I just wanted to highlight that all of the statements I said in my post were direct quotes from previous posts. And, as someone who just got out of this process and was thankfully able to have a good result from it, these types of responses with little to no evidence or even feedback are neither helpful, truthful, or objective. It is true that Harvard is a reach for anyone and that no one can truly treat it as a guarantee or large possibility, but with what I’ve read and based off of my experiences with myself and my peers, this student has a chance if they are able to properly present their application.
@worriedmomucb provided exactly those stats by posting the GPAs for enrolled students from Harvard’s own CDS.
Are you disputing that?
Even if you look at the statistics, it says that 4.04% had a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74, there are people who even got in with as low as a 2.5 to 2.99. It’s difficult but not impossible with proper essays.
You take issue with people saying that the OP has close to zero chance of getting in to Harvard. But this is not simply people’s opinion; this is objectively true. In 2022, Harvard’s acceptance rate was 3.1%
Source: Harvard College Accepts Record-Low 3.19% of Applicants to Class of 2026 | News | The Harvard Crimson
Of those accepted to Harvard in 2022, only 4.04% had a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74, the range the OP falls into.
Source: Common Data Set – Office of Institutional Research & Analytics
Pull out hooked applicants…Do some math…And you get…A chance very close to zero. Not zero. But very close to zero.
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That’s for everyone, everyone has a very small chance, but telling someone that they have “nothing special” and have no chance “even as an international applicant” is unnecessary and uncalled for.
As I said, the OP should try: nothing ventured, nothing gained. But being realistic with oneself that it is VERY difficult is a hallmark of wisdom and maturity.
Folks here know better than me, but those GPA numbers may include legacies, athletes, donors, and children of faculty etc. The OP hasn’t indicated they belong in any of those categories. Whether this group skews the GPA numbers, which are already exceedingly low, is something others can explain.
That’s all.
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As the OP has not been on this site since April, I’m closing the thread as CC is not a debate society. If OP returns and would like to re-open the thread, they can email a moderator.
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This is where you, like so many individuals, are sorely mistaken. Students are not accepted to Harvard, or any low admissions college, based solely on some stellar essay. A student who can write an essay of such amazing brilliance is not a student who has done nothing else of note. Indeed, if AOs read an absolutely brilliant essay from a student with a profile that doesn’t otherwise stand out, that application would go directly to the reject pile, since they would assume, and rightfully so, that the student did not write the essay.
The idea that a student can be accepted to a low admissions college based only an some amazing essay is based on the mistaken notion that these colleges are looking for the Most Deserving by some objective measure or other.
They are not.
They are looking for students who will succeed in college, and some, Harvard in particular, are looking for students who will help Harvard’s brand. Harvard is looking for students who they hope will do well during or after the student is at Harvard. They look for indicators for this in the student’s application. These indicators can be academic, including a high GPA, assorted academic awards like math or science competition awards, they can be athletic, so athletic awards, and they can be in some other field. The best bets are students who are already either famous, or come from very wealthy and successful families.
A stellar essay, on its own, is not an indicator of this.
Not a single one of those students with low GPAs was accepted based on their essays. They were all either top athletic talent, otherwise famous, or are on the Dean’s Interest List. That is the list of the kids whose parents have donated a lot of money and may donate more, who are the children of powerful figures, children of faculty that Havard wants to retain, etc.
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