<p>Glancing through topics, I didn't find anything that directly answered my question, so here it is:</p>
<p>On the website/through e-mails, I know Harvard is saying to submit the first part of the app by Dec. 1. However, is this a strict deadline, or is it just a suggestion?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>According to the Harvard application instructions:</p>
<p>"We recognize that you and your secondary school teachers and counselors
have many commitments that may preclude December 1 submission of your
admission materials. If so, please be assured that you will not be penalized
in any way."</p>
<p>So I assume its more of a request than a strict deadline; You can submit everything by the 1st of Jan. I think Harvard just wants to encourage people to send stuff early so that they don't get huge bulks of mail to sort out later on....</p>
<p>I think if you want an interview, it's better to submit AT LEAST the commonapp portion of the app (without the harvard supplement). If you've done EA at another college, this shouldn't be hard.</p>
<p>yea, i think you can still turn in application.</p>
<p>is it okay if i send the commonapp like dec 5 or something? i mean, if i want an interview..</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't understand why Harvard specifies December 1st...if they want things early, why not December 2nd, or the 5th in pwaffle's case</p>
<p>Its just a suggestion- the Dec 1 date.</p>
<p>I believe you will still get an interview.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Considering the interview has almost no impact on your admission
(other than negatively) take your time and submit before the real
deadline.</p>
<p>The Dec 1 priority deadline is being touted as a safe date for
your app to be read somewhat earlier. If you are from a place
like North Dakota, I do not think it matters. however, if you
are from the New England Region there were probably 500
applications in by October 1 and another 1,000 by November
1 making the December 1 date moot ...?</p>
<p>I really think they are just trying to spread out their work. They also say they won't disadvantage you if you don't get it in early....</p>
<p>They give the December deadline because that's when they start looking at applications if you've sent them in already; it allows them to spread out the work.</p>
<p>QuixoticRick is correct. Given that all decisions at Harvard are made in committees, sending it on 12/1 or 1/1 will not matter. I just want to correct one part of a comment that was made in the thread thus far:</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Considering the interview has almost no impact on your admission
(other than negatively) take your time and submit before the real
deadline.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Actually, interviews matter a lot to Harvard -- based on my knowledge, Harvard is the ONLY school that attempts to give ALL 23,000 of its applicants an interview. One can, then, extrapolate from this fact that Harvard does consider the interview very much. Moreover, if interviews didn't matter, alums such as Hanna and Northstarmom, who VOLUNTEER to do these interviews wouldn't feel very good about conducting them.</p>