<p>I attend a public high school of class size ~500. I already submitted my SCEA app, but I've known for a while that there's an Harvard athletic recruit from my school. He hasn't committed yet, but I think he most likely will. </p>
<p>My question: will his going to Harvard guarantee that I'll get deferred in December, and ultimately rejected? I'd like to be clear that we have no overlapping credentials (all he has going for him is his outstanding soccer, he has a 3.7 GPA and a 31 or 32 ACT). I am the number one student in the class, a National Merit SF, Math Honor Society President, and many more things at my school, and I have a competitive SAT score (2300+). We are both white males.</p>
<p>So, basically, will the athletic recruit hurt my chances even though he wouldn't be applying with mathematics (which I am) in mind? Does anyone know/have experience with athletic recruits' impacting the chances of non-recruits?</p>
<p>The recruit may or may not get a slot set aside for an athlete. You’re not competing with him for that slot nor is he competing for your slot. It’s a non-issue.</p>
<p>T26E4, I know “technically” we’re competing on separate playing fields, but would the admissions officers maybe be apprehensive about admitting two white males from the same school SCEA? That’s the mindset I see (and I’d be the one they’d defer/reject since I’m not the recruit…).</p>
<p>Also, to reference your “may or may not” wording, are you saying that since his academics aren’t competitive (for Harvard at least), his only option as a recruit would be that slot?</p>
<p>@ckfy63a: Does your high school use Naviance or some other electronic way of tracking college admissions? If so, in past years, how many students from your high school have been accepted to Harvard? From the way you phrased “two white males from the same school SCEA” it doesn’t sound as though your school has a good track record with Harvard. I’m asking because at school’s that do have a good track record, Harvard takes 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 kids – and many of them are white, asian, black, hispanic etc. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are . . it matters more if your school’s college office or guidance staff has a good relationship with Harvard. (The athlete has a good relationship with the Harvard coach, which puts him in a different category than you.)</p>
<p>@gibby Yeah, we use Naviance and I’m aware of the feature you’re referring to. In the last five years, we had one person accepted to Harvard, but keep in mind that we maybe have 3-4 people, at most, per year who apply (besides the athletic recruit, I’m the only Harvard SCEA’er from my school). My counselor made it sound like the administration has a good relationship. We’ll see.</p>
<p>@ckfy63a- The athletic recruit in your class has a huge advantage- a hook- if the soccer coach backs him. The recruit’s 32 ACT is fine for him; Harvard has enough perfect SAT scorers that they can reject half).</p>
<p>Adcoms will look to see what you can offer to enhance the campus community. Honor society and NMF awards add nothing as they are only a reflection of your scores. Have you done something on a regional or national level which will astound admissions? Will your recs reflect amazing personal character attributes which will capture the hearts of adcoms? </p>
<p>If so, the college will be happy to have you as well as the recruit.</p>
<p>I don’t know how H does it, but my S was a recruited athlete for a peer school. That didn’t seem to prevent the acceptance of one other student from his small HS. These were the first kids from the school to be accepted to that college. Same ethnic group - not URM.</p>