<p>I am wondering if, to get accepted off of Harvard's waiting list, one would have to demonstrate extreme interest to the admissions committee. I only ask because there have been several other threads discussing how, at other colleges, showing interest to the adcom after being waitlisted can result in a later acceptance.</p>
<p>Knowing that Harvard is certainly a "different" college because of their yield rates and reputation and academic prowess, will sucking up (writing letters, demonstrating interest) to the admissions committee give one a higher chance of being chosen off the waiting list (if the waiting list is used at all this year)? </p>
<p>This might be unanswerable, however if there are Harvard students who were chosen off the waitlist in the past on CC, it would be helpful if you could share your experience regarding the waiting list. </p>
<p>As Fitzsimmons points out, with the difficulty in predicting yield due to the school's financial aid initiatives and the elimination of early admissions, combined with overcrowding in the Houses due to over-admitting the last two years, Harvard went very conservative with its admissions this year. For purposes of setting the admissions number, they assumed an 85% yield and admitted 110 fewer students than they did last year. </p>
<p>I think it is very unlikely that they will in fact have an 85% yield, with the last few years setting records at around 80%. If the yield is 80% again this year, then they'll need to take close to 100 students off the waitlist to meet their enrollment target. If the yield is lower than 80% (which it might be given that the early admit pool, which was eliminated this year, has pulled the average yield up in past years), then they will need to admit even more off the waitlist. All of which says to me that the odds of getting in off the waitlist this year will be higher than in recent years. This quote from the article linked above seems to suggest the same:</p>
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Fitzsimmons said that the admissions office might be relying more than usual on the waitlist—which numbers in the “many hundreds”—to fill up the Class of 2012.
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<p>P.S., in response to the OP's question, you don't really need to do anything more than let them know you'd like to stay on the waitlist, but there's no harm sending a short, business-like letter reaffirming your interest in the school and updating any meaningful new achievements/awards (but only if they're meaningful). You should not "suck up" or pester them with multiple communications. If you have a decent guidance counselor, you could also ask him/her for any further suggestions.</p>
<p>"I am wondering if, to get accepted off of Harvard's waiting list, one would have to demonstrate extreme interest to the admissions committee. "</p>
<p>No. Harvard knows that it's most applicant's first choice.
When taking students off the waiting list, Harvard looks to fill holes in the class, so getting off the waiting list is based on factors beyond your control.</p>
<p>Harvgrad08: appears to be on the money. Based on what I have read, those who contribute lots of $$$ have a special pull when it comes to wait list. Others who get off the waitlist may be those from schools with special connection to H, such as prep schools and other feeder schools.</p>
<p>I'm guessing that they probably wouldn't want GC interference either? I feel like any emails would be bothersome, but I could always ask my GC to kind of emphasize what I have been doing around the school since Decem</p>