From Community College to Harvard?

<p>I think you guys are too negative…I will go for my bachelor’s degree to some school and then try for my dream school.Thank you anyway !</p>

<p>Older students are admitted to Harvard College. (See a Harvard Crimson article at [Late</a> in the Game: Life as a Mature Harvard Student | News | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1999/2/26/late-in-the-game-life-as/]Late”>Late in the Game: Life as a Mature Harvard Student | News | The Harvard Crimson)) However, a sure-fire way to get a Harvard University degree that can get you into some of the best graduate and professional schools in the nation is to obtain a Bachelor’s degree from the Harvard Extension School. You can take your classes on campus or online. (Go to [Liberal</a> Arts Degree Online & On Campus | Undergraduate Degree Programs](<a href=“http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-certificates/undergraduate-degrees]Liberal”>Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree Program | Harvard Extension School).) </p>

<p>Now there are people on CC who denigrate a degree from the Extension School, but graduate schools and employers respect a degree from HES. Besides, HES graduates participate in Harvard’s May Commencement exercises with everyone else and they get a Harvard education at a much lower cost than undergrads at Harvard College. So, Erin1988, consider transferring to HES as well!</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your advice.
I want to try regular school ,I simply don’t trust online education. I think I will stick with my plan,bachelor’s somewhere and for master’s try H.</p>

<p>I think that’s an awesome plan: try your hardest wherever you are for a bachelors degree and shoot for a masters from Harvard. Best of luck!</p>

<p>Thank you,I will go for it.I am not even close to being there but I might be one day!</p>

<p>Erin, your revised strategy sounds appropriate and sensible! And yes, with hard, focused work in college, you “might be one day!” Some comments may have come off as harsh, but we really just wanted you to formulate a positive and REALISTIC plan of action. You have clearly now done so. Good luck!</p>

<p>I simply do not understand why some people would give him hope. Do you think your actions are graceful? I do not deny the possibility of people gaining acceptance in similar situations. As Sikor mentioned, Erin has a limited potential. He’s 29, judging by his writing, we can see his train of thought and beliefs are undeveloped and arbitrary. No one can completely deny a possibility, but honestly, do you think Erin has the capability of achieving this level of success?
With my beauty standards, only one girl out of a thousand attracts my eyes, I’m an unhappy person. If you don’t have the ability to strive for high quality, live your life happily.
The higher you aim, the higher you’ll fall from, and the lesser likely you’ll stand up. If you aim for Harvard and as you progress, maybe you’ll realize how far away you’re from YOUR GOAL.
"You’re so far away from the line, that the line is a dot to you. "
Dreams are nice and sweet as a child, but you’re not one, so start taking responsibility for your actions. You have no right, or should I say, you don’t deserve to waste more time.
Think of your peers, think of your parents, I’m not being harsh because of your unrealistic dream, but out of consideration for your parents.
Some people can work for an opportunity at entering in Harvard in your situation, but your root is set, you do not even realize where or what is the root.</p>

<p>Without knowing Erin1988’s GPA or academic and nonacademic accomplishments, you declare Erin1988 dead in the water. Shameful! Why do you get so much pleasure in being a dream killer? The difference between you and me is that I am a positive thinking person who can see realistic possibilities and you are a negative thinking person who can only see impossibilities. Thank God the world is not dominated by people like you; otherwise, there would have never been a Dr. Benjamin Carson, considered as one of the greatest pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, who was called a “dummy” by his classmates, or a Thomas Edison, a Luis Pasteur, a Robert Goddard, a Robert Sternberg, and the list goes on and on! Furthermore, I do not see the kind of problems in Erin1988’s writing that would warrant your assessment that “his train of thought and beliefs are undeveloped and arbitrary.” In fact, in this thread, you can see the development of Erin1988’s thinking and maturity. Now, DingDz, it is time for you to elevate your thinking and maturity. But unlike how you feel about Erin1988, I do believe you can change. I do not believe “your root is set.”</p>

<p>You’re not getting into Harvard from a community college.</p>

<p>^^ @dascholar, Calm down!</p>

<p>@Das: Do you guys know of Erin’s GPA? Hence, why throw the arbitrary assertion of ignorance at me? You people have given him confidence without knowing any of his positive aspects, is this not what should be frowned upon? I’m not the dream killer, it’s not my dream and only Erin can kill his own dream. Attributing his incapabilities to me will not, never mind, this is not the intention of my post.
I suggest you focus on the root of this situation, I’m asking him to consider others before making such a selfish decision. Whether or not Erin is capable of getting in is not my main concern. A person is free to purse their dreams, but at the same time, please consider other people around you.
If you think you and Erin will feel better by you throwing emotional words at me, don’t do so, you’re only hurting yourself and him, respectively.</p>

<p>I would say it is nearly impossible unless your SAT and high school GPA were in the same standings as thosr who got accepted as freshmen.</p>

<p>PVmusicmom, I counsel folks all the time, so I see the damage naysayers have on individuals in our society. So you better believe I am going to speak out passionately against naysayers! :)</p>

<p>TwinkieGirl, you are incorrect. Although it is extremely difficult for community college students to gain admissions to Harvard College, according to a Harvard Crimson article, “Each year, the University accepts fewer than three students from community colleges…” Read the whole article at <a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/12/12/harvard-lags-in-community-college-recruitment/[/url]”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/12/12/harvard-lags-in-community-college-recruitment/&lt;/a&gt;. It is revealing!</p>

<p>And DingDz, I came back at you passionately because you launched a passionate argument against Erin1988 and the folks who were trying to encourage her. Nevertheless, I also laid some rational and factual points on you that you cannot refute. I am satisfied because I told you the truth! :)</p>

<p>cekelly, it is extremely difficult, but the seemingly impossible does happen. :)</p>

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<p>Yeah, but it happens so rarely that it does people a disservice to lead them to expect it.</p>

<p>There is a difference between urging realism, as did Sikorsky and I, and Ding’s wholly inappropriate value judgment, “Erin has a limited potential.” Or Ding’s other vicious admonishment to Erin, “You have no right…you don’t deserve to waste more time.” We know that Erin has little chance of transferring from a community college to Harvard, but it is not because she has "limited potential, " or because she has “no right.” It is because the statistical probability is so extraordinarily small. Hence realism was STRONGLY urged. </p>

<p>Ding’s existential cruelty was APPROPRIATELY called out by dascholar. Dascholar’s response to Ding was necessary because this kind of viciousness is unacceptable on College Confidential. If it is not, by the community-at-large, it should be. Whether or not we believe Erin should attempt a transfer from a community college – and she has wisely rethought this strategy – how dare any of us judge her capacity, her core, or try to limit her rights? CC is becoming SO toxic!</p>

<p>Ding: in this instance, disturbing, shameful post! Some of your philosophical riffs – they remind me of post-bop sax improvisations – are thought provoking. Your response to Erin, however, was aharmonic, unmelodic and, essentially, tone-deaf.</p>

<p>Bravo, swingtime!</p>

<p>Sikorsky, you don’t tell people that they do not have a chance unless you know with the certainty of God that they actually don’t have a chance. I have 2 friends who were told by their physicians that they would die of cancer in 6 months, in one case, and 9 months, in the other, but then 6 and 12 years later respectively, they are still alive. They are alive even though the odds were against them. It is wiser to tell people that the odds are against them and to develop a back-up plan, but don’t tell people “you can’t because the odds are against you.” I know a number of kids who were told by their high school counselor that they could not get into Yale or Harvard, but ended up getting in anyhow. But now I see that there are people in the world who cannot thrive in uncertainty. I’m different. Even if you give me a teeny-weeny chance (which is the chance of a community college applicant getting into Harvard), I’m going for it! And that is exactly the advice I give to students about elite college admissions: “It will be extremely difficult, so devise optional college plans, but go for it!”</p>

<p>^^ @swingtime, hope you too calm down please. I believe, DingDz is a kid, but you all are well educated adults. Could make your points in a civil manner.</p>

<p>PVmm, I was extremely civil. I also think it is necessary to state, firmly and unequivocally, that ad hominem attacks are not acceptable. And rather than admonishing us, you might productively, GENTLY encourage Ding not to engage in such attacks. As a “well educated adult” I have no problem suggesting that such immature behavior is not acceptable on CC.</p>

<p>You have now intervened twice on behalf of Ding. But at no point have you spoken up to urge that he not engage in inappropriate commentary on the board. His comments about Erin were COMPLETELY unacceptable, whether coming from a “kid” or from a “well educated adult.” I find it perplexing that you have yet to stand up for the OP whose actual intellectual capactities and personal rights were DENIED by Ding! With all due respect – and I do say this respectfully – your concern for etiquette is selective.</p>

<p>I also mentioned to Ding that I have found MUCH of what he has said elsewhere to be thought provoking. His posts are often interesting and challenging. It was just in this instance that I felt he went over the line of acceptable discourse. And, I said so.</p>

<p>Well, I do understand why you are going after this kid, Ding, loudly. But, I would add this here. No one can deny no one’s right by simply posting a supposedly “wrong” advice in a public discussion thread, especially when the thread also include opposite side of advices at the same time - nicer, more believable and more thoughtful - to choose from. Eventually, it’s up to you people to choose what to believe when there are conflicting advices. If you have a right judgement, you will be able to choose right one to meet your need from wrong ones. All I ask was to approach it in a civil manner.</p>

<p>It is delicate, I know. Believe me, tone is so important to calibrate here! Especially on the Ivy boards where for so many, so MUCH seems to be at stake! However, it just isn’t appropriate to go after OP’s capacities and rights. Sure, she can sort it out. But how hurtful to be getting strong, non-judgmental advice that upends your dreams, ONLY THEN to see someone saying your dreams are ridiculous because you have neither capacity nor rights. We were already saying that in practical terms her plans were, well, impractical. Imagine then, for Erin, to come back and see you are also being personally attacked as, essentially, neither bright nor deserving? That’s profoundly hurtful, even if you are eventually able to sort it out and make sense of what seems the most appropriate course of action. It is the “gut shot” of his comments that really distressed me, FOR OP’S SAKE. And also because these kinds of things just should not be said. Many of the kids coming here are already questioning themselves and their capacities anyway…You sense it in so many posts. Thus, cruelty is not acceptable. And I believe that Ding was truly, thoughtlessly, cruel to Erin.</p>

<p>PVmusicmom: I hope we have it sorted out between us!</p>