Waitlisted
@GreenFrog23 To be honest, Grand Canyon University is rank #381, acceptance rate 68%, and Harvard is rank #1, acceptance rate 5%, what did you expect? These two schools are not comparable within one sentence 
Does anyone know why there are so many being waitlisted? Corona?
The whole ivy league waitlisted me 
@AniAni I would call and ask. That’s a perfect score!
@2427Mom , I am pretty sure that was a joke.
@Michiedel , They turn many many applicants with perfect scores away every year. Differences in scores on those standardized tests don’t really make a difference to them. They accept a ton of 1550s and also deny a ton of 1600s
We did our visit last summer and at the time, my son had just gotten his scores back for his Math2 SAT subject test and was very upset because he’d gotten a 790 and had read somewhere that you had to have an 800 in that in order to be seriously considered at these ultra-competitive schools (his likely major is Applied Mathematics) So after the presentation, I went up to the admissions staff person and asked her if he really needed to sit for it again. She replied, “Parents and students never believe me when I say this, but for those tests we just want to see if they can do the work. To us, 800, 790, 780, it’s all the same. We are trying to build a class, if you hit a minimum number we are looking for, it will come down to the student’s essays and what we think he or she can bring to the community.” So he let it go and took his second in Biology, got in the high 700s and called it a day. And you know what, he got in. She wasn’t lying.
I think way too many people get caught up in ‘stats’ and trying to figure out likelihood of getting into these schools based on what seem to be objective measure of grades/class rank and standardized test scores and then they also count up the number of ECs and think that they are set. But these schools only have 1600 spots for the fall. There are about 4500 students in this country alone that either have my son’s test score or higher (you can tell because there are 4500 candidates for the Presidential scholar competition and it’s all on test scores either SAT or ACT) If the standardized test score were the main thing, they’d only be able to admit perfect testers.
I don’t typically put his stats on boards like these because they are not helpful. He is unique, every student is unique. He got into the schools that he did because they think he will bring something to the community. He only applied to five schools - this was the only Ivy because after visiting a couple of others, we didn’t like them. He loved Princeton on line, but when we got there in person, we decided it was a no go. We were really put off by the ‘eating clubs.’ It felt way too elitist. He decided against applying to Penn as well after a visit. I am so glad that he focused his attention on just five schools because it meant he got to take his time with the supplemental essays and that made the difference He got into all of them. He did a safety, two matches and two reaches. He feels extremely grateful and very lucky that he wanted colleges that saw his value.
Harvard builds a class with diverse talents and interests. It is not as much about the individual as it is about building that community. I hope that helps.
If you are on the waitlist, I hope you will turn your attention to other schools, visit, choose one and be happy.
@9ptempel1
We are strikingly similar. Me, 1540 SAT, 3.84 GPA (I know, kinda low), astrophysics major, other things (pretty well rounded), waitlisted
@Jennibc Thanks for the thorough explanation. Makes sense. Congratulations to your son!!!
I see that you cannot recognize sarcasm.
Harvard typically wait lists hundreds of students. They don’t release the exact number, but I was told one year that it was on the order of 800. Some applicants are wait listed because of hooks, and they don’t want to reject outright, but many of the people on the wait list were just on the cusp of admission, and they didn’t have room.
No one will be admitted from the wait list until after the decision deadline for students, typically May 1. Usually, no more than a few dozen will be admitted off the wait list. Sometimes it’s because the candidate was in the admit group until the final cut, and sometimes it’s to fill a particular need; for example, if they realize that no one with a specific extracurricular interest has accepted the offer.
For those that are rejected/waitlisted, I can understand your disappointment and frustration. My two older children went through the same disappointments and frustration. But they both ended up in schools they love and have enjoyed their college life immensely. So, take solace in knowing that you will end up in happy places in the end. By looking at stats, you are all amazing kids that will go on to achieve great things if you keep working at it. Remember, going to college is just a beginning of a long journey.
I also want to echo the above sentiment about test scores. Test scores are important, no doubt, but too many students obsess over minute differences in their SAT/ACT scores. To demonstrate this further, my D (third and last kid) took the ACT and did not take any SAT Subject tests. She only applied to schools that didn’t require the subject tests (i.e. optional). As it turned out, Harvard and Yale didn’t care that she didn’t take any SAT subject tests. For future applicants, take the standardized test once or twice (Max), and focus your energy on helping others through activities that you are passionate about. Build a strong narrative on what you are passionate about and demonstrate your passion to colleges through your ECs. Lastly, I think getting a paying job is also a good way to demonstrate you are mature, independent and responsible. Best of luck to all of you.
Accepted for biological sciences.
GPA 9th: 3.9
10th: 4.17
11th: 5.0
SAT 1480
Math 2 720, Literature 680
First gen student, immigrant
Notable extracurriculars: freelance writer, part time job, started badminton club, french cultural club. spanish 3rd language.
Also accepted: UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI (UCSB and UCI as regents) + other CSUs, USC
Waitlisted: Reed, Colby
Rejected: Columbia, Cornell
Lolll I was rejected… But I’m still waiting on Stanford… fingers crossed @judith214
Any waitlisted international students here?
Accepted! Also accepted to Yale and the Morehead-Cain at UNC.
4.6 weighted GPA, 34 ACT / 1520 SAT.
I am a scenic painter, tech manager, singer, tour guide, lifeguard, deli worker, and more.
Accepted!
Stats: 3.78 GPA, 31 ACT, 3 APs, Rest Honors.
Extracurriculars: Not anything super noteworthy. I had 23 hours of volunteer work at my local soup kitchen. I also attended 3 Harvard summer programs at Harvard - one after freshman year, one after sophomore year, and one after junior year. I think that played a huge role in my admission. I was a manager for the high school soccer team during my freshman year, but I quit to focus on schoolwork. I didn’t have too much else.
Essays: These also played a huge role in me getting in I think. In my common app essay, I talked about how I didn’t make the soccer team freshman year but persevered and didn’t quit and became the manager. I tied this to my will to never give up no matter the circumstances, a skill that will serve me very well at Harvard. My why Harvard essay talked about how it is a top school and I can get a really good education here. I talked about my summer programs and how much fun I had/the great friends I made during my time there. I also mentioned how much of a sacrifice I made by going to these and how this shows that I am extremely dedicated to the university.
Letters of Rec: These were OK. My counselor letter was awful, she doesn’t even know me. I got another from my sophomore year algebra 2 teacher. I got a C+ in that class but I worked really hard to get that grade, so I think he wrote me a good one. The other one was meh.
Demographics/Hooks:
Race: White
Gender: Male
Income: $500,000+
FA?: No.
Hook: Both of my parents graduated from Harvard, and my dad is really good friends with both the dean of admissions and the assistant dean of admissions. He donates a ton of money to the university every year, and I think he had the two put in a good word for me. But honestly, I don’t think any of these things played a major role in my admissions. Everyone always talks about how legacy and inside connections are important, but I worked my tail off during high school. Honors classes are no joke, and it’s obvious that I challenged myself with the 3 APs I took. I got in on my own merit and nothing else, and I take great pride in that.
Strengths/Weaknesses: My GPA, ACT score, extracurriculars, and essays were all awesome. Definite strengths. I’d say my letters of rec were my only weaknesses.
Super excited to enroll at Harvard! I applied to every Ivy and unfortunately got rejected from all the others (no clue why lol), but Harvard was my top choice. Can’t wait!
I got waitlisted and I was actually ecstatic!! I consider my stats pretty low (even though they are understandable given that I went through a lot in high school which affected my grades, I also expressed this in my Unusual Circumstances essay), so to even be considered so closely for admission at a school I was so sure I would never make it to is a blessing. Here are my stats if anybody is wondering:
SAT: 1520
GPA: 3.7 UW / 4.1 W
SAT Subjects: Math 2 710, Chemistry 720
AP Tests: 4s in Chem, Calc BC, and Lang
ECs: NHS President, Student Council, Varsity Sideline and Competitive Cheer and other clubs
Awards: Award for Academic Excellence, AP Scholar Award, All Conference, Academic All State
Accepted at: UMich, UC Berkeley, Boston College, Tulane, Rice, Emory, UMiami, Michigan Tech, Howard, FAMU, JSU, MSU, University of Tampa
Waitlisted at: Harvard
Rejected from: all other Ivies, Stanford, BU, USC, Georgetown, UCLA, Duke,
Still waiting for: NYU
guys, the Harvard let me in dude got rejected from Harvard
Waitlisted
Black Female from NYC
SAT 1420 (700 math, 720 reading)
SAT II: Lit- 700 World History - 610
Rank: 2
4.0 unweighted GPA
English Major
Amazing essays and recommendations
ECs:
Editor-in-chief of newspaper since soph. year
President of National Honor Society for 2 Yrs (In NHS since soph)
President of the Student Government (Public Relations Director, 11th Grade President, SG President)
Founded my school’s Black Student Union (2 Yrs)
VP of STEM Club (2 yrs)
Model UN (4 years)
400+ Volunteering hours
Organized service trips through NHS
Tutored kids in English, History, Physics, Algebra 2, Trig & Calc
Color Guard
Varsity Swim for 2 years
Varsity Track for 1
Participated in this summer entrepreneurship program, designed a prosthetic and a prosthetic startup & then won the contest at the end
I got into Boston College, Colgate, Franklin & Marshall, Ithaca, Northwestern (Medill School of Journalism), Syracuse (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), Washington University in St.Louis (WashU), Wheaton, and Tufts, Wesleyan, Bucknell, Cornell, UPenn, and Dartmouth, and Columbia, Brown
Waitlisted: Harvard & Yale
NYU comes out today, so we’ll find out.
Any other questions, happy to answer!