Chocolate you say? Hmm...

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>"One Harvard applicant, Fitzsimmons said, sent in a letter of recommendation once a day for three months. Another mailed in all her corrected papers, going back to elementary school. Coming in with Harvard applications every year are 1,800 CDs or audio tapes. Then there are the custom-made Veritas seals made of chocolate. "</p>

<p>source: <a href="http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/12.06/99-admissions.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hno.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/12.06/99-admissions.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

2

<p>It’s strange thinking of a panel of 35 or so people voting yes or no on your admission… that’s a lot of people.</p>

3

<p>I would think that sage endowment investment advice would score more points than chocolate.</p>

4

<p>I had no idea it was 35 people. That’s a lot…</p>

5

<p>Yeah that is a ton of people. I was thinking maybe 8-14ish.</p>

6

<p>wait so all applicants go through the 35-person committee? </p>

<p>or is there a regional screening session … ?</p>

7

<p>No… there was a post earlier that detailed the process (as much as someone can not being inside).</p>

<p>Basically there are a few rounds of initial screenings for grades etc.</p>

<p>Then at some point you get to a regional admissions officer who evaluates you. That person then can present your application to “The Committee” which is the big group with the final say and actual power. They individually vote for your admission and it gets added up.</p>

8

<p>This is exactly the reason they look down upon additional recs (even those from Harvard alums and famous people!). The two teacher recs/ one counselor rec should be enough to explain your academic performance and behavior (help others etc.) After that, you are to present anything you want them to know about you through your app and essays! If anything, a rec from someone who knows you well (parent, coach, music instructor) will tell the adcoms more about youself than a rec from a US Senator for whom you interned two weeks.</p>

9

<p>Well the other thing is… if you really do have the connections that you are trying to show through a ‘personal’ rec from a senator… it sure as hell isn’t done by an extra rec!</p>

10

<p>What I meant by rec was any other form of recommendations (letters, email, telegram, whatever other form of communication there may be). In my personal opinion, the more an applicant relies on outside sources/connections, the less qualified he/she really is, the adcoms may feel the same way.</p>

11

<p>I feel better now that even Jesus was unable to get in.</p>

12

<p>It’s 35 people on the “full” admissions panel…but the chances are only the really really tricky cases are voted on by this whole panel. The vast majority (or at least as I read elsewhere) are “cut” way before it gets past even 2 readers…</p>

13

<p>0.0 i want to eat some veritas chocolate…</p>