<p>The reason for the message you (the OP) received (which appears to be an auto-response) was likely that the admissions office has been bombarded with requests that could be easily addressed through the website. In the current age, it seems as though many people will tap out a quick message instead of searching through a website to obtain readily available information. As a result, the admissions office set up this response to address the most common questions through direct links to relevant pages on its website.</p>
<p>That said, your request clearly is not covered under the most common ones the office receives. In that case, simply reply to the message with "HELP" in the subject line. I would assume that this is set up in the mail server to bypass the auto-responder and for the message to be forwarded to a real person. As to your comment regarding Yale, its admissions office simply operates differently, encouraging applicants to contact directly the responsible admissions officer. Harvard, however, does not publicize this information and handles requests to the office through another set of staff members.</p>