<p>
[quote]
HYPS want leaders, not followers.
[/quote]
Amen to that.</p>
<p>Would it be detrimental to be an Asian who has a passion in music? ( Seems like virtually all Asians either play piano or violin..concertmaster blablabla) Would the Adcoms be able to see the difference between applicants who just learn violin because their parents forced them to vs. the applicants who really have a real passion in music?</p>
<p>yahooo: To put it simply, yes.</p>
<p>I still don't get it: there are Asians who love classical music, who love playing the piano (or violin, or flute) to the extent like anyone who have a passion for literature, creative writing, history, philosophy, or archeology (or whatever "unique" passions exist). Just because their passions happen to be coincided with the "norm" that their passions is devalued? </p>
<p>I may be bitter because I'm rejected (...or not bitter afterall, since I got into my other dream school). I do math, I play the piano, and blah..blah..blah - all "typical" Asian ECs - but I love doing them (I am going to a world-renowned conservatory for piano performance next fall), not because my parents want me to do them. I was not well-informed enough when I was a child to choose an "unique" hobby (knowing nothing about the "sterotypical" Asian in college admission), and I'm unfortunate enough to fall in love with the "not-unique" hobby like piano. So that condemned my fate in Harvard admission?</p>
<p>I hate following the crowd - and tried so hard not to - but I cannot give up something I love just to make myself unique, or just because a lots of people are doing it. I'm sure the Adcoms in Harvard failed to see that - being immersed in a sea of applications. Fortunately for me I'm not so keen on packaging myself to get into Harvard - otherwise, what can I do, giving up music which is part of my life to pursue some unusual and unique ECs like going to Africa as a missionary?</p>
<p>thehotrocks is right about asians and their reverse discrimination.</p>
<p>but they do accept some asians because of their "passion."</p>
<p>and harvard does place great emphasis on sat scores since college rankings are affected by sat scores. that's why harvard has:</p>
<p>Middle 50% of First-Year Students
SAT Reasoning Verbal: 700 - 790<br>
SAT Reasoning Math: 700 - 790</p>
<p>thzxcyl: At the same time, a guy I know who got in Harvard 2010 was a violinist and did a whole lot with it and he got in. Oh, he had a 650 on one of his three SAT IIs, by the way.</p>
<p>Honestly, when it boils down to it, a lot of qualified applicants will be turned away (our 9% acceptance rate translates into a 91% rejection rate). </p>
<p>hereiam: Most asian students here did not get all 800s on their standardized tests. They might have gotten 700+ (lord knows I didn't, but my top 3 were in the 700s range), but again, they are trying to determine who would contribute the most here at Harvard and many candidates, in the admissions officers' eyes, fall short. And that's the sad truth, regardless of ethnic background or whatever.</p>
<p>regardless of ethnic background?</p>
<p>are you kidding me?</p>
<p>xjayz: are you talking about an Asian? Perhaps I was not clear, but I look exactly like the crowd of the overachieving Asians applying to Harvard - lol, loads of perfect 800s in SAT and SAT IIs, 3.9+ GPA, going for science/engineering field, etc.- except that I do not just play a musical instrument for a number of years, I love music, I love the piano. Unfortunately for me, piano happens to be perhpas the most popular ECs especially in the Asian pool, and for the Adcoms in Harvard I'm just another of those typical Asians. So, yeah, Asians who love classical music, you better do something else - your passion is not passion anymore in the Adcoms' eyes just because so many others are doing the same thing.</p>
<p>hereiam: I highly doubt the 91% rejected applicants are majority asian. </p>
<p>thzxcyl: Yes. He is Chinese. In terms of your application, perhaps it was another aspect of your application. Besides, as you mentioned, you're going to a great conservatory, which I'm sure is just as hard to get into as Harvard is.</p>
<p>Again, I really recommend Byerly's post about the admissions process in the Boston Magazine.</p>
<p>xjayz: ur reponses to me are pretty random.</p>
<p>I never said "Most asian students here did not get all 800s on their standardized tests."</p>
<p>I never said "91% rejected applicants are majority asian."</p>
<p>You say that "thehotrocks is right about asians and their reverse discrimination." He then basically constructs his argument around the fact that asian students, in order to even be considered at Harvard must have and implies that:</p>
<ol>
<li>perfect - or near perfect - SAT scores</li>
<li>must be #1 - or darn close to it - in their class</li>
</ol>
<p>Two arguments which are simply not true. </p>
<p>I mentioned in a previous post that "many candidates, in the admissions officers' eyes, fall short. And that's the sad truth, regardless of ethnic background or whatever."</p>
<p>You responded that "regardless of ethnic background? are you kidding me?" which implies the fact that you are saying more asians fall short than the typical caucasian or black candidate, which is also simply just not the case, especially since 17% of Harvard is of Asian descent while the Asian population in America is around 2 to 4%.</p>
<p>Again, I don't really care - since I am here and you are not, and I got in and you didn't. </p>
<p>I don't gain any help from being here, and you seem to be using me and others as targets to promote the bitterness that you harbor from being waitlisted, as you ask on another thread if anyone got in from the waitlist.</p>
<p>don't get so cocky, kid.</p>
<p>getting into harvard undergrad doesnt guarantee success</p>
<p>Oh, the bitterness of a person who couldn't get in...</p>
<p>I think I'm channeling Byerly's spirit right now.</p>
<p>your reasoning is pretty horrible too.</p>
<p>harvard's admissions officers must've been really high when they admitted you. you were just those below avg asian kid who got in with luck. now you're trying to tell yourself that harvard looks for "passion" and that you got in because of "passion." quit being so insecure.</p>
<p>i performed much better than you in standardized tests and class rank. you are an idiot, i am not. college doesnt define you. you let it define you because you dont ahve any academic success to show.</p>
<p>p.s. i got into ivy leagues, stanford, and other schools at the same caliber as harvard. i may be angry about not getting into harvard, but that's not clouding my logic. race DOES play a huge role in college admissions</p>
<p>If race plays such a huge role in college admissions, and if you are allegedly intelligent as you say you are, then why don't you change it instead of attacking my credentials, of which you only know one aspect of it?</p>
<p>you're the one who attacked me personalyl first.</p>
<p>"Again, I don't really care - since I am here and you are not, and I got in and you didn't."</p>
<p>you're the one who only knows one aspect of my credentials and you offended me. those were some weak cheap shots, poking at someone else's suffering. is that what you do all the time when arguing with someone?</p>
<p>Can someone answer my question?
Would the Adcoms be able to see the difference between applicants who just learn violin because their parents forced them to vs. the applicants who really have a real passion in music?
I agree with thzxcl, just because some of us ended up having a passion for music, shouldn't hurt our chances.. Most Asians learn violin/piano because their parents forced them to, so hopefully the adcoms can distinguish..</p>
<p>post by hereiam</p>
<p>"harvard's admissions officers must've been really high when they admitted you. you were just those below avg asian kid who got in with luck. now you're trying to tell yourself that harvard looks for "passion" and that you got in because of "passion." quit being so insecure.</p>
<p>i performed much better than you in standardized tests and class rank. you are an idiot, i am not."</p>
<p>Now, I understand why you didnt get into Harvard.</p>
<p>You seem like a pretty elitist, superficial student that Harvard and its peers try to seek out to reject.</p>
<p>It seems like Harvard was able to pick up on that while some of its peers didnt.</p>
<p>You're persisting to be ignorant if you continue to think that you get into HYPS by SAT's and GPA alone. If it was simply like that, there would be no need to have an admissions committee. The college would only need to use a computer program to select those with highest stats. </p>
<p>Youre one of those few immature students who believe that you are better than others simply because of your SAT score. I wonder where you live, but when you get to college, which will not be Harvard, youll be shocked to see that your peers do not go around talking about their high shchool SAT scores/grades, and whatnot.</p>
<p>You need a reality check, dude.</p>
<p>Wow, there is quite some rancor here... </p>
<p>yahooo: yes and no. I highly doubt that the Adcoms cannot see the difference between real passion and forced practice; but I also highly doubt that they can see it in every case - there are always possibilities that the applicant did not present himself/herself in a clear way, or that the Adcom just miss the subtleties. There are quite some luck involved here: your application has to be in a right way to the right Adcom. Work on your Carnegie Hall debut, then you don't need to worry about it (just kidding).</p>
<p>(xjayz: just to clarify, I'm perfectly happy with where I'm going next fall. I'm even kind of glad that I did not get into Harvard - I think I would be happier in the other place (sour grape effect? :)) Harvard is a great place, but the whole process of getting into any selective colleges is really too arbitrary)</p>
<p>thzxcyl: You are one mature guy. Trust me - I know how it feels - I have been deferred from H EA (basically a rejection in most people's eyes) and then accepted. Seriously, hopefully you'll be the next great concert pianist? :)</p>