I recently had an asteroid named after me by MIT Lincoln Labs, as a result of winning a grand award at Intel ISEF for research. Also, I was deferred at Harvard during early action. I was wondering if I should notify Harvard now about the asteroid or if I should wait until ivy day to see if I am waitlisted and use the asteroid to try and get off the waitlist.
Do NOT update Harvard on the asteroid nonsense (you can actually purchase the same thing on the internet — so it’s not a big deal), but DO update them on winning a grand award at InteL ISEF.
They already know about ISEF.
Then don’t update them about the asteroid naming — that’s just silly and will not have any effect whatsoever on your acceptance.
Hmmm. One can purchase naming “ rights” to stars that no scientific organization recognizes, and that are nothing but a gimmick to separate someone from money - but near-earth objects are a different matter - especially if MIT Lincoln has recognized authority in the Astronomical Union to bestow the honorary sobriquet .
Asteroid naming is a gimmick cooked up by MIT Lincoln Labs to promote science: https://www.businessinsider.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-asteroid-2018-6
Harvard already knows the OP has won a top award at INTEL ISEF – and that is what is important. As every top award winner also gets an asteroid named after them, I think its safe to assume Harvard also knows that as well.
I know that one of the Grand Prize winners last year applied to Harvard but did not get in, but she ended up at Stanford, not a bad place to be at all. By my observation, ISEF Grand Prize winners, Olympiad Gold medalists have about 50% chance at Harvard, and almost 100% chance at one of HYPSM. Compared to 2.5% for the unhooked, OP’s 50% chance is pretty good, but still not a lock. Nobody has a lock.
Probably true that they know about the naming,
but not true that you can purchase this same honor on the web like the nonsensical star ads