@JHS: Mea culpa - it was not my intention to raise anyone else’s anxiety levels - this is a crazy time of year for many amazing kids. Rather, my intention was meant to reassure OP and others that Harvard’s likely letters are rare indeed (this is the Harvard forum). While these other exceptional schools found one of my pups to be apparently more extraordinary than we considered, Harvard hasn’t.
She honestly did not expect any of this extra attention - she thought she probably had a chance at getting into perhaps one of the schools she applied to, but she understands how the numbers games are stacked against so many qualified applicants. This attention is now making her consider the possibility that her chances to get into Harvard might not be so slim after all - as my husband says, she now has a great big fat chance.
There isn’t much reassurance in bragging to an OP who is already concerned that she doesn’t have (and probably isn’t going to get) any likely letters, and is stressing about getting in at all to her top choice(s). But I stand by my post above – a likely letter in the end means nothing if the OP gets an acceptance in the RD round (and OP, even if you don’t, there is life beyond this, I promise!). But regarding the accepetances, it is like food – it all ends up in the same place anyway. OP, you just need to distract yourself from the waiting, which is the hardest part. Go read a book, study for APs, bake something, look at warm places online if you live in a snowy place, focus on one of your ECs, play cards with your friends, ANYTHING that isn’t thinking about college admissions. CC isn’t the healthiest place to hang out this time of year… and in month, you will know what your options really are. Hang in there.
Harvard is not that rare since they have been issuing Likelies as we speak. Admissions officers from Yale or Brown might value some attributes in a totally different way than those from Harvard or Stanford. Different schools are looking for totally different things although they may have a reasonable expectation to admit a very high caliber type of student when all things are considered.
From what I am reading, it looks like Harvard is looking for more low income rural first gen type of students to issue letters to right now, most likely because they don’t participate in many of the programs like Questbridge and have to pursue such students on their own.
I really wanted one, even from just one school. It would have been comforting and flattering to know that a college has a spot waiting for me. My Common App essay had been published (it was my best piece of writing yet) and I was wondering if that would pique their interest in my application.
If you wanted to know early where you got in, then you should have applied ED or SCEA. The whole college admittance process can be seen as “unfair”, just because it is not crystal clear how it works. If it was XYZ school that admitted everyone above a certain GPA or SAT score, you wouldn’t have this problem. Or, as you know, there are some schools that have auto admit college fairs. However, you decided to throw your hat into one of the biggest ponds with the biggest fish - and this may be the first time in your life that you are not the stand out star.
You may wonder why I am giving this advice. I am a mom and a 1982 AA female graduate of Yale with a freshman D there now. I know your frustration but if you are Harvard material, you will get into either Harvard or some other equally great school. Be patient and good luck.
@gibby@fauve @T26E4 @intparent @Tperry1982 … And anyone else who replied to my thread,
Well, I got into Cornell Univeristy today via an email!!! I’m over the moon and I don’t even know what to think! I wanted a likely letter from at least one Ivy League, and I got one. Can’t complain anymore
It is odd what is seen as the likely requirements for receiving a likely letter based off of previous year applicants. My friend received one, but is not a star athlete, or an academic superstar.
