<p>Congratulations on your admission.</p>
<p>Hey congrats! I got an early write acceptance letter from Amherst today in the mail! At first I was a little confused because they didn't come right out and say it, but I got it in the second paragraph! I'm excited. I was deferred at Harvard and I was accepted in (SUNY) Stony Brook, and (SUNY) Geneseo.</p>
<p>Should I use these acceptances (particularly Amherst) to my advantage for Harvard and possibly the other Ivies? I know as a deferred student, I have the right and the opportunity to highlight recent accomplishments to the Harvard adcoms. Does anyone suppose that emphasizing an Amherst acceptance would help tip the balance in my favor at Harvard? If so, how should I approach this? Please keep in mind that unlike other deferred Harvard applicants, I have not yet sent them any follow-up letter or information. I am planning on doing that by mid-March. Any tips??? I'd appreciate any and all help. Thanks in advance :)</p>
<p>-Jon</p>
<p>A very very bad idea. You'll probably be saying goodbye to any chances of a Harvard acceptance. By the way, what made you desirable to Amherst may be of no value to H. If H wants you, your admission elsewhere is irrelevant. Ditto, if they don't want you.</p>
<p>I got my early writes acceptance letter today. Yay! I am so glad I don't have to wait another month for an answer from them. This is quite a load off of college decision stress. The letter was post marked Thursday, so I'm surprised it got all the way down to Florida so soon.</p>
<p>Priority mail?</p>
<p>Thanks Zuma! I actually read in, "A is For Admission" that updating an Ivy about admission into other Ivies and/or noteworthy "sub-Ivies" (Amherst) is usually a good idea as it may push them towards accepting you (usually IF you're already an outstanding candidate in their applicant pool). Anyway, Amherst aside, what do you suppose I ought to send to Harvard to help my chances? I know a letter reaffirming my interest in Harvard is a MUST! Any other suggestions? How would you go about it? This is open to everyone. Again keep in mind that I was deferred at Harvard under SCEA. I know that mentioning Amherst might be risky, but in a letter, wouldn't a casual reference such as:</p>
<p>"While I have been accepted at x, y, and z, my interests are still directed toward your institution. Harvard has been my dream school and I am still considering it at the top of my list before making any decisions"</p>
<p>... or something to that effect? Let me know, please! Thanks :)</p>
<p>-Jon</p>
<p>No, you shouldn't. It could backfire.</p>
<p>Hey, I was wondering if anyone who has gotten an early write has other people in their class who are also applying to Amherst?</p>
<p>To be blunt about it, Amherst is not considered a peer by Harvard. Please do not consider this derogatory to Amherst. I love Amherst, but they are two different kinds of schools. You can make the tangential mention as you propose, but you're dealing with apples and oranges. It may work better at Dartmouth than at Harvard. I think Harvard folks believe they make a unique judgment when they choose to admit someone.</p>
<p>As to what to do to update, admissions probably suggested you submit midyear grades among other things. Make sure they were good and maybe your class rank moved up. Tell them what specifically you want to get out of a Harvard education. Specify department, program, prof., etc. Update community service, national merit, athletic honors, research. Find out who is the first reader and address updates to them. Then just relax. Whether you get in or not, life moves on.</p>
<p>I got mine today too! Very excited. One other person in class applying, I'll see what happened to him.</p>
<p>Hey, about how many people receive these early writes, anyways?</p>
<p>(This is regarding Amherst class of 09)</p>
<p>In next years class, we have admitted more students with academic reader-ratings of 1" than ever before, and we hope the College will matriculate even more of them. They are heavily competed for, admitted everywhere they apply, and our best chance for their coming here is personal contact through the Faculty Phonathon. This year there were 242 Early Writes: top students in the regular admission pool who received early notification. The Phonathon made contact with 204 of them, 44 of whom will matriculate this fall. This is the highest ever yield for the Phonathon (18.18% of those contacted). Next year, the Committee will revamp the Phonathon, spreading it out over a week, and including e-mail contact as well as phone calls. We look forward to continued Faculty involvement in this important activity.</p>
<p>(This is regarding Williams)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/recipe/%5B/url%5D">http://www.williams.edu/home/focus/recipe/</a></p>
<p>By late February, the readers identify 200 or more students who stand out so clearly that they receive letters offering admission a few weeks ahead of the rest of the regular admittees. These early writes, as Williams calls them, are typically highly coveted by other colleges. By admitting them a bit earlier, arranging for department chairs or coaches to phone or write urging them to accept, and, in a small number of cases, offering to fly them in for campus visits, Williams hopes to get a leg up in the wooing process. (The College tends not to early write students from high schools where many candidates have applied to Williams, however, so as not to send parents and school counselors into a tizzy by accepting one student weeks ahead of others.)</p>
<p>Did those of you who received an early write receive an e-mail or a phone call first?</p>
<p>Neither! I just got a letter, in a normal/skinny envelope inside a priority mail envelope. And I live all the way out here in California!</p>
<p>Wall Street Journal Article on Early Write Letters</p>
<p>APDoolittle.....</p>
<p>Without getting in to whether or not Amherst is not "peer" of Harvard or Princeton I strongly advise you not to even think about sending that letter. </p>
<p>The strongest letter you have sent was your application which obviously was splendid enough for you to have received an early write. Have confidence that your accomplishments will be recognized by other schools as well.</p>
<p>Amherst's letter is more than a likely letter. There is no hinting around the subject. It is an outright offer of admission, pure and simple. These guys have stopped being coy about it.</p>
<p>Thanks nopoisonivy :) I suppose I ought to give myself a lot more credit than I have been. With a little bit of self-confidence, I'm just going to let things play themselves out. Wish me luck! ;)</p>
<p>I remember talking to a FA officer at a top tier U trying to appeal D's FA package, and mentioned where she had been admitted with more $ and was told they were wonderful schools, too, and she should attend one of those. Their offer was fair. Definitely can backfire. H already knows that the kids that they accept or WL are accepted at other schools, too, so I wouldn't mention it. If you won anything new, or are doing something wonderful, along with additional grades, then submit. Definitely send a letter of continued interest. Good luck!</p>
<p>My friend got an early-write to Amherst. He is 5/450, Intel Science Fair Finalist, 1410 SAT...All-Star Runner, the only blemish is that his activity sheet was really poorly written, and that his midyear was terrible. He had never made a B before, and he made 4 A's, a B, and a C!! He had never made a B, and made a C.</p>
<p>Anyway, he is ridiculously qualified...so...awesome.</p>