Are those Guidebooks wrong?

Applying to College
1

<p>The Dean of Harvard says that the majority of students who are accepted are all-rounders. Doesn't this go completely against all the books and sites which reiterate how important it is to specialize and focus and have a passion etc. etc.
(I encourage you to watch the video: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/638160-new-interview-harvard-admissions-dean-william-fitzsimmons.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/638160-new-interview-harvard-admissions-dean-william-fitzsimmons.html&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p>

2

<p>Although they mean well, I am sooo frsutrated with college representatives and their publications. To make the admissions process look more fair, they publish statements making it appear that a student with a 3.4 gpa and 1800 SAT has a realistic chance of acceptance, when that isn’t true (excepting, of course, URMs, top athletes, and the children of America’s rpyalty (Bush, Gore, Clinton, etc.)). I have a good friend (white) who is a good but not great student – 3.3 GPA, 1850 SAT superscored. She’s naturally optimistic and applied ED to Brown and was rejected. She applied RD to other top schools under the belief that “Others with my stats make it, why not me?” She listens to college presidents talk about holistic review processes and their search for well-rounded students and she believes it. Now she’s been crushed by Brown, I’ve noticed a huge change in her personality. I really worry for her when April 1st comes around. I wish college presidents would just tell the truth: “If you’re not completely amazing in some way, or if you’re not a member of a targetted group, then don’t bother applying. We’re not accepting you.” This game they are playing breaks so many hearts.</p>

3

<p>^they just want admissions fees and lower % of accepted stats…>:(</p>

4

<p>If you don’t have a passion for anything, then you have nothing to really catch the attention of the admissions committee. You CAN still get accepted, but so can that other guy who also isn’t passionate about much.</p>

<p>But if you’re not fairly well-rounded, you probably won’t make it either. Why accept the person who sacrificed their GPA to help poor people in Mexico, when I can accept the person who didn’t sacrifice their GPA and also helped poor people in Mexico?</p>