considered, but would only rarely be a deciding factor over other considerations. However, I was quite surprised by TheDad's figure for the importance of legacy. I would have thought that it would not receive that high a weight.
Another thing amazing about Harvard is the low number they say they admit based solely on academics, around 200. Since all the applicants have great academic records to start, my mind boggles to think what that select group is like. I know a kid who was the top HS graduate in a country of 10 million+, and he did not get in.

By Aparent (Aparent) on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 10:13 am: Edit

From What It Really Takes to Get Into the Ivy League, by Chuck Hughes, former senior admissions officer, Harvard College: "Top 5 Percent... includes those who are national academic scholars, heavily recruited, and those students whose clear-cut admission is based on academic credentials alone.These students represent the top 5 percent of the admitted student body at highly selective colleges.Almost all...are in the top 1 to 2 percent of their high school graduating class and are enrolled in the most demanding curriculum offered at their school. Most...have SAT I and SAT II test scores in the 770 range or higher across the board, including several 800s. These students have taken multiple AP and/or IB exams and have score the highest results possible (AP scores of 5 and IB scores of 7). Many...have enrolled, or were enrolled at the time of admission, in university coursework in their particular fields of interest...These students have been recognized nationally by winning academic national and international competitions...by scoring in the top 1 percent in national testing, by participating in prestigious programs mentored by university professors, or by other means that are recognized by admissions offices and university faculty alike. Many of these candidates' applications were reviewed by professors in the student's field of interest and received strong endorsements. Often, the faculty members of the institutions that are competing for the candidate help to recruit these students."

He contrasts these with the second, larger group, those who comprise 65 to 75 percent of the admitted population, students who are strong across the board, may have been val or sal, have SAT I's 1400-1550 or higher, with SAT II's in the mid-700 or higher, take most demanding curriculam. "The main difference between these candidates and those recognized as national scholars who are viewed as 'clear admits' is that these candidates most likely have not won the type of national recognition through testing, competition, or other programs to warrant placement into the most elite academic category." When their work is reviewed by faculty, "the accomplishments of the aandidate may not have particularly impressed..."