<p>I think Harvard’s entering class is 2200. Let’s assume that. If 5% of this number is 3.5 or below, that’s about 110 actual students.</p>
<p>Statistically, 110 students out of 35000 applicants is 0.31%. And it’s guaranteed that these 110 students have something extraordinary that H admissions saw that out balances the basement GPAs. </p>
<p>Jungie: your “5%” is not the admit rate but the actual no. of students. The actual admit rate is roughly 0.31%</p>
<p>Harvard can always use a good quarterback. You have some flexibility on grades if you are a D1 nationally recruited quarterback.</p>
<p>I would imagine that a good percentage of admitted students with GPA’s less than 3.5 might be recruited athletes, legacy applicants or developmental cases.</p>
<p>I found this old thread with very useful stats pertaining to percentages of students admitted with low GPA’s:<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/567740-selective-colleges-admitting-students-below-3-75-gpa.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/567740-selective-colleges-admitting-students-below-3-75-gpa.html</a></p>
<p>At Harvard, the vast majority of legacy applicants and recruited athletes (I knew a number of them at school) had excellent GPAs (4.0 or near perfect) in high school.</p>
<p>Underrepresented minorities (URM) or otherwise disadvantaged applicants comprise the population of successful applicants with lower GPAs.</p>
<p>If the OP cannot characterize himself as a URM or disadvantaged applicant, then I would not like his chances at securing an acceptance from Harvard or any other highly selective college.</p>
<p>On a related note, I think it’s really unhealthy for students in high school (particularly the earlier years – frosh, soph) to be talking about getting into Harvard. It implies that the proper focus on personal development for the “right” reasons doesn’t exist.</p>
<p>@bartleby007
Im not focousing on getting into harvard.
I was just wondering what my chances would be. I dont sit around all day worrying about getting into harvard. I have a life. Harvard didn’t even hit my mind until this summer because i have more free time. During the school year, I usually just do my best and enjoy high school days.</p>
<p>@gibby thank you</p>
<p>@Jungie: It’s good to hear that.</p>
<p>With respect to your question about transferring from a community college to Harvard, I would say that that path is rare. The successful transfer students whom I knew transferred after their first years at a military service academy (West Point, US Naval Academy). There were also a couple of transfer students who transferred because a sibling was a current undergrad. In the cases of which I am aware, there was always a compelling reason for the transfer, i.e., not just “I did well at community college, so I’m ready for Harvard now.”</p>