<p>What the heck? I just got a call from one of the minority recruitment officers at Harvard. Basically, she told me that I'd be a good candidate for the school and asked if I had any questions. So being the honest person that I am, I told her that I hadn't looked at the school since I felt I didn't have a chance. She went on to say that Hardvard isn't JUST looking at numbers, but academic rigor and stuff like that. She also said that if I didn't have as high a GPA as I'd like, to have an "impeccable essay" and a strong interview. Are these calls common? Does it mean they're really interested, or what? Frankly, before this call, Harvard was off the radar for me, for the reasons I stated above, but if they really do mean something, I'm shocked and surprised. If not, then I'll feel stupid. Haha.</p>
<p>Well, Harvard does actively seek out minority students, so... you might wanna give it a shot. It couldn't hurt.</p>
<p>The Minority recruitment office is just that. A call is worth more than everyday interest letter in the mail. Take the call seriously. Let it show that Harvard and all of the other Ivies NEED diversity. As a minority- if you like Harvard- you should apply. check out the pros, one of the largest being a smaller applicant pool. Consider it.</p>
<p>Yep! In fact, apply early! That's what I'm doing... It will greatly increase your chances of admissions, even if you're numbers aren't perfect.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies, guys (and gals). I'm not sure what the deal is though, since I'm an international student (I don't have a green card), so I don't know why Harvard would still contact me as a "minority". I mean, I am hispanic as well, but I don't know, I thought international applicants were internationals...not fulfilling the "minority" quota, for lack of a better term. I suppose it could have been a mistake. </p>
<p>The lady gave me her name and number though, and told me to call her back if I had any questions, so I'll definitely do that in the future.</p>
<p>You can be international AND a minority. Internationals from Zaire and from England are not one and the same.</p>
<p>does harvard give preference to low-income minorities? if so, how do i show them that my income is very low (<20,000)?</p>
<p>It's hard to say.</p>
<p>Technically, since Admissions are need-blind, I don't think the admissions office can know what your exact income is.</p>
<p>They can only make assumptions from the context of the community you live in and the school you go to; that's what the school profile's for. It's really all relative. Yes, you're still expected to be a great student with a strong personality and a drive for pursuing your passions; no, I don't think they'll hold it against you if you're not captain of your crew or fencing teams. I don't think it's preferential so much as realistic.</p>
<p>Yes, Harvard gives some preference to low income applicants.</p>
<p>Colleges have lots of ways to find out whether your family is low income. The first and easiest way is to see how much education your parents have completed; it's not very common for college-educated parents to be making $30,000 or $40,000 a year combined, while this situation is quite common for parents who never completed high school. Second, colleges communicate with the applicant's school, often through the guidance counselor. They could directly ask about the applicant's financial situation if they see the first situation; more likely, they might ask about how many opportunities the applicant has had and such.
The applicant can also tell the college directly or indirectly. For example, a very obvious example of a low income applicant is the use of a fee waiver. Another example is if an applicant writes an essay concerning his financial situation (such as how he's never had many opportunities, he's had to work full time during school, etc.).</p>
<p>Personally, I think that need-blind colleges are not need-blind when it comes to low income applicants, but I have no evidence to prove this; I mean this in that some colleges are sympathetic to low income applicants.</p>
<p>"It will greatly increase your chances of admissions, even if you're numbers aren't perfect."</p>
<p>This is a point on which Byerly (the other resident Harvard alum who interviews students) and I disagree.</p>
<p>I have heard the Harvard admissions officers say that there's no inherent advantage in applying early. They say that a higher percentage of EA applicants are admitted than is the case with RD applicants because the EA pool is stronger.</p>
<p>This is exactly what I've seen in my area. The EAs are overall stronger than are the RA students. The EAs who are admitted are students who are so incredibly strong and unusual that it's clear that they would have been admitted after the entire applicant pool is in. This is, incidentally, exactly what Harvard says is the case.</p>
<p>As for underrepresented minorities, while Harvard wants them and also wants low-income students, don't assume that if one is a URM and/or low-income that will mean you'll get in EA. It might happen. It might not.</p>
<p>IMO if one knows that there's a weakness in one's application, it might be better to save EA for a top college where EA definitely gives you an advantage, and then to apply RA to Harvard.</p>
<p>Colleges can figure out your income by: whether you use a fee waiver when you apply; what your parents do; where you live; whether you apply for financial aid, and to some extent what your ECs are and what your other activities are.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments, Northstarmom! I still tend to agree with Byerly about the EA thing, but I understand that nothing's ever guaranteed at top schools.</p>
<p>Harvard was also exploring the use of zip-codes to determine income levels . . .</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate it. As of now, I have no intention of applying EA to Harvard. It was nice to be contacted by them and it certainly boosted my ego, even though I know my chances are slim. I'll still visit my the school and try to sit in on classes, but yea.</p>
<p>Hey, I got a call too! But I'm not URM or anything so I don't know why.</p>
<p>Halloa all,
I've always intended to apply to Harvard EA, for this very reason: My numbers (specifically GPA) aren't that competitive (in fact it's simply bad), and they'd look very ugly beside those of 21000 shiny apps. So I apply EA to pit my GPA against MUCH fewer shiny numbers. Taking into account normal SATs and ECs, good recs, URM (Vietnamese, around 5 apps this year), low income ($2500/yr, even lower than those of other VNmese applicants). Does that argument stand?</p>
<p>I think that if you want to go to a top college, your best bet is to apply EA to a college where applying EA really does give an advantage. Although Byerly disagrees with me, I have seen absolutely no evidence that EA provides an advantage at Harvard. Perhaps, though, it confers some advantage on Long Island, where Byerly is an alum interviewer, but it doesn't confer an advantage in the area where I'm an alum interviewer.</p>
<p>I have heard Harvard adcoms say that EA confers no advantage to anyone. A higher proportion of EA students are admitted only because the overall EA pool is much stronger than is the RD one, say adcoms.</p>
<p>Usually 0-1 students from my area get in EA each year, and the EA admit is head and shoulders above students who get in RD, even though those students would stand out in virtually any college's admission pool. The students who get in RD sometimes include students who were deferred EA, but also have included students who applied only RD.</p>
<p>If you truly have a bad GPA, no matter how you apply, your application is going to have much less of a chance of being accepted than if you had a strong GPA. And, heck, most applicants have strong GPAs and most still get rejected.</p>
<p>There are many URMs (and I'm not sure if Vietnamese counts as URM for Harvard, though it does for some colleges) with strong GPAs and strong SATs as well as strong ECs and low income status. Contrary to the rumors abiding on CC, many of them do not get in either.</p>
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<p>because the overall EA pool is much stronger than is the RD one</p>
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<p>I haven't been interviewing for that many years, but in my short experience, this has definitely been true.</p>
<p>Northstartmom,
You made me feel bad. Somehow all my plans have just collapsed and now they're lying in a pile:( Now come to the next practical question: WHICH (top, need-blind) school will give you an advantage for applying EA?</p>
<p>miao if you honestly want to go to harvard as your #1 choice, then i would still advise you to apply there EA...</p>
<p>instead of trying to play this "admissions games" or whatever, just apply where you want to go!</p>
<p>I totally agree with NSM. Just think about it, it make sense that EA admits are must stronger than thge RD admits. Just because more people get in EA doesnt mean there is an unfair advantage. Those who apply EA are hardcore students who are pretty much sure to get into Harvard EA. These include URMs an athletes, and super talented applicants. So IMHO, if there is a weakness in your apps, skip EA and and tweak your apps and apply RD.</p>
<p>Northstarmom or Hanna, or whoever that can help me: How can i be eligible for application fee waivers?</p>
<p>Thanks, and good luck to everyone!</p>