<p>It has to, I mean on a "bad" day, wouldn't an adcom be a bit harder on applicants than on a day where he was in an extremely good mood?</p>
<p>And after comparing stats, to me, it seems somewhat like game of dice rather than pick the applicant with the better stats.</p>
<p>I don't know if it applies to the situation of the officer have a good/bad day, but yes, luck is definitely a factor. Admissions at times seems awfully random, you really never know about getting in or not.</p>
<p>Luck plays a factor in everything.. and not just in their 'mood' but also the competitiveness of the applicants you're up against that year and whether or not they find you unique, etc.. that having been said, good luck!</p>
<p>yes. it seems like a big factor.
even beyond the type of day the admissions officer is having. if your applications come after a string of really good or really bad apps would make a big difference.</p>
<p>Let me tell you a story.</p>
<p>Two years ago (or so) I attended a large meeting in which a Yale admissions rep presided. One of the "tips" he gave people was about essays. He read some examples of essays he liked, including one from a kid rich enough to spend some time in Finland with a "hilarious" story about a Finnish sauna. I didn't find the essay all that great but, what the hey?</p>
<p>He then read an essay from a kid who killed his chances -- in other words, a "bad" essay. Now, to me, this "bad" essay sounded like the beginning of a very, very good novel. But the subject matter embarrassed the ad. officer, so the kid was rejected out of hand.</p>
<p>It was this kid's bad luck to get an admissions officer who knew very little (apparently) about literature. Had his essay been read by a different admissions officer, it might well have been what got him in.</p>
<p>So, in answer to your question, luck is definitely a factor.</p>
<p>I'd think more than one person would look at your application to prevent that.</p>
<p>right?</p>
<p>I've heard (but you know what they say about rumors...) that the adcoms each take a random pile of applications and then by themselves evaluate each app they are given. During this time people can be immediately rejected and or accepted at the adcoms disgression, but then the iffy ones are all brought to the whole group to be decided on.</p>
<p>I read the book the "Gatekeepers" about the admissions process at Wesleyan. It did mention the luck factor about the good day/bad day and a mediocre essay can be considered a good one after a string of bad essays. At Wesleyan the admissions folder was read by the regional rep and then a random person; auto admits and rejects were reviewed by the head of admissions.</p>
<p>As someone famous once said (I believe it was T. Jefferson or B. Franklin):</p>
<p>I believe in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I have.</p>
<p>...or something to that effect.</p>
<p>Luck plays a (small) role, but I wouldn't expect good luck to get me in.</p>
<p>Yes, luck always plays some role in things. There are some applicants that are called "one read admits" and little luck goes into those kids' acceptances. But when you are looking a the pot where just about everyone is qualified but the spaces are so limited, yes, luck can play a role. Yours can be one of earlier apps read when there are still plenty of spaces open which just psychologically makes people a bit more generous. The 1000th essay on Grandma's death, the 800th flute player, drama queen, dancer is not going to be as impressive as the first few reads even with equivalent academic stats. If you are lucky enough to write about caring about your old dying dog, and the adcom reading the essay is going through the same thing and is a dog lover, you have an advantage. If the adcom hates dogs, and finds it difficult to read through the topic, it's bad luck. There are safeguards against particular predjudices, and these people are professional with some pretty specific guidelines, but the human nature part can come through. Also if you are interested in German and have a nice resume with work in that language on it,and the school is pushing that department that year, you are in luck. If they have a new coach who is the adcom's son in fencing,and you are a fencer, you are in luck. If you are a tri athlete but not recruited and your reader hates jocks, you are in a different kind of luck. If the teachers /counselor who write your recs do a great job, you are in luck. Lotsa luck involved, but most of it not controllable, nor can you anticipate most of it.</p>
<p>I don't think too many JHU applicants write about how much they love art?</p>
<p>Well, for example, my friend's essay talked about racism he experienced when he lived in Hawaii. Being white, he was in the minority compared to a mostly islandic and asian state. He's really afraid that a black adcom will read his essay and get angry at him for complaining. </p>
<p>For me, I just really hope whoever reads my essays likes baseball.</p>