Thank you @gibby for helping us out!
Praying for all of you and hoping for the bet. My friend also got Waitlisted. Hoping for the best.
I was deferred in December. I sent them a lengthy update on March 19th, and was waitlisted on March 30th. I’m curious to know whether or not the admissions office had seen my update letter before making their decision. If it’s likely that they hadn’t, I plan to submit a slightly modified version of the letter that I sent a few weeks back that describes what I’ve been up to since December. If it is likely that they saw my letter before making a decision, though, I have little idea what to do. I’m beginning to fall in love with one of the schools to which I was accepted (Columbia), but Harvard has been my top choice for years, and I’d hate to turn down a final opportunity to be admitted.
I’m sure they did.
Love the school that loves you back; Columbia is a great option.
Are you guys sending your LOCI in an email, or uploading it through the portal?
@TheIG19 The portal is the best way, I think.
Did you guys know that Johnathan Finer (John Kerry’s Chief of Staff) was waitlisted at Harvard and then accepted?
@gibby hey! Long time no see. I ended up getting waitlisted as a legacy applicant. I wouldn’t think that more than 10% of waitlisted students are legacy/developmental applicants, and if about 80% of the z-list is comprised of these applicants, would I have a good chance getting on it? I plan to supplement my app by writing a LOCI and maybe by getting another rec.
I would suggest you call (not email) the Admissions Office and ask them that question directly, as I have no idea.
I doubt they’ll give me an answer. Statistically speaking, though, it seems like I have at least a chance. If only a small percentage of waitlisted applicants are legacies but a large percentage of the z-list are…
That’s true, however you’ll have the opportunity to express your genuine interest in taking a gap year, thereby allowing Admissions to personally get to know you – which can never hurt. In addition, I imagine the more thoughtful you can be about what you might do with a gap year, the more enthusiastic Admissions might be for you to take a gap year. None of that really can be done in an email or letter.
@gibby so just to sort of summarize your advice for getting off the waitlist:
Write a short LOCI reiterating how Harvard is our top choice before May 1st. Upload through the portal
Only send in seriously major updates (otherwise don’t send any)
Don’t bother sending third quarter grades
Don’t contact admissions asking to have another interview (on campus or with an alumni)
And hope for the best!!!
Is there anything I’m missing?
I applied early, got deferred to regular, then got waitlisted… is this common? Does the fact that I applied early help my chance on the waitlist?
I’m on the same page, @JulieBurns. This is absolutely tortuous.
Fellow waitlister here! I was totally expecting to get rejected. Have you guys sent in your LOCI’s yet?
@IvyKid1 nope not yet. Planning to send this week
My counselor called my regional admissions officer, and he said that I should e-mail the LOCI directly to him, but the general consensus seems to be to upload the letter to the portal. Should I do both just to be safe?
@Yuchentu I think you should do what the admissions officer said. He know more than the rest of us
^^ @Yuchentu: If your regional Admissions Officer told your GC that you should email the LOCI directly to them, then THAT’S what you need to do – and nothing else! How an applicant follows directions during the Admission process often gives an AO a clue to how you would follow directions once on admitted. Doing something differently than asked will not bode well for your chances.
@gibby I’d be worried that the AO might never have received the update letter. In case they don’t respond to my e-mail (which I’m not expecting them to), is there any way to follow-up and contact the office to see if they have received any of my materials? (including another letter of recommendation, and this update letter). Sorry if this has been brought up in the past and answered already, I don’t browse CC that often.